Comparison of breeding bird communities in the interior and on the edge of Tilio-Carpinetum hornbeam

There are precious remnants of Tilio-Carpinetum vegetation in the Nysa Kłodzka Valley near Grodków forming three forests. During the years 2002-2004, the line transect method has been employed to assess dominance of birds breeding in these forests. Three transects were fixed in the forest interior and two transects on the edges along the Nysa Kłodzka river. A total of 63 bird species were recorded, inside the forests - 59, while on the edges - 51 species. Both in the interior and on the edges dominant species constituted 53%. However, species composition in the dominant groups were different. Both in interior and on the edges Fringilla coelebs, Sturnus vulgaris, Phylloscopus collybita and Sylvia atricapilla dominated; in interior forest Parus major, Sitta europaea and Erithacus rubecula were also dominants, while on the edges - Turdus merula and Emberiza citrinella were also in this group. In comparison with natural Tilio-Carpinetum hornbeam forest, the proportion of dominant species in hornbeam forests near Grodków was lower, what is probably the result of the edge effect.