Bird diversity along a gradient of fragmented habitats of the Cerrado

Abstract

Understanding the factors that affect biodiversity is of central interest to ecology, and essential to species conservation and ecosystems management. We sampled bird communities in 17 forest fragments in the Cerrado biome, the Central-West region of Brazil. We aimed to know the communities structure pattern and the influence of geographical distance and environmental variables on them, along a gradient of fragmented habitats at both local and landscape scales. Eight structural variables of the fragments served as an environmental distance measurement at the local scale while five metrics served as an environmental distance measurement at the landscape scale. Species presence-absence data were used to calculate the dissimilarity index. Beta diversity was calculated using three indices (β sim , β nes and β sor ), representing the spatial species turnover, nestedness and total beta diversity, respectively. Spatial species turnover was the predominant pattern in the structure of the communities. Variations in beta diversity were explained only by the environmental variables of the landscape with spatial configuration being more important than the composition. This fact indicates that, in Cerrado of Goiás avian communities structure, deterministic ecological processes associated to differences in species responses to landscape fragmentation are more important than stochastic processes driven by species dispersal.

Determinants of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity in breeding birds within urban remnant woodlots: Implications for conservation

“…In contrast, the turnover components were not influenced by differences in patch area and PAR, yet exhibited a significant positive correlation with inter‐patch distance. This differs from previous findings in other habitat fragmentation systems that at smaller spatial scales, where bird beta diversity and its partitioning components were generally unaffected by distance between patches (Jesus et al., 2017 ; Si et al., 2015 ). As an explanation, we propose that interspecific competition may contribute to shaping species turnover across different patches (Si, Zhao, et al., 2017 ).…”

“…However, the bird taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic nestedness‐resultant components were not affected by inter‐patch distance. Similar results have been reported in other habitat fragmentation systems (e.g., Jesus et al., 2017 ; Si et al., 2015 ), indicating no dispersal limitation. The relatively close distance between patches in our study system, with some patches separated only by a road, which, combined with the strong dispersal ability of birds, likely reduces the influence of inter‐patch distance on these components.…”

“…Thus, partitioning beta diversity into the nestedness‐resultant and turnover components and establishing their relationships with landscape characteristics and habitat features of patches serve to elucidate how habitat fragmentation affects biodiversity (Si, Zhao, et al., 2017 ). Nevertheless, an exclusive focus on taxonomic composition of species, as often done in previous studies (e.g., Jesus et al., 2017 ; Si et al., 2015 ; Wu, Si, et al., 2017 ), may prove inadequate. The incorporation of functional and phylogenetic diversities provides a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying ecological processes that drive changes in community composition (Zhao et al., 2021 ).…”

Annual Dynamics of Bird Community at a Coastal Wetland and Their Relation to Habitat Types: The Example of Beidagang Wetland, Northern China

“…Nevertheless, due to urbanization, plenty of farmlands were turned into construction land with the area of construction land expanding and the area of farmland diminishing in the past five years. In the process of migrating from coastline to Beidagang wetland, shallow tidal flats suitable for waders to stop at have been destroyed, resulting in a decrease in the landscape connectivity [46,47]. Consequently, wading birds had positive correlations with building land and farmland significantly.…”

Influence of habitat heterogeneity on avian diversity in the Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashmir Himalaya

“…However, habitat heterogeneity may influence their ecological processes, ultimately affecting species diversity and richness (Smith et al, 2014;Leveau et al, 2015;Lorenzón et al, 2016). Communities can vary along a gradient of habitats (beta-diversity) based on two distinct phenomena: spatial species turnover and the nestedness of communities (Baselga, 2012;Baselga et al, 2017;Jesus et al, 2017). There is growing concern about the effect of deforestation on avian communities (Schulte & Niemi, 1998).…”