Resilience of tropical forest ecosystems
The effect on local and regional species richness by habitat disturbance and functional heterogeneity of landscapes is being studied. This includes studies of the distribution of forest birds on altitudinal gradients where part of the slope had been cleared (T. Romdal, M. Dehn, L. Christiansen, cand.scient. projects) and studies of bird communities in forests which had been selectively logged or disturbed otherwise (T.D. Christensen, T. Lund, M. Heegaard, H. Bloch, M. Rahner, L. Hansen, cand.scient. projects). The impact on the avifauna of encroachment for agriculture and planting of exotic trees has been studied in the Bolivian Andes (T. Hjarsen, cand.scient. project).
The formation of mixed feeding parties of cloudforest birds and its adaptive significance in relation to seasonal changes in food supplies have been studied in Ecuador (B.O. Poulsen, ph.d. project) and Tanzania (L. Dinesen, T. Lehmberg, cand.scient projects).
A study of the utilisation of tidal flats by birds in the Red River Delta, Vietnam, in relation to human activities, has been completed (A. Pedersen, cand.scient. project).