An assessment of avian biodiversity and opportunities for enhancement in Ireland's forests: Preliminary results.

TLDR: This study sets out to provide systematic data on bird assemblages in Irish plantation forests, and to suggest ways in which the biodiversity, as represented by birdlife, might be enhanced.

Abstract: Forest expansion in Ireland has led to concern for the characteristic plant and animal communities associated with the planted land. If carefully planned, however, forestry may provide opportunities for conservation and enhancement of biodiversity. This study sets out to provide systematic data on bird assemblages in Irish plantation forests, and to suggest ways in which the biodiversity, as represented by birdlife, might be enhanced. Preliminary data are presented on the general bird assemblages of 'mature' (pole-stage) forests in southwest Ireland during spring/summer, autumn and winter 1996/97, and on bird/habitat relationships. A total of38 bird species was recorded within the 20 forest compartments studied, with goldcrest (Regulus regulus) being the most abundant and widespread. Some species showed marked seasonal variation in forest usage. Habitat factors which showed a positive relationship to bird species richness and/or bird density included, on varying scales, the number of broadleaf species present, proximity to the forest edge, and the amount of undergrowth. Some bird species also showed evidence of association with particular species of conifer.