Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds

Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds is a unique review of current understanding of the relationships between forest birds and their changing environments. Large ecological changes are being driven by forest management, climate change, introduced pests and pathogens, abiotic disturbances, and overbrowsing. Many forest bird species have suffered population declines, with the situation being particularly severe for birds dependent on attributes such as dead wood, old trees and structurally complex forests. With a focus on the non-tropical parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the text addresses the fundamental evolutionary and ecological aspects of forest birds using original data analyses and synthesising reviews. The characteristics of bird assemblages and their habitats in different European forest types are explored, together with the macroecological patterns of bird diversity and conservation issues. The book provides a valuable reference for ecologists, ornithologists, conservation professionals, forest industry employees, and those interested in birds and nature.

1. Introduction Grzegorz Mikusinski, Jean-Michel Roberge and Robert J. Fuller; Part I. Forest Birds and their Adaptations: 2. Origins and dynamics of forest birds of the Northern Hemisphere Jacques Blondel; 3. Ecological adaptations of birds to forest environments Marc-André Villard and Ruud Foppen; 4. Tree holes and hole-nesting birds in European and North American forests Tomasz Wesolowski and Kathy Martin; Part II. European Forests and their Bird Communities: 5. Macroecological patterns in forest bird diversity in Europe Grzegorz Mikusinski, Dani Villero, Sergi Herrando and Lluís Brotons; 6. Boreal forest bird assemblages and their conservation Jean-Michel Roberge, Raimo Virkkala and Mikko Mönkkönen; 7. Subalpine coniferous forests of Europe: Avian communities in European high altitude woodlands Pierre Mollet, Kurt Bollmann, Veronika Braunisch and Raphaël Arlettaz; 8. Temperate forests: a European perspective on variation and dynamics in bird assemblages Tomasz Wesolowski, Robert J. Fuller and Martin Flade; 9. Mediterranean forest bird communities and the role of landscape heterogeneity in space and time Lluís Brotons, Sergi Herrando, Clélia Sirami, Vassiliki Kati and Mario Díaz; 10. Plantations of non-native tree species: opportunities and limitations for birds in intensively managed forests John Calladine, Mario Díaz, Luis Reino, David Jardine and Mark Wilson; Part III. Conservation and Management: 11. Population trends and conservation status of forest birds Aleksi Lehikoinen and Raimo Virkkala; 12. Hunting and other forms of exploitation and persecution of forest birds Ilse Storch; 13. Conservation strategies and habitat management for European forest birds Robert J. Fuller and Hugo Robles; 14. Future forests, avian implications and research priorities Grzegorz Mikusinski, Jean-Michel Roberge and Robert J. Fuller; Index.

Grzegorz Mikusinski is an ecologist with research interests centred on conservation and management of forest biodiversity, with a particular focus on forest birds and their habitat. He is affiliated with the Forest Faculty of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), where he also teaches ecology at the School for Forest Management.
Jean-Michel Roberge is a conservation biologist with a special interest in avian ecology and biodiversity studies in northern forests. He has a long experience of research and teaching at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and is now a conservation specialist at the Swedish Forest Agency.
Robert J. Fuller is Emeritus Research Fellow at the British Trust for Ornithology and Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia. His central interests focus on temperate forest biodiversity, especially birds. The effects of forest management, the impacts of deer browsing and conservation strategies form the core of his work. He is author of Bird Life of Woodland and Forest (Cambridge, 1995) and editor of Birds and Habitat: Relationships in Changing Landscapes (Cambridge, 2012).