The Effect of Human Activity on Bird Diversity in Singaporean Tropical Forest Fragments

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The Effect of Human Activity on Bird Diversity
in Singaporean Tropical Forest Fragments Roshni
Pannirselvam Occidental College
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Proximity of Urban Areas to Forests
Singapore Skyline
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• Introduction
• Singapore is an urban city
• 322 bird species (60 of diversity in 1940)
• Singapore Green Plan (1990)
• Importance of conservation

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The Green Plan

• preserve genetic diversity
• improve quality of life of people

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Criteria for Deciding which Sites to Protect 1.
Rare, Vulnerable or Endangered Habitat. 2. Rare
or Threatened with Extinction Wildlife. 3.
Feeding, breeding and refuge facilities. 4.
Easily attainable and simply maintanable. 5.
Easily converted to attract further species. 6.
Natural linkages between protected islands. 7.
Not sensitive to adjacent land developments.
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Questions 1. Does the level of human activity
differ between protected and unprotected
sites? 2. Does the level of human activity
correlate with bird diversity at each site?
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Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)

• found only in 4 protected sites.
• true forest species

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• Tropical Forest Fragment Sites
• Protected
• Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (c.75 ha)
• Central Catchment Area (1622 ha)
• Botanic Gardens (c. 30 ha)

• Unprotected
• Kent Ridge Park
• Labrador Park
• Telok Blangah Hill Park
• Mount Faber Park
• Bukit Batok Hill Park

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• Estimating Bird Diversity by
• Point Counts
• Chose points along trail 200 m apart
• Each point count lasted 20 mins.
• Species identity and number identified by
  calls.
• Sometimes hunt down birds with binoculars
• From 3 to 5 point counts per session

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Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)
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• Estimating Human Activity
• Intrinsic Activity
  sum of (no. of people x ranked activity)
• Extrinsic Activity
  sum of ( area of ranked land usage in 150 m
  border)
• Activity Index Extrinsic Intrinsic

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Forms of Intrinsic Activity

• Walking
• Jogging
• Army Activity
• Meditating
• Birdwatching

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• Measuring Extrinsic Activity
• 150 m band around perimeter
• counted grid sqaures
• calculated percentages

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• Infrastructure bordering sites
• Major Freeway
• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Golf Courses
• Road

Forest bordered by Keppel Harbour
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Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)
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No Significant Difference in Total Human
Activity was found between Protected and
Unprotected Sites
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• Conclusion
• No Significant Difference between level of human
  activity between Protected and Unprotected sites.
• No Significant Correlation between level of
  Human Activity and Bird Diversity in Sites.
• Rethinking Protective Status in Green Plan

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Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Beth
Braker for her ever-enthusiastic and patient
advise in every aspect of my research. I would
also like to thank Marjorie Casteletta and Dr.
Navjot Sodhi for their help with the birds in
Singapore.
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Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum
trigonostigma)
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Example of a Manicured Park
Bukit Batok Nature Park