Avian abundance in sun and shade coffee plantations and remnant pine forest in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic

Abstract

Point counts and mist nets were used to sample birds in sun and shade coffee plantations, and remnant pine forests in an agricultura! region of the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic from Jan.-Feb. 1992 to 1994. Rarefaction analysis indicated that species richness was highest in pine and lowest in plantations. Species diversity (H') was similar in point counts in the three habitats, but an "overdominance" was evident in net samples in shade coffee where the two most cornrnon species constituted 51% of all captures in contrast to 37% in pine and 27% in sun coffee. Pine forest had more habitat specialists and endemics (relative to coffee), and an abundance of insectivores. Shade coffee had more nectarivores {due to a flowering Inga vera overstory), male-biased sex ratios in two nearctic migrants (Black-throated Blue Warblers, Dendroica caerulescens; American Redstarts, Setopbaga ruticilla), more permanent residents (relative to sun coffee), and species common in broadleaf forest. In contrast, sun coffee had more frugivorelseedeaters, fernale-biased sex ratios in the two migrants, and species of open brushland ("matorral") or broadleaf understory of pine. üf the 37 species found in coffee plantations, 46% were found in both plantations. The differences in avian assemblages between sun and shade coffee are expected to be more distinct on a continent than an island, due to the more restricted habitat breadth of continental species. Shade coffee contributes to biodiversity in agricultura! regions by providing habitat for some broadleaf forest species; in contrast to sun coffee, which may provide habitat for some "matorral" species. Accepted 6 November 1995.

Citation

Wunderle, Jr, Joseph & Latta, Steven. (. 1996. . Avian abundance in sun and shade coffee plantations and remnant pine forest in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Ornitologia Neotropical. 7.