Habitat types in relation to bird diversity in boreal forestry landscapes in Sweden

Abstract: Boreal forests in Europe are intensively managed for timber and pulp production, resulting in decreased biodiversity, and in the long-term leading to a reduced number of functioning ecosystem services. To develop a more sustainable forest management it is important to investigate what features and habitat types are needed to preserve a high diversity of species within the forestry landscapes. Birds are a suitable study taxon since their ecology is well known and their diversity often mirrors the diversity of other taxa. This study investigated how different habitat types, for example, forest stand composition and age of forest etc., influence the diversity, species richness and abundance of forest bird species in boreal forestry landscapes in Sweden. I expected that the percentage of deciduous forests and older forests would increase the diversity and richness of forest birds, while spruce forests and young forests would have negative effects. Further, I expected mixed forest stands to be more diverse regarding forest birds than pure forest stands. The sites for this study consisted of fiveforestry landscapes in south Sweden, with both active forestry and multifunctional forestry areas. The results showed positive effects of the percentage of deciduous forests, wetlands, older forests, mixed coniferous forests, and pine forests on species richness, abundance, and diversity of forest bird species. However, deciduous forests and older forests had the strongestpositive influence on species richness and diversity. Furthermore, I did not find evidence that mixed forest stands have a higher diversity or species richness than monocultures of only spruce and pine respectively.