Effects of landscape characteristics and human disturbance on the avifauna in rangeland ecosystems

In the present study the correlation between the avifauna presence and use of specific type of rangeland ecosystems, the particular landscape characteristics and human disturbance in Antichasia Mountain of Trikala prefecture was investigated. The avifauna inventory was carried out in 75 sample plots using the point counts method during the breeding period of 2008 (late April – mid June). The variables measured were: (a) the topographic characteristics of rangelands (aspect, slope, soil depth), (b) the particular characteristics of each rangeland (isolated trees presence, isolated shrub presence, large/small shrubs presence, hedgerow presence) and (c) the human disturbance (distance from villages, distance from sheepcotes). Statistical tests were performed between the variables using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test and logistic linear regression was applied in all variables. The regression analysis showed that the presence of large shrub (>0.5m) was correlated negatively with the bird richness (b= -0.324, P= 0.004), following the soil depth (b= -0.324, P=0.004) and the presence of isolated shrubs that was correlated positively (b= 1.109, P= 0.005).