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Matrix composition and landscape heterogeneity structure multiple dimensions of biodiversity in temperate forest birds

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Abstract

Quantifying how human-modified landscapes shape the distribution of biodiversity is critical for developing effective conservation strategies. To address this, we evaluated three hypotheses (habitat area, habitat configuration and matrix heterogeneity hypotheses) that predict responses of biodiversity to landscape structure in human-modified landscapes. We compared characteristics of landscape structure that influence taxonomic (TD), functional (FD), and phylogenetic (PD) dimensions of biodiversity of breeding birds in temperate forests. Relationships between biodiversity and landscape structure were assessed at multiple spatial scales for 20 forest interior sites in northeastern USA. We assessed if relationships with landscape structure were consistent among dimensions and assemblages of different groups (residents, migrants and all birds). Relationships between dimensions of biodiversity and landscape structure were more prevalent for FD and PD than for TD. Forest amount and configuration were rarely associated with any dimensions of biodiversity. In contrast, the identity of the matrix and heterogeneity of the landscape were frequently associated with biodiversity, but relationships differed among groups of birds. For example, FD of all birds was associated positively with landscape diversity but FD of residents was associated negatively with landscape diversity, suggesting that landscape diversity surrounding forests may increase overall FD of birds but that not all groups of species respond similarly. Indeed, biodiversity of migrants was only weakly related to landscape structure. Differences among relationships to landscape structure for bird groups and spatial scales suggests that management plans should consider local decisions within a regional framework to balance potentially conflicting needs of species groups in human-dominated landscapes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by set-up funds from the Office of the Vice President for Research (MRW), an IBA Small Grants Program Award from Audubon Connecticut (MRW, BTK, and S. Presley) and Multiple Intramural Awards to BTK (Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Connecticut Museum of Natural History at the University of Connecticut). Funding for the synthetic portion of this Project was provided by a National Science Foundation Grant to S. Andelman and J. Parrish entitled “The Dimensions of Biodiversity Distributed Graduate Seminar” (DEB-1050680). K. Burgio, L. Cisnersos, C. Elphick, S. Presley and two anonymous reviewers provided comments that improved the content and composition of the manuscript. We thank S. Adamson, R. Hall, J. Lech, and C. Roberts for assistance with acoustic libraries and fieldwork.

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  1. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering, University of Connecticut, 75 N. Eagleville Rd. Unit 3043, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Brian T. Klingbeil & Michael R. Willig

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  1. Brian T. Klingbeil
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Correspondence to Brian T. Klingbeil.

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Communicated by Donald C. Franklin.

This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Forest and plantation biodiversity.

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Klingbeil, B.T., Willig, M.R. Matrix composition and landscape heterogeneity structure multiple dimensions of biodiversity in temperate forest birds. Biodivers Conserv 25, 2687–2708 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1195-6

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