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Frugivory by five bird species in agroforest home gardens of Pontal do Paranapanema, Brazil

Frugivory by five bird species in agroforest home gardens of Pontal do Paranapanema, Brazil The inefficiency of conservation efforts based exclusively on natural habitat patches has called the attention of some conservationists to the matrix. Described as the major component of a landscape, the matrix is often agricultural, particularly in the tropics. In this context, agroforestry practices have been recognized for their ability to support a rich fauna and flora. Besides the extensive literature concerning bird communities in agroforestry systems, very few studies analyze how different species respond to the management of such practices. Our study describes the diet and habitat use frequency of five frugivorous bird species in agroforest home gardens, secondary forests, and pastures in the region of Pontal do Paranapanema, Brazil. The focal species were Ramphastos toco (Toco Toucan), Pteroglossus castanotis (Chestnut-eared Aracari), Amazona aestiva (Blue-fronted Amazon), Ara chloroptera (Green-winged Macaw), and Cyanocorax chrysops (Plush-crested Jay). We gathered both habitat use frequency and diet using the “feeding-bout” method. Overall frequency was higher in the secondary forest when compared to pasture and home gardens for all bird species except A . aestiva . The number of feeding bouts was higher in home gardens than in forests for all species with the exception of C . chrysops. Differences in monthly median feeding activity were only statistically significant for C . chrysops and for A . aestiva . The latter was the only species observed feeding in pasture habitats. The total number of food taxa was larger in home gardens than in the forest. Our results reinforce the importance of agroforestry systems as a resource-rich habitat for frugivorous birds. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agroforestry Systems Springer Journals

Frugivory by five bird species in agroforest home gardens of Pontal do Paranapanema, Brazil

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References (35)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 by Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Subject
Life Sciences; Forestry; Agriculture
ISSN
0167-4366
eISSN
1572-9680
DOI
10.1007/s10457-011-9398-z
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The inefficiency of conservation efforts based exclusively on natural habitat patches has called the attention of some conservationists to the matrix. Described as the major component of a landscape, the matrix is often agricultural, particularly in the tropics. In this context, agroforestry practices have been recognized for their ability to support a rich fauna and flora. Besides the extensive literature concerning bird communities in agroforestry systems, very few studies analyze how different species respond to the management of such practices. Our study describes the diet and habitat use frequency of five frugivorous bird species in agroforest home gardens, secondary forests, and pastures in the region of Pontal do Paranapanema, Brazil. The focal species were Ramphastos toco (Toco Toucan), Pteroglossus castanotis (Chestnut-eared Aracari), Amazona aestiva (Blue-fronted Amazon), Ara chloroptera (Green-winged Macaw), and Cyanocorax chrysops (Plush-crested Jay). We gathered both habitat use frequency and diet using the “feeding-bout” method. Overall frequency was higher in the secondary forest when compared to pasture and home gardens for all bird species except A . aestiva . The number of feeding bouts was higher in home gardens than in forests for all species with the exception of C . chrysops. Differences in monthly median feeding activity were only statistically significant for C . chrysops and for A . aestiva . The latter was the only species observed feeding in pasture habitats. The total number of food taxa was larger in home gardens than in the forest. Our results reinforce the importance of agroforestry systems as a resource-rich habitat for frugivorous birds.

Journal

Agroforestry Systems – Springer Journals

Published: Jul 1, 2011

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