Effects of landscape context and vegetation attributes on understorey bird communities of cloud forest riparian belts

摘要: Abstract In recent decades land cover change resulting from different types of human activity has severely reduced the original area tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF). Deforested landscapes in neotropical America commonly have a heterogeneous structure (i.e. landscape context) with increasingly small patches immersed an agricultural matrix. Often, this matrix is not completely devoid trees, but contain numerous and widely spread arboreal elements. Many these elements are remnants forest, such as riparian belts. 14 belts TMCF central Veracruz, Mexico, we assessed relationship between attributes bird community that uses their vegetation attributes, well vicinity at four scales (within 250, 500, 750 1000 m). Bird richness abundance were positively related mean tree height. Regarding context, amount urban each belt was studied, explaining 31% spatial variation. However, interior birds negatively area, 46 to 50% Both, local (tree height) characteristics (urban cover) influence differentially forest. Thus, both kinds variables should be relevant for designing management plans aimed enhancing conservation native avifauna its ecosystem services within transformed landscapes.