Patterns of Avian Diversity in different land-use and forest patch size of Kumaon Himalayas, Uttarakhand

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the Pithoragarh districts of the Kumaon Himalayas in Uttarakhand. The point count method was performed in matrices of agriculture land and forests of the lower Pithoragarh district to assess bird diversity patterns in different land use, habitat types, and disturbance regimes. A multiscale landscape heterogeneity approach was performed for determining the impact of forest patch size and vegetation structure on bird diversity. For assessment of the seasonal changes in the bird diversity pattern, a village ecosystem was monitored in the landscape.