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Development of a Bird Habitat Resource Classification Scheme Based on Vegetation Structure Analysis
In order to design a conservation strategy for birds inhabiting the Great Western Woodlands (GWW) in southwestern Australia, we adopted a new approach for classifying birds into functional groups (BHFGs) based on an analysis of vegetation structure-related habitat resources (VHR). On the basis of hierarchical cluster analysis of the VHR variables we selected here, we selected a model that incorporated nine-BHFGs. This yielded a classification system that, due to our different input sources, is distinct from an existing foraging guild-based system. In conjunction with GIS technique, this new classification system has potential for effectively predicting and mapping landscape-scale habitat distribution.
Keywords
Bird Habitat, Functional Group Classification, Landscape-Scale Analysis, Sustainable Management, Vegetation Structure Analysis.
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