Conservation value of shifting cultivation landscapes for the Endangered Green Peafowl Pavo muticus : effects of land use and fallow duration

Summary

While intensive farming causes biodiversity declines and low-intensity agriculture can support some adapted wildlife, traditional shifting cultivation remains widely debated, with uncertainty over its impacts on biodiversity and the environment. As this practice is widespread in tropical regions, understanding its impacts is fundamental. The effects of active shifting cultivation and different types of fallow duration were investigated by (1) estimating Green Peafowl Pavo muticus density and (2) defining the species’ habitat use in Ngape and Minhla Township, Magway Region, west-central Myanmar, where the species inhabits a shifting-cultivation landscape. Density was estimated using distance sampling over 26 line transects. We used a Generalised Linear Mixed Model to investigate relationships between Green Peafowl numbers and land-use types: (a) active shifting cultivation (b) fallow land less than 6 years old, (c) fallow land aged 6–10 years, (d) degraded natural forest, and (e) paddy fields. The estimated population density across the entire study area was 0.29 calling males per km ² , with most birds found in the southern study site at a density of 0.31 calling males per km ² . GLMMs results indicated strong habitat use by Green Peafowl of intermediate successional fallow lands, particularly areas abandoned for 6–10 years, which provide suitable roosting shelter and effective foraging opportunities under relatively open canopy conditions. The species avoided areas under active shifting-cultivation, where food resources are limited, Green Peafowl also showed a negative association with degraded forest subjected to high disturbance from logging activities and associated human and chainsaw presence. Our findings indicate that conserving remaining natural forests by reducing logging pressure, together with managing low-intensity shifting cultivation that maintains intermediate successional habitats, can provide important habitats for Green Peafowl. Conservation strategies recognising and sustaining these successional stages may enhance biodiversity conservation while supporting community-based land-use systems.