Habitat degradation is a widespread problem in ecology and conservation that can lead to loss of biodiversity. Therefore, the restoration and management of natural areas needs to involve understanding the condition of the habitat itself in order to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Due to the extreme difficulty and cost of assessing every aspect of an ecosystem, indicator species are commonly used as a tool in the management of protected areas, and act as proxies of ecosystem health. However, this method has had mixed success, so evaluation of its usefulness is necessary before implementation in management practices. The aims of this study were to compare the species composition and functional trait diversity of avian communities at reclaimed and unmined sites in eastern Ohio, and identify avian indicator species that can be used in the monitoring of a reclaimed mine site. To accomplish this, we conducted unlimited-distance point counts at 16 sites across the Wilds, a 4,000 hectare reclaimed mined site that is a heterogeneous matrix of unmined forest, reclaimed forest, and grassland. We sampled eight unmined forest fragments, and eight reclaimed forest fragments. We analyzed point count data for species diversity, functional richness, occupancy, and exclusivity to forest type.
Results/Conclusions
We identified 47 avian species, including 38 in reclaimed mine sites, and 36 species in unmined sites. Diversity and similarity indices were comparable between the study areas (Shannon: Reclaimed = 3.230, Unmined = 3.231; Jaccard = 0.609), suggesting little difference in community composition. Functional richness was also similar between study areas (Mean FRic ± standard error: Reclaimed = 0.286 ± 0.041, Unmined = 0.316 ± 0.053; t-test p-value = 0.635). Detection and occupancy probabilities varied greatly by species, and there were no significant differences in occupancy between the reclaimed and unmined sites. An indicator species analysis based on bird abundance data did not show any significant associations towards either reclaimed or unmined sites for any species. We observed three species (pileated woodpecker, common yellowthroat, white-eyed vireo) that are on the Wayne National Forest list of indicator species, and two species (red-headed woodpecker, yellow-billed cuckoo) listed as in decline by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Overall we found few differences in forest avian communities on reclaimed and unmined sites, suggesting that restoration has been successful, though not to pre-mining levels. Continued monitoring for population trends in these species will help to direct future restoration efforts at the Wilds.