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Ecological traits determine the affinity of birds to a larch plantation matrix, in montane Nagano, central Japan

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Although the affinity to the matrix habitat (matrix affinity) determines the fate of species in dynamic landscapes where habitat replacement occurs, only a few studies have examined which ecological traits are associated with matrix affinity. Here, we examined the associations of five ecological traits (i.e., fertility, body weight, migratory behavior, foraging height, and nesting height) with affinity for forest birds to a novel larch plantation matrix habitat. We surveyed the occurrence of birds in larch plantations (matrix habitat) and original deciduous forests (original habitat) in the winter and the breeding season, in a montane region of Nagano prefecture, central Japan. We treated occurrences in the matrix habitat relative to the original habitat as the matrix affinity of each species and examined the associations of ecological traits with matrix affinity, controlling for the relatedness of species. Fertile, resident, and low-nesting species showed high matrix affinity, while an association with body weight was not supported. The associations of foraging groups with matrix affinity were complex. While early successional species showed high matrix affinity, flycatchers had low matrix affinity. The matrix affinity of some foraging groups was greater in the winter than in the breeding season. Based on the results, we predicted that low fertility and migratory, high-nesting species would be sensitive to habitat replacement due to matrix hostility. These predictions may be applicable to other matrix type, region, and taxa.

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Acknowledgments

K. Itoh, K. Ozaki, S. Sugiura, T. Takahashi, and H. Tojo provided useful suggestions for this study. This study was funded by a grant from the Sumitomo Foundation for Environmental Research Projects, No. 033124, and a Sasagawa Scientific Research Grant from the Japan Science Society, No. 17-199.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Entomology, Forestry and Forest Product Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

    Yuichi Yamaura

  2. Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, 3-1-3 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8604, Japan

    Tatsuya Amano

  3. Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1051 Hata-cho, Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba, 262-0018, Japan

    Kazuhiro Katoh

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  1. Yuichi Yamaura
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  2. Tatsuya Amano
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Correspondence to Yuichi Yamaura.

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Yamaura, Y., Amano, T. & Katoh, K. Ecological traits determine the affinity of birds to a larch plantation matrix, in montane Nagano, central Japan. Ecol Res 23, 317–327 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-007-0380-1

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