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Habitat selection of the Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus in the Western Carpathians: the role of the landscape mosaic

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 60; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00063657.2012.745463

1944-6705

Michał Ciach, Wojciech Mrowiec,

Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Capsule The Ring Ouzel in central Europe occurs in a mosaic of mountain forests and open areas. Aims To determine the habitat selection of the Ring Ouzel on a landscape scale in the western Carpathians. It was hypothesized that occurrence of the Ring Ouzel is associated with upper subalpine Carpathian forests and the presence of anthropogenic open habitats. Methods The study compared habitat characteristics of Ring Ouzel breeding areas and randomly selected control plots. Results The Ring Ouzel occurred between 685 and 1316 m asl, preferring middle and upper subalpine Carpathian forests. Significant differences between the Ring Ouzel breeding areas and randomly selected control plots were found for five of the landscape-scale habitat variables: altitude; distance to built-up areas; distance to roads; distance to small mountain meadows; and distance to clear-cut areas. A logistic regression model indicated that the important parameters influencing the occurrence of the Ring Ouzel were altitude and distance to the nearest clear-cut and small mountain meadow. Conclusion The Ring Ouzel preferred higher altitudes and the proximity of clear-cuts, which presumably are a physionomical substitute for the timberline and alpine meadows. However, this species avoids the presence of small mountain meadows, presumably because of succession of a dense layer of vegetation on former mountain pastures. The presence of a cultural landscape in the Carpathians may have allowed the Ring Ouzel to colonize the lower mountain areas.