Small shrubby patches increase bird taxonomic and functional richness of wood-pastures

Abstract Wood-pastures are semi-natural systems that combine a grazed grassland with tree layer. Shrubs often controlled, mostly to improve grazing potential, resulting in reduction of the available ecological niches. From conservation perspective, it is thus important identify management practices counter this reduction. Our overall objective was determine value small shrubby patches increase richness wood-pasture bird communities. As study model we used Mediterranean oak wood-pastures southern Portugal, locally known as montados . Birds and environmental variables were sampled 50 m radius plots without (128–3748 2 , covering less than 0.5% area), winter (n = 54) spring 65). Species assemblages’ composition changed between seasons, but both seasons assemblages statistically different. Seven species associated presence patches, spring, increasing respective assemblages. A comparison functional communities matrix revealed increased landscapes by boosting traits uncommon ecologically simplified matrix. Their promoted resources added (e.g. nesting sites, protection, food), ranges individual birds general extended well beyond patches. This demonstrated few can significantly enrich wood-pastures, taxonomically functionally, indicating promoting them cost-effective measure for these valuable systems.