Drastic loss in forest birds have been recorded due to land-use changes in the western Himalayas

by TV Padma Land-use changes in the western Himalayan forests, a global biodiversity hotspot with huge numbers of endemic species, have resulted in a massive decline in forest birds in the region, new research shows. The study shows “moderate to drastic species loss in all modified land-use types in comparison to natural oak forest.” The scientists report changes in the types of birds, especially a 50 percent or more loss of forest specialists, pollinators, and insect-eating birds in degraded forests, urbanised sites, and areas with monoculture plantations. Species richness was lowest in pine and built-up sites, compared to natural oak, and forest specialists and insect-eating birds declined by 60–80 percent in modified forests. At the same time, cultivation sites show higher species richness, and have abundant pollinators and insectivores in comparison to the modified oak forests and pine, “indicating that cultivation may help sustain significant ecosystem providers.” Built-up sites due to urbanisation had the least number of birds in all three categories, and the birds that were found were commensals or open country birds, with very few forest species.