Bird Extinctions in Atlantic Forest Fragments of the Viçosa Region, Southeastern Brazil

Authors: RIBON R.¹; SIMON J.E.²; THEODORO DE MATTOS G.³

Source: Conservation Biology, Volume 17, Number 6, December 2003 , pp. 1827-1839(13)

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Abstract:

We studied the conservation status of Atlantic forest birds in 43 forest fragments ranging in size from 1 to 384 ha in the Viçosa region of southeastern Brazil. We compared data from 15 years of field work with historical records from the region, mainly originating from specimens collected by João Moojen during the 1930s. We used published studies associated with museum data and current field work to assess the decline of forest birds during the last 70 years and to relate their disappearance to forest fragmentation and destruction. At least 28 bird species have become locally extinct, 43 are critically endangered, and 25 are vulnerable, representing 60.7% of the original forest bird community known to exist in the region. Vulnerability to fragmentation differed among guilds, forest strata, and endemicity status. Birds that feed on fruit and seeds, and those that feed on insects, were more threatened than omnivores and carnivores. Nectarivorous species were less threatened than other guilds. Moreover, terrestrial and understory birds or birds using only one forest stratum also were more likely to have been threatened. Finally, Atlantic forest endemics were more likely to have become extinct than nonendemic species. In general, sensitivity to environmental disturbance at the local level was similar to the predicted vulnerability to regional disturbance derived from the literature. Our results indicate that a serious decline of Atlantic forest birds is underway and that many other species of birds, not previously recognized as threatened, are of conservation concern.

Keywords: Atlantic forest; bird diversity; Brazil; foraging strata; extinction; forest fragmentation; Bosque atlántico; Brasil; diversidad de aves; estratos de forrajeo; extinción; fragmentación de bosque

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2003.00377.x

Affiliations: 1: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, 31270–901, Brazil 2: Museu de Biologia Prof. Mello Leitão, Avenida José Ruschi, 4, Santa Teresa-ES, 29650–000, Brazil 3: Museu de Zoologia João Moojen de Oliveira, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Vila Gianetti 32, Viçosa-MG, 36570–000, Brazil

Publication date: 2003-12-01

Bird Extinctions in Atlantic Forest Fragments of the Viçosa Region, Southeastern Brazil

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