Yeni A. Mulyani

Bird Responses to Lowland Rainforest Conversion in Sumatran Smallholder Landscapes, Indonesia

Rapid land-use change in the tropics causes dramatic losses in biodiversity and associated functions. In Sumatra, Indonesia, lowland rainforest has mainly been transformed by smallholders into oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) monocultures, interspersed with jungle rubber (rubber agroforests) and a few forest remnants. In two regions of the Jambi province, we conducted point counts in 32 plots of four different land-use types (lowland rainforest, jungle rubber, rubber plantation and oil palm plantation) as well as in 16 nearby homegardens, representing a small-scale, traditional agricultural system. We analysed total bird abundance and bird abundance in feeding guilds, as well as species richness per point count visit, per plot, and per land-use system, to unveil the conservation importance and functional responses of birds in the different land-use types. In total, we identified 71 species from 24 families. Across the different land-use types, abundance did not significantly differ, but both species richness per visit and per plot were reduced in plantations. Feeding guild abundances between land-use types were variable, but homegardens were dominated by omnivores and granivores, and frugivorous birds were absent from monoculture rubber and oil palm. Jungle rubber played an important role in harbouring forest bird species and frugivores. Homegardens turned out to be of minor importance for conserving birds due to their low sizes, although collectively, they are used by many bird species. Changes in functional composition with land-use conversion may affect important ecosystem functions such as biological pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. In conclusion, maintaining forest cover, including degraded forest and jungle rubber, is of utmost importance to the conservation of functional and taxonomic bird diversity.

Birds of primary and secondary forest and shrub habitats in the peat swamp of Berbak National Park, Sumatra

Background: Tropical lowland rainforests are threatened by deforestation and degradation worldwide. Relatively little research has investigated the degradation of the forests of South-east Asia and its impact on biodiversity, and even less research has focused on the important peat swamp forests of Indonesia, which experienced major losses through severe fires in 2015. Methods: We acoustically sampled the avifauna of the Berbak National Park in 2013 in 12 plots split in three habitats: primary swamp forest, secondary swamp forest, and shrub swamp, respectively representing non-degraded, previously selectively logged, and burned habitats. We analysed the species richness, abundance, vocalisation activity, and community composition across acoustic counts, plots, feeding guilds and IUCN Red List categories. We also analysed community-weighted means of body mass, wing length, and distribution area. Results: The avifauna in the three habitats was remarkably similar in richness, abundance and vocalisation activity, and communities mainly differed due to a lower prevalence of understory insectivores (Old-World Babblers, Timaliidae) in shrub swamp. However primary forest retained twice as many conservation-worthy species as shrub swamp, which harboured heavier, probably more mobile species, with larger distributions than those of forest habitats. Conclusions: The National Park overall harboured higher bird abundances than nearby lowland rainforests. Protecting the remaining peat swamp forest in this little-known National Park should be a high conservation priority in the light of the current threats coming from wildlife trade, illegal logging, land use conversion, and man-made fires.

Knemidokoptiasis in a Wild Bird, the Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra cinireicollis), in Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract: We report knemidokoptiasis in a wild male Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra cinereicollis; family Nectariniidae; order Passeriformes) from Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia, in September 2017. Microscopic examination of a scraping from its leg lesion revealed the presence of Knemidocoptes jamaicensis as the cause of the condition.

Comparing the sampling performance of sound recorders versus point counts in bird surveys: A meta‐analysis

