This ongoing study examines avian community composition across a significant precipitation gradient in western Ecuador, located in the highly biodiverse Tumbesian-Choco region. Point count surveys were conducted at 13 sites along the gradient, spanning approximately 1000-7000 mm in annual rainfall. Sampling was performed in both disturbed and undisturbed habitats during three seasons, comprising ~260 point counts total. We predict precipitation seasonality and temperature, as well as landscape factors like edge density and forest cover, will strongly predict species abundance and beta diversity at this regional scale. At the local scale, we expect daily temperature and humidity fluctuations and vegetation structure to be key drivers. Preliminary analyses reveal high forest species turnover and varying responses of disturbance-tolerant species across the gradient.
Currently, this repository contains data organization and quality control procedures, as well as initial hierarchical modeling of the avian community data using a Bayesian approach.