Aves da Reserva Biológica do Gurupi: implementação de protocolo avançado de monitoramento e atualizações:

The advanced protocol for monitoring bird communities, which is part of the National Biodiversity Monitoring Program – Programa Monitora, began in 2017 at Gurupi Biological Reserve (REBIO do Gurupi), chosen due to its different forest succession stages and landscape context in which it is inserted. The results presented are partial and were obtained through six campaigns carried out between 2017-2023 in the application of the protocol and opportunistically. Accounting 414 species recorded, with Cercomacra cinerascens being the most abundant. In addition, recording three new species for the state of Maranhão, Agamia agami (first documented record for the state), Forpus passerinus and Leucopternis melanops. When the data is compiled with the Reserve's first bird inventory, the richness increases to 503 species, thus creating a greater richness of birds within Belem area of endemism (BAE). Of this total, 29 taxa are categorized as threatened (e.g.: Crax fasciolata pinima and Psophia obscura) and 18 are endemic to BAE. These results were also developed to update the ornithological scenario of the Amazon forest in Maranhão, which now has 583 species. In this way, the information generated here demonstrates the relevance and effectiveness of REBIO for bird conservation in Maranhão and BAE. Therefore, we recommend the continuity and expansion of Monitora program.– El protocolo avanzado de monitoreo de comunidades de aves, que forma parte del Programa Nacional de Monitoreo de la Biodiversidad - Programa Monitora, se inició en 2017 en la Reserva Biológica de Gurupí (REBIO de Gurupí), escogida por el contexto de degradación en el que se encuentra. Los resultados presentados aquí son parciales y fueron obtenidos a lo largo de seis campañas realizadas entre 2017 y 2023, en la aplicación del protocolo y oportunistamente. Se registraron 414 especies, siendo Cercomacra cinerascens la más abundante. Además, el monitoreo contribuyó con tres nuevas especies para el estado de Maranhão, Agamia agami (primer registro documentado para el estado), Forpus passerinus y Leucopternis melanops. Cuando se reúnen los datos con el primer inventario de aves de la Reserva de Gurupí, la riqueza aumenta a 503 especies, convirtiéndose así en la mayor riqueza de aves dentro del área de endemismo Belém (AEB). De este total, 29 taxones están categorizados como amenazados (por ejemplo: Crax fasciolata pinima y Psophia obscura) y 18 son endémicos de la AEB. Estos resultados también contribuyeron para la actualización del escenario ornitológico de la Amazonia de Maranhão, que ahora cuenta con 583 especies registradas. De esta manera, la información aquí generada demuestra la relevancia y efectividad de la REBIO de Gurupí para la conservación de las aves en Maranhão y la AEB, y la importancia del Programa Monitora, por lo que se recomienda su continuidad y ampliación.O protocolo avançado de monitoramento de comunidades de aves, que faz parte do Programa Nacional de Monitoramento da Biodiversidade – Programa Monitora, teve início em 2017 na Reserva Biológica do Gurupi (REBIO do Gurupi), escolhida devido ao contexto de degradação em que está inserida. Os resultados aqui apresentados foram obtidos ao longo de seis campanhas realizadas entre 2017–2023 na aplicação do protocolo e oportunisticamente. Foram registradas 414 espécies, sendo Cercomacra cinerascens a mais abundante. O monitoramento contribuiu com três espécies novas para o estado do Maranhão, Agamia agami (primeiro registro documentado para o estado), Forpus passerinus e Leucopternis melanops. Quando compilados os dados com o primeiro inventário de aves da REBIO do Gurupi, a riqueza aumentou para 503 espécies, passando a ser assim a área com a maior riqueza de aves dentro da área de endemismo de Belém (AEB). Desse total, 29 taxa estão ameaçados de extinção (e.g. Crax fasciolata pinima e Psophia obscura) e 18 são endêmicas da AEB. Esses resultados também contribuíram para atualização do cenário ornitológico da Amazônia Maranhense, que agora conta com 583 espécies. Dessa forma, as informações aqui geradas indicam a relevância e efetividade da REBIO do Gurupi para a conservação de aves no Maranhão e na AEB, e a importância do Programa Monitora, sendo assim recomendada sua continuidade e expansão

Dinâmica temporal de beija-flores (Aves: Trochilidae) em uma área de Caatinga no semiárido de Pernambuco, Brasil

