Spatial and temporal patterns of bird species diversity in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil: implications for conservation

Abstract

Analysis of a three-year bird survey in the pantanal of Poconé revealed that most of the resident and seasonal birds are habitat generalists, using two or more habitats. In this study, previously sampled habitats were ranked in relation to species richness and stability (as measured by the ratio of seasonal to resident species). In all, nine habitats were grouped into three categories; results are as follows: 1) forests: more species-rich and more stable; 2) cerrado: intermediate levels; and 3) aquatic: less species-rich and less stable. The number of seasonal species remained relatively constant in forests throughout the year, while increasing in the other habitats during the dry season. The abundance of resident species seems to be related to species use of multiple habitats. Although many species were found to be habitat generalists, we discuss possible consequences of habitat loss and other human impacts on efforts to conserve this important bird community.

Distribution, composition and seasonality of aquatic birds in the Nhecolândia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil

“…Acctually, Pantanal presents intense seasonal periods and it can result in strong selective pressures, increasing competition among species (Eiten, 1993) which forces them to use different environments to support resource scarcity (Brown Junior, 1986). Some authors explain certain bird movements among habitats based on this assertion (Malizia, 2001;Figueira et al, 2006;Accordi and Hartz, 2006). Moreover, no correlation was found by Figueira et al (2006) between aquatic bird abundance and the number of months in which seasonal species occurred, suggesting that for the pantanal of Poconé no optimal period exists for all seasonal species.…”

“…Some authors explain certain bird movements among habitats based on this assertion (Malizia, 2001;Figueira et al, 2006;Accordi and Hartz, 2006). Moreover, no correlation was found by Figueira et al (2006) between aquatic bird abundance and the number of months in which seasonal species occurred, suggesting that for the pantanal of Poconé no optimal period exists for all seasonal species. However, the analysis obtained here indicates that the three environments (Negro river, bays and salines) have specific bird species adapted to the environmental conditions of each habitat, even when considering different seasons.…”

“…Mosaic landscape is more effective for bird diversity conservation since many species were abundantly registered in all habitats, which can be an evidence of flexibility on habitat use (Law andDickman 1998, Smith et al, 2011;Figueira et al, 2006). Further, the existing heterogeneity in aquatic habitats also creates favorable conditions for the establishment of aquatic birds with different ecological characteristics, resulting in high beta diversity (Moreno and Halffter 2001, Balvanera et al, 2002, Veech, 2005.…”

“…However, despite the remarkable significance of such region for the conservation of resident and migratory birds, the spatiotemporal patterns of distribution, habitat use, structure of bird communities and the status of populations of aquatic birds are little known in Pantanal (Tubelis and Tomas, 2003;Junk et al, 2006;Figueira et al, 2006;Oliveira, 2006). According to Morrison et al (2008) the seasonality in Pantanal plays a major role in bird distribution, but the patterns of distribution related to seasonality are still poorly understood.…”

Spatial diversity patterns of birds in a vegetation mosaic of the Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil

“…Resident species were found in a significantly greater number of habitats than regional migrants ( 2 : 889.1, df: 4, p р 0.0001). Most species in the Pantanal seem to depend on multiple habitats to survive throughout the year, due to the seasonality of habitats and resources brought in by seasonal floods, as already suggested by FIGUEIRA et al (2006). Reliance on multiple habitats is more intense among resident species, which have to find additional resources in different habitats during the year in order to deal with yearly oscillations in resource availability.…”