Abstract Autonomous sound recording is a promising sampling method for birds and other vocalizing terrestrial wildlife. However, while there are clear advantages of passive acoustic monitoring methods over classical point counts conducted by humans, it has been difficult to quantitatively assess how they compare in their sampling performance. Quantitative comparisons of species richness between acoustic recorders and human point counts in bird surveys have previously been hampered by the differing and often unknown detection ranges or sound detection spaces among sampling methods. We performed two meta-analyses based on 28 studies where bird point counts were paired with sound recordings at the same sampling sites. We compared alpha and gamma richness estimated by both survey methods after equalizing their effective detection ranges. We further assessed the influence of technical sound recording specifications (microphone signal-to-noise ratio, height and number) on the bird sampling performance of sound recorders compared to unlimited radius point counts. We show that after standardizing detection ranges, alpha and gamma richness from both methods are statistically indistinguishable, while there might be an avoidance effect in point counts. Furthermore, we show that microphone signal-to-noise ratio (a measure of its quality), height and number positively affect performance through increasing the detection range, allowing sound recorders to match the performance of human point counts. Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that when used properly, high-end sound recording systems can sample terrestrial wildlife just as well as human observers conducting point counts. Correspondingly, we suggest a first standard methodology for sampling birds with autonomous sound recorders to obtain results comparable to point counts and enable practical sampling. We also give recommendations for carrying out effective surveys and making the most out of autonomous sound recorders.

Variability in the effectiveness of two ornithological survey methods between tropical forest ecosystems

Birds are a frequently chosen group for biodiversity monitoring as they are comparatively straightforward and inexpensive to sample and often perform well as ecological indicators. Two commonly used techniques for monitoring tropical forest bird communities are point counts and mist nets. General strengths and weaknesses of these techniques have been well-defined; however little research has examined how their effectiveness is mediated by the ecology of bird communities and their habitats. We examine how the overall performance of these methodologies differs between two widely separated tropical forests–Cusuco National Park (CNP), a Honduran cloud forest, and the lowland forests of Buton Forest Reserves (BFR) located on Buton Island, Indonesia. Consistent survey protocols were employed at both sites, with 77 point count stations and 22 mist netting stations being surveyed in each location. We found the effectiveness of both methods varied considerably between ecosystems. Point counts performed better in BFR than in CNP, detecting a greater percentage of known community richness (60% versus 41%) and generating more accurate species richness estimates. Conversely, mist netting performed better in CNP than in BFR, detecting a much higher percentage of known community richness (31% versus 7%). Indeed, mist netting proved overall to be highly ineffective within BFR. Best Akaikes Information Criterion models indicate differences in the effectiveness of methodologies between study sites relate to bird community composition, which in turn relates to ecological and biogeographical influences unique to each forest ecosystem. Results therefore suggest that, while generalized strengths and weaknesses of both methodologies can be defined, their overall effectiveness is also influenced by local characteristics specific to individual study sites. While this study focusses on ornithological surveys, the concept of local factors influencing effectiveness of field methodologies may also hold true for techniques targeting a wide range of taxonomic groups; this requires further research.

KEBERHASILAN BERSARANG BURUNG REMETUK RAWA Gerygone magnirostris DAN REMETUK BAKAU G. levigaster PADA HABITAT MANGROVE DI DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA

Despite its large distribution, very few studies have been done on the reproductive ecology of the genus Gerygone, a member of the family of Australo-Papuan warblers. Mangrove Gerygone and Large-billed Gerygone use mangrove habitats for breeding in the Top End of Australia. This study attempted to reveal the nesting success of those species. Both conventional method and Mayfield method were used to calculate the nesting success. The results showed that nesting success of both species was low compared to those of other Australian passerines. Keywords: Nesting success, gerygone magnirostris, gerygone levigaster, mangrove habitat, mayfield methodSylvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch) is endemic species in western part of Java Island. Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park currently is known to be place of viable population for the species. Threatened on habitat is a primary problem for its conservation. Therefore it is an urgent need to study its habitat suitability distribution. The main objectives of the research are: 1) to analyze habitat suitability of sylvery gibbon (H. moloch Audebert) in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park using Geographical Information System, 2) to examine of its habitat condition. Result shows that habitat suitability of the species can be accurately predicted by using thematic maps of elevation, slope, distance from road, river, and land cover. Based on our prediction, potential habitat for sylvery gibbon in Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park is about 33018 ha, in which classified as lowest habitat suitability (846.27 Ha), intermediate habitat suitability (12,311.9 Ha) and high habitat suitability (24,624.2 Ha). Most of the suitable habitat is under forest cover. Keywords: Habitat, Hylobates moloch, suitability