Logging impacts on understorey birds (talk) — 12th February, 2014, Bangalore

Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, presents a talk:

Title: Logging impacts on understorey birds
Speaker: Umesh Srinivasan, NCBS, Bangalore
Time: 4 pm

Abstract: Despite substantial research on the impacts of habitat fragmentation and logging on natural (especially bird) communities, our understanding of the mechanisms underpinnings leading to such impacts remains rudimentary. Over a three-year period, using understorey insectivorous birds, we investigated the impact of logging on:

1. static community patterns,
2. dynamic community patterns,
3. demographic rates, and
4. gene flow

We used mist-netting and bird ringing across a gradient of logging intensity in montane wet temperate forest in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. We show that logging has the potential to:

1. alter mass-abundance scaling in understorey communities, possibly due to the loss of large species and
2. density compensation by smaller species in logged patches, and
3. cause reduced temporal variability in community structure, perhaps because of a shift from neutral to niche processes in logged habitats.

Currently, work on the demography of selected understorey species using the open model mark-recapture framework is in progress, as is work examining gene flow across a gradient of logging using microsatellite data.

All are cordially welcome. Tea/Coffee will be served at 3:45pm.