Abstract:

My research focused on one key question: whether the avifauna of Hungarian forests composed of native tree species differs significantly from that found in forests composed of nonnative tree species. The size and extent of any differences was also examined. Seven sample areas, each representing a typical Hungarian forest type, i.e. robinia (black-locust), Scotch pine, cultivated poplar, hornbeam, oak (two sample areas) and beech, were chosen. The diversity, average diversity, density, average density, nesting sites, abundance of species, dominance of species and the adaptation of species to habitats were also examined. The results of the research suggest that there are indeed significant differences between the density and diversity of birds in native forests and those in non-native forests. It was found that the most disadvantageous forest type was the robinia, followed by the pine forest. Forests with cultivated poplar were somewhat better for birds, but it significantly differed only from robinia forests. The results for hornbeam forests fell somewhere between those of native and non-native forests, with a density of birds similar to that of oak and beech forests, but with a lower diversity of species. No significant differences were found between oak and beech forests in the studied parameters, which represented the best forest types for birds in the study.