Anthropogenic activities, driven by traditional practices, are devastating natural forests in tropical countries. The local government rehabilitates natural habitats through monoculture plantations, altering their structure and composition. This is affecting local biodiversity severely. A study was conducted in the Sialsuk community reserve forest and in the plantation forest site in Mizoram, India, to assess the impact of habitat change on avian diversity. The vegetation composition of the reserve forest included 23 tree species, diversity H = 2.669, and the average tree density was 0.057/m². In the plantation site, vegetation composition included seven tree species with a tree density of 0.04 trees/m², and tree diversity (H=0.708), which was very low. Avian diversity in a reserve forest site was represented by 32 bird species that belong to 8 taxonomic orders. The order Passeriformes was represented by 24 species of birds. Avian diversity in the plantation forest site was represented by one taxonomic order (Passeriformes) and three species of birds. Ten percent fewer bird species were recorded in the plantation site. A drastic loss of avian fauna was evident due to the practices of altering/changing the natural habitat. The number of feeding groups of birds in monoculture plantation forests was fewer (two) than in natural reserve forests (six). The same could also be true for other faunal groups in the region. The study suggests that to attract more bird species in non-reserve forest areas, the plantation activity should focus on multi-culture species so that it can provide a canopy stratum, multiple niches, resources for food, shelter, and nesting. That will enrich the biodiversity, including avian diversity, in the region.
Solanki et al. (Tue,) studied this question.