Short‐Term Effects of Alien Pine Control on Bird Species Richness in Mountain Fynbos, South Africa

ABSTRACT

Invasive pines alter fire-prone fynbos (a Mediterranean type ecosystem), but short-term avian responses to restoration are poorly documented. We repeated 10-min point counts in November 2025 at 48 sites first surveyed in 2024 in the Amandels River catchment (Western Cape, South Africa) after a March 2025 controlled burn and clearing operation. Species richness remained lower in alien-dominated habitat than in natural fynbos. A mixed-effects model showed a significant habitat × treatment interaction: treated alien sites supported higher richness than untreated alien sites, whereas recently burnt fynbos supported lower richness than unburnt fynbos. Alien control can yield rapid gains for bird communities, but burning intact fynbos carries short-term costs to avian species richness.