Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E015
Published online: 22 April 2026
Forest patch configuration shapes the taxonomic and functional structure of bird communities in a tropical landscape
Amare Gibru Mekonnen*1,2, Yihew Biru3, Zelalem Temesgen2, Michał Polakowski1 and Łukasz Jankowiak1
1 Department of Ecology and Anthropology, Institute of Biology, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71-412 Szczecin, Poland
2 Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, P.O. Box 30726, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3 Plant Research and Conservation Directorate, Gullele Botanic Garden, P.O. Box 153/1029, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
* Corresponding author: agibru64@gmail.com
Tropical forests are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, with profound consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Understanding how forest patch configuration influences both taxonomic and functional dimensions of communities is critical for effective conservation. In this study, we investigated bird community structure and feeding guild composition across core, edge, and isolated forest patches within a tropical forest mosaic in northwestern Ethiopia.
Standardized bird surveys were conducted across sampling plots, and species were classified into functional feeding guilds. Differences in species richness, abundance, and diversity were analyzed using generalized linear models, while variation in community composition was assessed using Bray–Curtis–based multivariate analyses. Species richness and alpha diversity did not differ significantly among habitat types. However, bird abundance was significantly higher in core forest patches compared to edge and isolated habitats. Multivariate analyses indicated weak differentiation in taxonomic composition among habitat categories, with substantial overlap in community structure. In contrast, functional guild composition varied across habitats: insectivores dominated across all patch types, whereas core forests supported a more balanced and functionally diverse assemblage. These findings suggest that while taxonomic diversity may appear resilient to fragmentation, functional structure is more sensitive to habitat configuration. The disproportionate importance of core forest patches highlights their role in maintaining ecosystem functioning and emphasizes their priority in conservation strategies within fragmented tropical landscapes.
Keywords: bird assemblages; feeding guilds; functional diversity; habitat fragmentation; landscape ecology; tropical forests
How to cite
Mekonnen A.G., Biru Y., Temesgen Z., Polakowski M., Jankowiak Ł., 2026. Forest patch configuration shapes the taxonomic and functional structure of bird communities in a tropical landscape. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E015