Data for: Avian use of avocado farms and intact forest in the northern Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Repebulic

The Dominican Republic is experiencing increased forest loss due to the
expansion of avocado farming. While agricultural lands can provide viable
habitat for birds, knowledge of avian use of avocado farms relative to
native forest is limited. We conducted surveys in fall 2021 to compare the
bird communities and vegetation complexity of two avocado farm sites and
two native dry forest sites in the northern Sierra de Bahoruco region of
the Dominican Republic to assess avian habitat use. Overall, we found that
habitat associations differed for bird species distinguished by
contrasting geographic ranges. In particular, the abundance, richness, and
diversity of bird species endemic to Hispaniola were significantly greater
in forests than in farms, while non-endemic resident bird species had the
opposite habitat associations. The abundance, richness, and diversity of
Neotropical migrants exhibited fewer distinct differences between farm and
forest sites. Vegetation structural complexity was reduced in avocado
farms relative to forests and was positively associated with the
abundance, richness, and diversity of endemic bird species but negatively
associated with these community measures of non-endemic resident species.
Collectively, our findings suggest that avocado farms could provide viable
habitat for non-endemic resident and migrant bird species, but that
endemic species could be negatively impacted by an increase in avocado
farming in the region. We offer recommendations for forest preservation,
farming practices, and future research that could help to inform the
conservation of endemic species in the region.