Nagendra, Harini and Rao, Dinesh and KN, Ganeshaiah and R, Uma Shaanker and Poulsen, John G (2010) Impact of the invasive plant, Lantana camara, on bird assemblages at Male Mahadeshwara Reserve Forest, South India. Tropical Ecology, 51 (2S). pp. 325-338. ISSN 0564-3295

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Abstract

Lantana camara is an invasive species that is widespread in India. Using birds as an indicator taxon, we investigated whether Lantana invasion was correlated with changes in ecosystem health of the moist and dry deciduous forests at the Malé Madeshwara Hills, Karnataka. We studied Lantana at four densities, low, medium, and high, and a no-Lantana control. Bird species diversity, species richness, and abundance were lower at high densities of Lantana in both forest types. Evenness increased with increase in Lantana density. To better understand the observed changes in bird community composition, we segregated birds into 2 guild types: microhabitat guilds and foraging guilds. An increase in Lantana density was correlated with a decline in canopy birds (of the canopy microhabitat guilds) and insectivores (of the insectivore foraging guilds). Our results suggest that Lantana affects the structure of the bird community by decreasing diversity, and that Lantana affects certain guilds more than others.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Copyright of this article belongs to the International Society for Tropical Ecology
Uncontrolled Keywords: Bird diversity, guilds, indicator taxa, invasion, Lantana camara.
Subjects: A ATREE Publications > G Journal Papers
Divisions: SM Sehgal Foundation Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation > Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Planning
Depositing User: ATREE Bangalore
Date Deposited: 10 Jan 2025 09:14
Last Modified: 10 Jan 2025 09:14
URI: http://archives.atree.org/id/eprint/436

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