Birds of a Feather: Spatial Relationships of Avifauna in Hazelnut Orchards
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Date
2024-01-09
Authors
Penkauskas, Calvin
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This thesis investigates how hazelnut orchard age and landscape variability influence wild bird communities on farms, with a focus on adjacent habitat and establishing a biodiversity baseline. I conducted field studies within the Willamette Valley, OR to assess avifaunal diversity across hazelnut farms of increasing matrix quality; and across orchard ages within the farm with the highest matrix quality, Dorris Ranch. My findings show that landscape heterogeneity has a significant impact on bird communities, with adjacent habitat being a key factor for functional community traits such as diet guild. Due to its proximity to large habitat areas and distributed wildlands, Dorris Ranch has high species richness – particularly near restored oak habitats. Although younger orchards supported a higher species diversity on average at this site, older orchards supported key species of conservation and service-provisioning value, highlighting the importance of landscape diversity and ecologically intensive practices in management plans.
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Keywords
Agriculture, Cross-scale Complexity, Ecosystem Services, Heterogeneity, Matrix Quality, Wildland