Korelasi Indeks Shannon-Wiener Tumbuhan Pakan dengan Encounter Rate Burung Merbah Cerucuk (Pycnonotus goiavier) di Area Kampus Universitas Sumatera Utara

Abstract

The Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) is a bird that feed fruit (frugivorous) and nectar (nectarivorous). The presence of the bird depends on the availability of the plants in its habitat. The diversity of food plant species has potential to influence the bird’s activity intensity within in the area. This study was conducted to analyze the relationship between the index diversity and encounter rate of P. goiavier to food plants in the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) campus. The diversity index was analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener formula, the encounter rate was calculated based on the frequency of bird encounters with food plants during the observation period, and relationship between variables was analyzed using Pearson correlation test. The results showed the highest diversity index occured in transect 4 at 2.02, and the lowest in transect 1 at 1.99. The diversity index for primary food plants was also the highest in transect 4 at 1.37 and the lowest in transect 1 at 1.31. Meanwhile, the encounter rate showed the highest in transect 4 at 200 individuals/km and the lowest in transect 1 at 130 individuals/km. Pearson correlation showed correlation coefficient of 0.967 with a significance of 0.033, indicating a statistically significant relationship as it falls below the <0.05 threshold. In summary of the study show a very strong and significant positive correlation between the diversity of food plants and the encounter rate of P. goiavier. The higher the diversity of feed plants, the higher the population of bird in the campus area. These findings highlight the importance of plant diversity in supporting frugivorous and nectarivorous birds in campus environments.