Abundance and habitat relationships of breeding birds in the Sky Islands and adjacent Sierra Madre Occidental of northwest Mexico
Affiliation
Univ Arizona, Desert Lab, Sch Nat Resources & EnvironmIssue Date
2016-06Keywords
distance samplingMadrean Sky Islands
Mexico
mixed-conifer forest
oak woodland
pine-oak woodland
Sierra Madre Occidental
Metadata
Show full item recordPublisher
WILEY-BLACKWELLCitation
Flesch, A. D., Sánchez, C. G. and Amarillas, J. V. (2016), Abundance and habitat relationships of breeding birds in the Sky Islands and adjacent Sierra Madre Occidental of northwest Mexico. J. Field Ornithol., 87: 176–195. doi:10.1111/jofo.12151Journal
JOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGYRights
© 2016 Association of Field OrnithologistsCollection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
The Sierra Madre Occidental and neighboring Madrean Sky Islands span a large and biologically diverse region of northwest Mexico and portions of the southwestern United States. Little is known about the abundance and habitat use of breeding birds in this region of Mexico, but such information is important for guiding conservation and management. We assessed densities and habitat relationships of breeding birds across Sky Island mountain ranges in Mexico and adjacent portions of the Sierra Madre from 2009 to 2012. We estimated densities at multiple spatial scales, assessed variation in densities among all major montane vegetation communities, and identified and estimated the effects of important habitat attributes on local densities. Regional density estimates of 65% of 72 focal species varied significantly among eight montane vegetation communities that ranged from oak savannah and woodland at low elevations to pine and mixed-conifer forest at high elevations. Greater proportions of species occurred at peak densities or were relatively restricted to mixed-conifer forest and montane riparian vegetation likely because of higher levels of structural or floristic diversity in those communities, but those species were typically rare or uncommon in the Sky Islands. Fewer species had peak densities in oak and pine-oak woodland, and species associated with those communities were often more abundant across the region. Habitat models often included the effects of broadleaf deciduous vegetation cover (30% of species), which, together with tree density and fire severity, had positive effects on densities and suggest ways for managers to augment and conserve populations. Such patterns combined with greater threats to high-elevation conifer forest and riparian areas underscore their value for conservation. Significant populations of many breeding bird species, including some that are of concern or were not known to occur regionally or in mountain ranges we surveyed, highlight the importance of conservation efforts in this area of Mexico.Note
12 month embargoISSN
0273-8570Version
Final accepted manuscriptSponsors
National Park Service; Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Sky Island Alliance; Veolia Environment Foundation; University of Montana Graduate SchoolAdditional Links
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jofo.12151/fullae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/jofo.12151