Structure of the Breeding Bird Assemblage of A Natural Beech-Spruce Forest in the Šútovská Dolina National Nature Reserve, the Malá Fatra Mts

Korňan M., Adamík P.: Structure of the breeding bird assemblage of a natural beech-spruce forest in the Šútovská dolina National Nature Reserve, the Malá Fatra Mts. Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 33, No. 2, p. 138-150, 2014.

The structure of a breeding bird assemblage of a natural beech-spruce forest in the Šútovská dolina National Nature Reserve, the Malá Fatra Mts was studied in the period 2000−2002. A 20-ha forest interior study plot was established for bird censusing. Population abundances were estimated by a combined version of the mapping method from April to the beginning of July. Altogether, 49 breeders were recorded and the total mean breeding bird assemblage density of the beech-spruce forest was 54.23±8.60 pairs/10 ha (CV = 15.85%). One species were characterised as eudominant (≥10%): Fringilla coelebs; and five species as dominant (≥5%): Erithacus rubecula, Sylvia atricapilla, Parus ater, Regulus regulus and Certhia familiaris. The Shannon diversity index (H') varied between 3.97 and 4.04 bites. The evenness index (J') reached values between 0.74 and 0.79. Expected species diversity in random sample of 100 pairs calculated by rarefaction [E (S1_{00 pairs})] was 21.02 ± 0.46 (SD) species derived as a mean value from the years 2000−2002. The mean rarefaction estimate on area [E (S_{10 ha})] was 17.35 ± 1.31 species. Species richness compared to other studied mixed forest in Slovakia was one of the highest, yet the species diversity values belong among the lowest.