Bird Conservation International

Table of Contents - 2010 - Volume 20, Issue 04  

Research Articles

Position in the distributional range and sensitivity to forest fragmentation in birds: a case history from the Atlantic forest, Brazil

LUIZ DOS ANJOSa1 c1, ROBERT D. HOLTa2 and SCOTT ROBINSONa3

a1 Departamento de Biologia Animal e Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Caixa Postal 6001, 86051-970 Londrina, Paraná, Brasil

a2 Department of Biology, University of Florida, 111 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA

a3 Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA

Summary

We tested the hypothesis that endemic bird species of the Brazilian Atlantic forest are more sensitive to forest fragmentation than non-endemics in a fragmented landscape in northern Paraná state of southern Brazil. Levels of sensitivity (high, medium, and low) were previously determined in the landscape based on the occurrences of bird species in 14 forest fragments. We evaluated 112 forest bird species and found that endemic species were more sensitive than non-endemics. Among the endemic species, highly sensitive species tended to have smaller geographic ranges. In a second analysis, we determined that birds at the edges of their geographic ranges in northern Paraná were more vulnerable to forest fragmentation. Combining both factors we found that endemic birds at the edge of their ranges were the most sensitive to fragmentation. Our results suggest that endemics and species at the edges of larger ranges might need larger tracts to ensure their continued existence within that region. Our results, however, also indicate that even small forest fragments may have considerable value for non-endemics and for species closer to the centres of their ranges.

Resumo

(Received January 06 2009)

(Accepted May 26 2009)

(Online publication December 15 2009)

Correspondence:

c1 Author for correspondence. E-mail: llanjos@sercomtel.com.br