The effects of recreation on the forest bird community in the North of Iran (Case study: Alangdareh Forest, Gorgan)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

2 Forest Sciences Deptment, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

10.22069/ijerr.2025.18498.1415

Abstract

Human population growth and increasing needs are causing significant environmental damage and disrupting natural processes. Industrialization has particularly contributed to ecosystem destruction, intensifying demands for recreational areas and thereby posing threats to protected zones and wildlife populations. Human activities and recreation also detrimentally affect ecosystems and forest bird populations.
To investigate these impacts, two distinct forest zones were studied: Shastkalateh Protected Forest as a control and Alangdareh Recreational Forest as a treatment area. Bird species density and their relationship with environmental factors were assessed using the point-count sampling method. Data collected over a year from 100 survey points within each 25-meter radius revealed significant differences in bird species composition, density, and diversity between the two areas. Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) confirmed a substantial distinction (P=0.001) between Alangdareh Recreational Forest and Shastkalateh Protected Forest. Bird density, diversity, and species composition were notably higher in the protected forest, supported by SIMPER results and redundancy analysis. Habitat correlations identified two distinct bird species groups: one associated with specific features like rock cover in the recreational forest (e.g., Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Golden Oriole) and another linked to habitat characteristics such as dead tree decay and large snags in the protected forest (e.g., Brambling, European Robin).
Overall, this research underscores the negative impact of recreational activities on bird communities in Alangdareh Recreational Forest compared to the more pristine conditions of Shastkalateh Protected Forest, highlighting higher bird density and diversity in undisturbed virgin forests.

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Environmental Resources Research
Volume 13, Issue 2
October 2025
Pages 293-312

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