Biotope distribution and habitat preference of breeding bird communities in alpine and subalpine belts in the Tatra and Babia Gora Mts. (Southern Poland). - A.-T. Bashta. - Berkut. 14 (2). 2005. P. 145-162.
During the breeding period 1998, bird communities of alpine and subalpine levels (hetero- and homogenous dwarf pine zone, alpine meadows with klatch of pine, alpine meadows with rocks, and rocks), their biotopic distribution in the Tatra and the Babia Gora National Parks (southern Poland) were investigated. Species richness and diversity of bird communities change along of altitude and vegetation structure. The correlation between altitude and diversity is not linear. On the sample plots from 15–17 (heterogeneous dwarf pine zone) to 7 (rocks) bird species have been registered. The density decreased from 16,6–19,6 to 4,3 pairs/10 ha with increasing of altitude. SQ distribution is 0,7–1,0 between compared pairs of habitats. The highest a-diversity was recorded in the heterogeneous elfin woodland in both massifs. Two groups, which are connected by the similarity index sizes, are noted by the similarity analyses of bird communities (cluster-analysis): (I) alpine meadows with stones and rocks, (II) hetero- and homogenous dwarf pine zone and alpine meadows with klatch of pine. In the Tatra Tichodroma muraria, Falco peregrinus, in the Babia Gora Aquila chrysaetos, Monticola saxatilis have been registered. [English].
Key words: Poland, bird community, species composition, habitat preference, rare species.
Address: Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians, Koselnytska St. 4, 79026 Lviv, Ukraine; e-mail: atbashta@polynet.lviv.ua.