Vol. 62, 2023

(update: 2023.12.13)

Bird Fauna Composition in a Protected Area in Southern Brazil

Camila F.M.F. Betiol¹, Marilia T. Hartmann

¹,

and Paulo Afonso Hartmann^1,*

¹Ecology and Conservation Laboratory, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Erechim, 99700-970, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. *Correspondence: E-mail: hartmann.paulo@gmail.com (Hartmann)
    E-mail: mendescamilaf@gmail.com (Betiol); marilia.hartmann@gmail.com (MT Hartmann)

(Received 28 September 2022 / Accepted 23 October 2023 / Published -- 2023)
Communicated by Teng-Chiu Lin

The integrity of natural landscapes is affected by human actions, mainly by the intensification and expansion of agriculture. Factors such as fragment size and the structure of the environment can determine changes in the structure and composition of bird assemblages. In this study we evaluated the bird species composition in three structurally different forest environments, defined as the Core areas, Edge areas, and Buffer areas. The surveys were performed in the Natural Park of Sertão (NPS) and its surroundings in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest, southern Brazil. To record species composition of birds, the point count method was used. The bird species were categorized according to feeding habits, habitat use, and sensitivity to forest fragmentation. A total of 131 species of birds distributed in 18 orders and 38 families were recorded. The species composition varied between the three areas and there was a significant difference in diversity between the Core and Edge areas and the Core and Buffer areas. Omnivorous species were found more in the Buffer areas than in the Core areas. Species that use the Broad habitat were more frequent in the Buffer and Edge areas than in the Core areas. Species that use the Forest habitat were found more in the Core areas than in the Buffer areas. Most recorded species (66%) have low sensitivity to forest fragmentation. The assemblage patterns found in this study, notably the differences among the three areas in diversity and species composition, can be explained by the ecological traits and the sensitivity levels of birds to forest fragmentation, which in turn seem to reflect different forest structures in the NPS and its surroundings. Although the Edge and Buffer areas have greater diversity, the Core areas showed great importance in maintaining species that are more sensitive to forest fragmentation. Even the largest fragments (such as the NPS), considering the regional context, may have bird species that are widely distributed and less sensitive to forest fragmentation. Forested habitat species may no longer occur or be restricted to the core area of the fragments. For conservation of bird fauna in the NPS, the maintenance of the core areas is essential, especially for those species that
require a structurally preserved environment.

Key words: Forest fragmentation, Edge effect, Bird conservation, Community ecology, Agricultural matrix

Citation: Betiol CFMF, Hartmann MT, Hartmann PA. 2023. Bird fauna composition in a protected area in southern Brazil. Zool Stud 62:55. doi:10.6620/ZS.2023.62-54.

Supplementary materials: Appendix 1丨 Appendix 2