Bird species turnover and stochastic extinction in woodland fragments

Year‐to‐year turnover in bird species composition was recorded across, the whole size range (0 02‐30 ha) of 146 woods studied The mean number of resident breeding species both lost and gained per wood between consecutive breeding seasons was 2 (range 0‐8) No relationship was found between this absolute turnover rate and woodland area, or any other of 24 predictor variables (describing woodland structure, isolation, connectedness and surrounding land use) Extriction and colonisation rates (in terms of numbers of species lost and gained) were also unrelated to woodland area In all sizes of woods, the species most likely to show local extinctions and colonisations were those with small populations within those woods, but the identity of the species concerned changed as woodland area increased In the smallest woods, the majority of turnover involved common species, such as wren and dunnock, which occurred in only small numbers in these small woods As woodland area increased, these species attained sufficient numbers to usually avoid stochastic extinction The majority of turnover was then due to more specialist (and less numerous) woodland species, such as great‐spotted woodpecker and marsh tit, which were usually lacking in small woods In Britain, much existing broadleaved woodland falls within the size range studied Thus the numbers of many bird species are liable to be small enough for yearly turnover in woodland bird communities to be appreciable, and for the long‐term persistence of individual species in particular woods to depend on dispersal