Bird population in birch forests of the Southern Urals affected by industrial pollution: Report 1. Reactions of species and the community

The change in the summer bird population of birch forests along the gradient of pollution by emissions from the Karabash Copper Smelter (Chelyabinsk oblast) was investigated in 2009 by means of point counts. As pollution grows, the total density, species richness and diversity of bird population decrease; the proportion of hole nesters in the community decreases; and the proportion of species nesting on the ground and at the top forest canopy increases. Changes in most characteristics of bird populations are limited by the local territory (6-8 km from the plant).