Flowering phenology of plants are the main factor controlling hummingbird community organization, and it evolves in a given area as a unit in such a manner that the presence of a plant species can affect the phenology of other plant species. Nowadays there is little information available on the dynamics of biological communities in the Caatinga. The objective of the present study was to describe the temporal distribution in species richness and abundance of hummingbirds, and also in their reproductive activities, molt cycle, richness of flowering ornithophilous and non ornithophilous plant species, verifying the influence of the availability of flowering resources and of climatic factors in the dynamics and in the annual cycle of the hummingbird assemblage during a two year period study in an area of Caatinga. We also present morphometric data. The study was conducted in an area of shrubarboreal caatinga vegetation, located at Serra do Pará, municipality of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Pernambuco, Brazil. Hummingbird abundance varied seasonally, with peaks being observed during the rainy season. Temperature had a negative effect on both the species richness and abundance of hummingbirds. The dynamics of the hummingbird assemblage at Serra do Pará was influenced by resource availability, with abundance being higher during periods of lower temperatures and when higher numbers of non ornithophilous plants were flowering. Reproductive activity was evident during the rainy season. Molt, especially contour feathers and flight feathers occurring simultaneously was concentrated after the rainy season in the studied area. The assembly studied presented a bimodal cycle in reproductive activity and molt, which in turn were associated with flower availability. These two events were in asynchrony, with molt cycles beginning after the reproductive period. The hummingbird assembly was morphologically characterized by the three sub-groups known for the Trochilinae, presenting small short-billed species, medium-sized with straight bills species, and the medium to large with long bills species. The information presented in this study contribute with ecological and morphological characteristics of some hummingbird species distributed within the Caatinga, and also new information on hummingbird dynamics and their annual cycles in an area of Caatinga.Financiadora de Estudos e ProjetosA fenologia de floração das plantas é o fator limitante que atua tanto na dinâmica quanto na organização das comunidades de beija-flores. Ela evolui como uma unidade em diferentes localidades, de tal maneira que a presença de uma planta pode afetar a fenologia de outras espécies. O conhecimento que se tem atualmente sobre a dinâmica e o funcionamento de comunidades biológicas na Caatinga é praticamente inexistente. O objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever a distribuição temporal da riqueza e da abundância de espécies de beija-flores, dos eventos de muda e da atividade reprodutiva, da riqueza de recursos florísticos ornitófilos e não ornitófilos, além de verificar a influência da disponibilidade desses recursos e de fatores abióticos sobre a dinâmica e o ciclo anual dos beija-flores durante dois anos em uma área de Caatinga. Apresentamos também dados morfométricos dos beijaflores. O estudo foi realizado em uma área de caatinga arbustivo-arbórea, localizada na Serra do Pará, município de Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, agreste de Pernambuco. A abundância de beija-flores variou sazonalmente, com picos durante a estação chuvosa. A temperatura teve um efeito negativo tanto sobre a riqueza quanto sobre a abundância dos beija-flores. A dinâmica da assembleia de beija-flores na Serra do Pará foi influenciada pela disponibilidade de recursos, sendo os períodos de maior abundância dos beija-flores aqueles com maior riqueza de recursos não ornitófilos em floração, e temperaturas mais amenas. A estação reprodutiva foi evidenciada durante a estação chuvosa na área de estudos. O período de maior ocorrência das mudas, especialmente de contorno e de voo simultaneamente, foi logo após o período de chuvas na região. A assembleia estudada apresentou dois ciclos de reprodução e de muda, os quais foram associados à disponibilidade de recursos florísticos. As atividades reprodutivas e de muda foram assincrônicas, com o ciclo de mudas tendo início logo após a estação reprodutiva. A assembleia de beija-flores foi caracterizada morfologicamente pelos três subgrupos reconhecidos de Trochilinae, apresentando espécies de tamanho pequeno, mediano e grande. As informações apresentadas no presente trabalho contribuem para o conhecimento das características ecológicas e morfométricas de algumas espécies de beija-flores com ocorrência na Caatinga, além de trazer informações inéditas quanto à dinâmica e o ciclo biológico anual dos beija-flores em uma área de Caatinga

Caatinga Revisited: Ecology and Conservation of an Important Seasonal Dry Forest

Besides its extreme climate conditions, the Caatinga (a type of tropical seasonal forest) hosts an impressive faunal and floristic biodiversity. In the last 50 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of studies in the area. Here we aimed to present a review of these studies, focusing on four main fields: vertebrate ecology, plant ecology, human ecology, and ethnobiology. Furthermore, we identify directions for future research. We hope that the present paper will help defining actions and strategies for the conservation of the biological diversity of the Caatinga

Spatial distance and climate determine modularity in a cross-biomes plant–hummingbird interaction network in Brazil

Aim: We examined the effects of space, climate, phylogeny and species traits on module composition in a cross-biomes plant–hummingbird network. Location: Brazil, except Amazonian region. Methods: We compiled 31 local binary plant–hummingbird networks, combining them into one cross-biomes metanetwork. We conducted a modularity analysis and tested the relationship between species’ module membership with traits, geographical location, climatic conditions and range sizes, employing random forest models. We fitted reduced models containing groups of related variables (climatic, spatial, phylogenetic, traits) and combinations of groups to partition the variance explained by these sets into unique and shared components. Results: The Brazilian cross-biomes network was composed of 479 plant and 42 hummingbird species, and showed significant modularity. The resulting six modules conformed well to vegetation domains. Only plant traits, not hummingbird traits, differed between modules, notably plants’ growth form, corolla length, flower shape and colour. Some modules included plant species with very restricted distributions, whereas others encompassed more widespread ones. Widespread hummingbirds were the most connected, both within and between modules, whereas widespread plants were the most connected between modules. Among traits, only nectar concentration had a weak effect on among-module connectivity. Main conclusions: Climate and spatial filters were the main determinants of module composition for hummingbirds and plants, potentially related to resource seasonality, especially for hummingbirds. Historical dispersal-linked contingency, or environmental variations not accounted for by the explanatory factors here evaluated, could also contribute to the spatial component. Phylogeny and morphological traits had no unique effects on the assignment of species to modules. Widespread species showed higher within- and/or among-module connectivity, indicating their key role connecting biomes, and, in the case of hummingbirds, communities within biomes. Our results indicate that biogeography and climate not only determine the variation of modularity in local plant–animal networks, as previously shown, but also affect the cross-biomes network structure. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Functional diversity mediates macroecological variation in plant–hummingbird interaction networks

Aim: Species interaction networks are known to vary in structure over large spatial scales. We investigated the hypothesis that environmental factors affect interaction network structure by influencing the functional diversity of ecological communities. Notably, we expect more functionally diverse communities to form interaction networks with a higher degree of niche partitioning. Locatio

ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS: a data set of bird morphological traits from the Atlantic forests of South America

Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra- and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820–2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