Structure, composition and bird fauna distribution in mountainous grasslands in Menikio Mountain Special Protected Area

Species diversity, abundance and distribution of bird fauna were investigated at the upper pseudoalpine grassland zone of Menikio mountain, a mountainous area exceeding 300 km2 located between Rodopi and Pangeo mountains, Northern Greece, during spring and summer of 2002. The study area divided in five main vegetation types (maquis and grassland, beech and grassland, oak and grassland, pine and grassland and pure grassland) and three land use categories (woodcutting, grazing and no management). Records of the bird fauna were made with the method of line transect and the description of the area was carried out with the assistance of GPS, vegetation, land cover/use and altitude maps. The diversity of bird fauna (42 species) and bird abundance were related: (a) positively with vegetation structure, (b) negatively with increased altitude, (c) positively with management activities and the south, south-west orientations, while sloping did not seem to affect species distribution.