Birds of Mataia, Kaipara, Aotearoa | New Zealand: A comparative study of avian diversity in pine plantations and mixed indigenous Aotearoa | New Zealand forests

Abstract
The anthropogenic conversion of indigenous forests into monoculture pine plantations may significantly affect biodiversity, In this study we compared bird diversity in pine (Pinus radiata D.Don) plantation forest with a range of different forested vegetation associations at Mataia, near Glorit, Kaipara, Aotearoa | New Zealand. This study compares avian diversity between the pine plantation and the indigenous Aotearoa forest located in the Mataia conservation area near Glorit, Kaipara. Using five-minute point count surveys, bird species were recorded across both sites and their abundance and diversity were analysed. The results show that whilst both environments host 20 species of birds, the indigenous forest supported a higher overall abundance of birds (235 individuals) than the pine plantation (179 individuals). The indigenous forest was also noted to support more indigenous avian species that were absent in the pine plantation, such as kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, 1789)). Instead, the pine plantation hosted a higher quantity of exotic species, likely due to the invasive and adaptable nature of these avian species. The study suggests that even though the biodiversity and structure of indigenous Aotearoa forests are not replicated in pine plantations, they may still provide important habitat for some avifauna species. These findings highlight the importance of understanding species-specific habitat requirements for birds to thrive within an environment.

Cite as
Klein, R., Owen, J., & Coyle, H. (in press). Birds of Mataia, Kaipara, Aotearoa | New Zealand: A comparative study of avian diversity in pine plantations and mixed indigenous Aotearoa | New Zealand forests. Perspectives in Biodiversity, 4