DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jh9w0vt8b
title: Data from: Assessing avian diversity and community composition along a successional gradient in traditional Lacandon Maya agroforests

description: Evidence regarding the ability of agroforests to conserve biological
 diversity has been mixed; they tend to maintain avian communities with
 species richness similar to that of undisturbed forest ecosystems but
 generally do not completely preserve community composition. Using a
 combination of occupancy modeling and non-metric multidimensional scaling
 on point-count data, we assessed changes in avian community diversity and
 composition along a successional gradient in traditional Lacandon Maya
 agroforests and compared them to protected areas in the region. Bird
 species richness and diversity in Lacandon agroforests peaked in early
 secondary forest stages. These agroforests’ mean Shannon-Weiner diversity
 was 5% higher than that of nearby protected areas, but their species
 richness was similar. Community composition in Lacandon agroforests
 changed throughout succession, with earlier stages supporting communities
 distinctly characterized by generalist species, while subsequent,
 less-intensively managed stages tended to support more forest-dwellers.
 The bird community observed in even the most mature secondary forest
 stages in Lacandon agroforests differed from that of undisturbed
 rainforest ecosystems. These results demonstrate the potential of
 traditional Lacandon agroforestry management to conserve avian
 biodiversity while ensuring food sovereignty for farmers. However, because
 the community composition of early successional stages was different than
 later stages, shortening fallow cycles and reducing forest cover to
 increase agricultural production will limit the species this system can
 support. This study illustrates the value of incorporating traditional
 agroecosystems into conservation planning as well as maintaining protected
 areas, because the latter serve as refugia for species that require
 undisturbed forest habitat in an agroecological matrix.
description: We observed Lacandon agroforest avian communities in Lacanjá
 Chansayab, Chiapas, Mexico (16°45'43.7"N,
 91°07'44.3"W).  As a reference, we also studied avian
 communities in protected areas in Lacanjá Chansayab and the Ejido Reforma
 Agraria, Chiapas, Mexico (16°15'18.0"N, 90°51'33.7"W),
 both of which are located within or directly adjacent to the Montes Azules
 Biosphere Reserve (MABR).  We conducted unlimited-radius point counts in
 all seven Lacandon agroforest successional stages and protected areas. 
 Sampling occurred from May-August in 2013, 2015, and 2017; we pooled data
 across all years.  We performed counts during the first three hours after
 sunrise, which was roughly 0630 h to 0930 h in the MABR region.  In
 Lacandon agroforests, we randomly selected patches for each successional
 stage and established observation sites (i.e., points) at the approximate
 center of each patch.  We ensured at least 70 m of separation between
 sites to safeguard against including observations of birds in surrounding
 stands.  In large, uniform, contiguous forest tracts, we performed point
 counts at approximately 200 m intervals. Counts lasted for 20 minutes
 immediately upon arrival at a site.  We made aural observations and
 recordings of bird vocalizations during point counts using a Sennheiser
 ME66/K6 Super-Cardioid Mic Capsule with a wind shield and an Olympus LS-10
 Linear PCM Recorder.  Recordings were analyzed using Adobe Audition
 software to include bird vocalizations not identified in the field.  In
 both cases, we noted the time to detection (in minutes) for each observed
 species, as well as the spatial coordinates and successional stage of each
 site. We also classified bird species into feeding guilds and habitat
 preference groups as per Van der Wal <i>et al.</i>
 (2012). 
description: <strong>Recording</strong>: Unique
 identifier for each point count 
 <strong>Location:</strong> Categorical variable specifying the
 location of each observation 
 <strong>Management: </strong>Categorical variable specifying
 the land management (either Lacandon agroforest or protected area) in
 which the point count was carried out 
 <strong>Stage: </strong>Lacandon agroforestry successional
 stage (in Lacandon Maya) in which species was observed, if
 applicable <strong>Year: </strong>Year
 observed <strong>Sci.Name:
 </strong>Observed bird Latin binomial 
 <strong>Com.Name: </strong>Common name in English
 <strong>Time: </strong>Time observed during point
 count (mm:ss) <strong>Lat:
 </strong>Latitude of point coordinate 
 <strong>Longitude: </strong>Longitude of point
 coordinate <strong>Zone: </strong>UTM
 zone of point coordinate 
 <strong>Northing:</strong> Northing of point
 coordinate <strong>Feeding:
 </strong>Feeding guild of observed species as per Van der Wal
 <i>et al.</i> (2012) 
 <strong>Habitat: </strong>Habitat preference of observed
 species as per Van der Wal <i>et al.</i> (2012)
 <strong>Vegetation: </strong>Dominant vegetation of
 stand where point was located