Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Jarvinen O., Vaisanen R.A. & Walankiewicz W. (1978) Efficiency of the line transect method in Central European forests. ARDEA 66 (3): 103-111
Three line transect censuses (totalling 4.8 km) were made in BiaĤowieza National Park in eastern Poland in early June 1977. The conditions during the transect work were favourable. The results of the line transects were compared with those of mapping censuses made in an area of 80 ha in the same breeding season (the line transects were located within the mapping plots). Bird densities (pairs/km2) are compared in Table 1. Line transect density was about 80% for an average species, but it was more than 110% for the three most abundant species in the study plots in comparison with mapping method. In consequence, estimates of species diversity based on the two methods differed significantly. Species lists of study plots were not very accurate if based on transects, as a number of (rare) species were missed during the census and some non-stationary visitors were included. The results agree well with those obtained in a similar comparison in mountain birch forest in northern Sweden. The data suggest that the densities of the most abundant species may be underestimated in mapping studies; further, detailed studies should be made on the relationship between mapping results and the actual numbers of breeding birds in Central European forests.


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