Does vegetation structure and floristics in a riparian habitat influence bird community composition in Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa?

Riparian ecosystems are characterised by a greater heterogeneity of vegetation structure and composition relative to other savanna communities. However, it is contested which characteristics of the vegetation are most important for predicting bird diversity. The aim of our study was to determine the relative importance of composition and structural complexity, in terms of variance in vertical and horizontal structure, as well as canopy cover and tree height, as predictors of bird diversity. Bird diversity was analysed in terms of species richness, abundance, feeding and foraging guilds. We examined eight sites of varying structural and compositional diversities along the Limpopo River in Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa.