Bird Survey Data, Far North Queensland Rainforest SuperSite, Robson Creek, 2010-2012

This project is documenting the distribution of bird species and the structure of bird communities at the TERN 25 Ha Plot at Robson Creek. The advantage of using the Plot as a point of focus is that the mapping and plant community data provide a phenological and ecological context for interpreting drivers of the bird community at that site. The Robson Creek plot site was chosen because being situated at c. 700m it represents a ‘tension’ zone between different tropical forest communities that are likely to show shifts under climate change. Bird communities below 600-800m can be characterised as current lowland, warm climate communities while those above 600-800m take on species with upland distributions, e.g. golden bowerbireds. grey-headed robins and fernwrens. Robson Creek being situated at the current altitudinal boundaries of the distribution of the upland and lowland specialist species consequently represents an ideal site for monitoring the species and community responses to climate change over time. In this project we are interested in species and community responses to climate change in three contexts. First, at the species level we are interested in how individual species respond in abundance and seasonality. Second, at the community level we are interested in i) describing changes in species distribution, ii) the effects of this on community composition and structure and iii) how this varies through the year.本项目旨在记录罗布森溪（Robson Creek）处的陆地生态系统研究网络（Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network，TERN）25公顷样地（25 Ha Plot）内的鸟类物种分布与鸟类群落结构。以该样地为研究焦点的核心优势在于，其配套的植被制图与植物群落数据，可为解析该站点鸟类群落的驱动因子提供物候与生态学背景支撑。罗布森溪样地被选为研究站点的原因在于，其地处约700米海拔处，代表了不同热带森林群落之间的“张力交错带”，这类区域在气候变化背景下极易发生群落组成转变。海拔600-800米以下的鸟类群落可归类为当前的低地暖气候群落，而海拔600-800米以上的群落则以具有高地分布特征的物种为主，例如金亭鸟（Golden Bowerbird）、灰头鸲（Grey-headed Robin）与蕨鹩（Fernwren）。罗布森溪样地恰好处于高地与低地特化鸟类物种分布的当前海拔边界线上，因此成为长期监测物种与群落对气候变化响应的理想研究站点。本项目将从三个维度探究物种与群落对气候变化的响应：其一，在物种层面，关注单个物种的种群多度与季节动态变化规律；其二，在群落层面，我们将开展三方面研究：i）描述物种分布的变化情况，ii）分析此类变化对群落组成与结构的影响，iii）探究该变化的年内动态差异。