Avian species functional diversity and habitat use the role of forest structural attributes and tree diversity in the Midlands Mistbelt forests of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Forest transformation has major impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Identifying the influence of forest habitat structure and composition on avian functional communities is important for conserving and managing forest systems. This study investigated the effect of forest structure and composition characteristics on bird species community structure, habitat use, and functional diversity in 14 Mistbelt forest patches of the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. We surveyed bird communities using point counts. We quantified bird functional diversity for each forest patch using three diversity indices: functional richness, functional evenness, and functional divergence. We further assessed species-specific responses by focusing on three avian forest specialists, orange ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi, forest canary Crithagra scotops, and Cape parrot Poicephalus robustus. We found that bird community and forest-specialist species responses to forest structure and tree spe..., See Bitani et al. (2023). Avian species functional diversity and habitat use: the role of forest structural attributes and tree diversity in the Midlands Mistbelt forests of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ecology and Evolution.,

森林转变对生物多样性（biodiversity）及生态系统功能（ecosystem functioning）具有显著影响。明确森林生境结构与组成对鸟类功能群落（avian functional communities）的影响，对于森林生态系统的保护与管理具有重要意义。本研究以南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省中部地区的14处雾带森林（Mistbelt forest）斑块为研究对象，探讨了森林结构与组成特征对鸟类群落结构、生境利用及功能多样性的影响。本研究采用点计数法对鸟类群落开展调查，并通过三类多样性指数——功能丰富度（functional richness）、功能均匀度（functional evenness）与功能分异度（functional divergence）——对各森林斑块的鸟类功能多样性进行了量化分析。此外，本研究还聚焦于3种森林专性鸟类：橙地鸫（Geokichla gurneyi）、林丝雀（Crithagra scotops）与开普鹦鹉（Poicephalus robustus），对其物种特异性响应进行了评估。研究发现，鸟类群落与森林专性物种对森林结构及树木物种（原文未完整表述）……详见Bitani等人（2023）的研究：《鸟类物种功能多样性与生境利用：南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省中部雾带林的森林结构属性与树木多样性的作用》，发表于*Ecology and Evolution*。