The Role of Birds in Nutrient Cycling in a Northern Hardwoods Ecosystem

Birds collected from the forested watershed—ecosystems of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in central New Hampshire were analyzed for Ca, N, P, S, K, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn. The nutrients bound in avain biomass (mg/ha) were calculated and compared to the nutrient budgets for these watersheds. Although birds contain but a tiny percentage of the standing crop of nutrients, they contribute to nutrient flux by removing small quantities of nutrients through losses during migration. Their impact on the turnover and distribution of nutrients within ecosystems is probably small but requires further study. See full-text article at JSTOR