One hundred and thirty-five years of avifaunal surveys around Santarém, central Brazilian Amazon

We present an updated annotated avifaunal checklist for the Santarém region of central Pará state, Brazil, an area that has one of the oldest histories of ornithological exploration in South America. We combine data from a fivemonth quantitative survey of the birds of the municipalities of Santarém and Belterra (east of the Tapajós River) between 2010 and 2011 with an exhaustive search of material in museum collections worldwide and digital vouchers deposited online. Our own survey sampled habitats across a gradient of disturbance ranging from 'undisturbed' primary forest, through logged and burnt forest, patches of secondary forest, cattle pastures and intensive mechanized agriculture. Given the potential for species misidentifications in avian inventories, we paid special attention to obtaining voucher documentation. Here we present a collection of publicly accessible digital vouchers for all of the new species, in addition to providing museum catalogue numbers for all old records. We added 24 species to the regional list, principally species associated with anthropogenic land-uses, but also including seven species restricted to primary forest habitats which were missed from both recent published inventories and over the course of two centuries of intensive collecting efforts. The regional list now stands at 583 species for which voucher documentation is available, with an additional 26 undocumented species. Many of the species reported here are poorly known or represent notable range extensions, and we present new data on their status and distribution

ATLANTIC BIRDS: a data set of bird species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

South America holds 30% of the world's avifauna, with the Atlantic Forest representing one of the richest regions of the Neotropics. Here we have compiled a data set on Brazilian Atlantic Forest bird occurrence (150,423) and abundance samples (N = 832 bird species; 33,119 bird individuals) using multiple methods, including qualitative surveys, mist nets, point counts, and line transects). We used four main sources of data: museum collections, on-line databases, literature sources, and unpublished reports. The data set comprises 4,122 localities and data from 1815 to 2017. Most studies were conducted in the Florestas de Interior (1,510 localities) and Serra do Mar (1,280 localities) biogeographic sub-regions. Considering the three main quantitative methods (mist net, point count, and line transect), we compiled abundance data for 745 species in 576 communities. In the data set, the most frequent species were Basileuterus culicivorus, Cyclaris gujanensis, and Conophaga lineata. There were 71 singletons, such as Lipaugus conditus and Calyptura cristata. We suggest that this small number of records reinforces the critical situation of these taxa in the Atlantic Forest. The information provided in this data set can be used for macroecological studies and to foster conservation strategies in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Data Paper if data are used in publications and teaching events. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of Americ

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Resposta da avifauna a um gradiente de intensidade de corte seletivo de árvores nativas em florestas amazônicas

The Amazon landscape is changing rapidly in recent decades due to human activities. The selective logging represents an economical alternative interesting and occurs on a large scale throughout the basin. Despite being relatively known the effects of selective logging on wildlife, no studies have evaluated the response of avifauna the intensity of logging. This study evaluates the response of the bird community to a gradient of intensity from 0 until 600 m3 considering cutting trees in two ages after logging. The study was conducted in the Jari River, AP, the largest area of certified forest exploitation in the world (> 500.000ha). There were 50 plots of 10 ha in two areas with different ages (1 to 5 years) after cutting; in each plot were positioned 3 point counts visited 4 times in consecutive two days. A richness and abundance of species was higher in the area with 5 years after the logging, but did not have differences in diversity Simpson. Volume and density did not affect the abundance. And the clay negatively affected the abundance and richness. The plateau with 5 years had higher abundance and more species highly sensitive to disturbance. The answers were varied guilds of the different operating and environmental variables tested. Our data demonstrate that even in a low-impact activity of selective logging, where roads are planned, Brazilian legislation and guidelines for more sustainable forest certification (FSC) are respected, could not recover in five years the structure and composition of the original community.A paisagem amazônica está mudando rapidamente nas últimas décadas devido a atividades humanas. O corte seletivo de árvores além de representar uma alternativa econômica, ocorre em larga escala em toda bacia. Apesar de ser relativamente conhecido os efeitos do corte seletivo sobre a fauna, nenhum estudo avaliou a resposta da avifauna em um amplo gradiente de intensidade de corte de árvores. Este trabalho avalia a resposta da comunidade de aves a um gradiente de intensidade de 0 a 600 m3de corte de árvores considerando duas idades após a exploração. O estudo foi realizado na região do rio Jari, AP, considerada a maior área de exploração certificada florestal do mundo (>500.000ha). Foram alocadas 50 parcelas de 10 ha em duas áreas com diferentes idades (1 e 5 anos) de exploração, nessas parcelas foram posicionados 3 pontos de escuta visitados 4 vezes em dois dias consecutivos.A riqueza e abundância de espécies foi maior na área com 5 anos após a exploração, embora não tenha tido diferenças na diversidade de Simpson. Volume e densidade não afetaram a abundância e riqueza. E a argila afetou negativamente a abundância e a riqueza. O platô com 5 anos também teve maior abundância e maior número de espécies altamente sensíveis a perturbação. As respostas das guildas foram variadas as diferentes variáveis de exploração e ambientais testadas. Nossos dados demonstram que mesmo em uma atividade de reduzido impacto de corte seletivo, onde estradas são planejadas, legislação brasileira e direcionamentos mais sustentáveis pela certificação florestal (FSC) são respeitados, não foi possível recuperar em cinco anos a estrutura e composição da comunidade original

Impact of Past Forest Fires on Bird Populations in Flooded Forests of the Cuini River in the Lowland Amazon

Blackwater floodplain forests of the Rio Negro are susceptible to understory fires. Bird composition was distinct between burned and unburned floodplain forest but not between young (12-18 yr) and old burns (>25 yr), indicating low resilience after fire. Forest regeneration is slow, with open grassy areas persisting >80 yr. © 2012 The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2012 by The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation

Notes on Nest and Chicks of the Guianan Red Cotinga (Phoenicircus carnifex) in Amazonas, Brazil

The Guianan Red Cotinga (Phoenicircus carnifex) is a poorly known member of the family Cotingidae, and information concerning its biology, ecology, and natural history are scarce. We provide the first description of the nest and young of the Guianan Red Cotinga and provide additional natural history data on its diet and habitat preferences. © 2015 The Wilson Ornithological Society