Ecological Role and Ecosystem Services of Birds: A Review
Mathialagan Mariyappan
*
Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research Foundation, Karaikudi-630 306, Tamil Nadu, India.
Meena Rajendran
Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research Foundation, Karaikudi-630 306, Tamil Nadu, India.
Sarathkumar Velu
Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research Foundation, Karaikudi-630 306, Tamil Nadu, India.
Alfred Daniel Johnson
Ben Gurion University, Israel-8499000, India.
G. K. Dinesh
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, India.
Kumaravel Solaimuthu
Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research Foundation, Karaikudi-630 306, Tamil Nadu, India.
Maheshwaran Kaliyappan
Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research Foundation, Karaikudi-630 306, Tamil Nadu, India.
Mangayarkarsi Sankar
Sethu Bhaskara Agricultural College and Research Foundation, Karaikudi-630 306, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Birds play many roles, including predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers, pests, predators, nutrient cycling, ecosystem engineers, and many other services. However, the global decline in bird populations means that the ecosystem services provided by these birds are also declining [1]. The services birds provide are ecologically and economically important, but are not adequately appreciated due to insufficient information. Therefore, this review article aims to elucidate the role of birds in the agro-ecosystem and their benefits to humans in order to promote their conservation. Healthy bird populations and their habitats would help protect various ecological services that would ultimately improve human well-being.
Keywords: Agricultural ornithology, ecosystem services, conservation, insectivores, pest control by birds