The effects of secondary tropical forest regeneration on avian species richness and colour diversity

The effects of secondary tropical forest regeneration on avian species richness and colour diversity | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 10 February 2026 V1 Latest version Share on The effects of secondary tropical forest regeneration on avian species richness and colour diversity Authors : Lucy Watson 0009-0005-0695-9380 [email protected] , Christopher Cooney , and Emma Hughes 0000-0003-4682-6257 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177072677.71647106/v1 140 views 82 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract 1. Birds are among the most colourfully diverse organisms globally, with colour playing a crucial role in many life-strategies. However, tropical deforestation for farmland threatens species’ existence and the efficacy of colouration strategies through habitat loss and fragmentation. Given the rapid rate of deforestation, regenerating secondary forests on abandoned agricultural land may offer a viable option for conserving biodiversity and colour. While the recovery of avian species richness with secondary forest regrowth has been recorded, little is known about the impact on community colour diversity. 2. To address this gap, we investigated the effects of secondary forest regeneration on avian richness and colour diversity. We used a meta-dataset of 35 paired tropical primary and secondary forest sites across the Old World and New World, combined with data on male and female colouration derived from standardised visible and UV light photography of museum specimens. 3. We found that species richness in closed habitat species increased with secondary forest age in the Old World, whereas richness in open habitat species declined with forest age in the New World. 4. We also found that community colour diversity for both closed (Old World) and open habitat (Old World and New World) species was lower in the young secondary forests but returned to primary forest levels over time, implying the recovery of natural visual signalling environments as the forest regenerates. 5. Synthesis and applications: Overall, our findings emphasise that secondary forests, particularly older forest regrowth, can maintain avian species richness and colour diversity. Acknowledging the role of secondary forests in sustaining colourfully diverse and aesthetically pleasing species could be effective in guiding policy and investment decisions toward their sustained protection. The effects of secondary tropical forest regeneration on avian species richness and colour diversity Authors: Lucy Watson 1 , Christopher R. Cooney 1 and Emma C. Hughes 1 * Corresponding author(s): [email protected] Affiliations: 1 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield; Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. Acknowledgements: We thank XX reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. Funding: This work was supported by a Natural Environmental Research Council Independent Research Fellowship to C.R.C [grant number NE/T01105X/1]. Data Accessibility : All the required data are uploaded as supplementary material Author contributions : L.W., C.R.C and E.C.H. designed the research; L.W., C.R.C and E.C.H. collected the data; L.W. and E.C.H. conducted the analyses; L.W. wrote the manuscript with input from C.R.C and E.C.H. Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare. Supplementary Material File (main-text.docx) Download 5.61 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 10 February 2026 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords community ecology comparative ecological experiment terrestrial vertebrate Authors Affiliations Lucy Watson 0009-0005-0695-9380 [email protected] The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Christopher Cooney University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Emma Hughes 0000-0003-4682-6257 The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 140 views 82 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Lucy Watson, Christopher Cooney, Emma Hughes. The effects of secondary tropical forest regeneration on avian species richness and colour diversity. Authorea . 10 February 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.177072677.71647106/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) Bluesky LinkedIn email View full text | Download PDF {"doi":"10.22541/au.177072677.71647106/v1","type":"Article"} Now Reading: Share Figures Tables Close figure viewer Back to article Figure title goes here Change zoom level Go to figure location within the article Download figure Toggle share panel Toggle share panel Share Toggle information panel Toggle information panel Go to previous graphic Go to next graphic Go to previous table Go to next table All figures All tables View all material View all material xrefBack.goTo xrefBack.goTo Request permissions Expand All Collapse Expand Table Show all references SHOW ALL BOOKS Authors Info & Affiliations About FAQs Contact Us Directory RSS Back to top Powered by Research Exchange Preprints Help Terms Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences $(document).ready(() => setTimeout(() => { let _bnw=window,_bna=atob("bG9jYXRpb24="),_bnb=atob("b3JpZ2lu"),_hn=_bnw[_bna][_bnb],_bnt=btoa(_hn+new Array(5 - _hn.length % 4).join(" ")); $.get("/resource/lodash?t="+_bnt); },4000)); (function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'9fe01643fcd541e2',t:'MTc3OTE2MjA5Nw=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();