Early Bird Assemblages under Different Subtropical Forest Restoration Strategies in Brazil: Passive, Nucleation and High Diversity Plantation

Abstract

Ecological restoration encourages management for the complexity and heterogeneity of habitats, which are crucial for avian fauna structure. Two-year-old bird assemblages were evaluated based on diversity parameters of three different ecological restoration technologies applied in southern Brazil: passive restoration (PR), nucleation (NC) and high diversity plantation (HD). Richness, abundance and diversity were compared using ANOVA factorial design (three treatments x four seasons, with six samplings per season). The highest richness was observed for NC (49 ± 2.45 SD species) and the lowest richness occurred in the HD treatment (37 ± 3.14 SD species), with a similar statistical pattern for abundance and diversity (NC>PR>HD). NC responded favorably to the hypotheses of dynamic equilibrium, heterogeneity and habitat complexity, which are the probable mechanisms that influence primarily assemblage richness. Due to the presence of exclusive species for each treatment, we recommend the application of a mix of the different techniques tested to maximize the number of habitats and their interactions with birdlife.Keywords: neotropical forest, ecological restoration, avian fauna. ResumoA restauração ecológica estimula o manejo da complexidade e heterogeneidade de habitats, os quais são decisivos para a estruturação da avifauna. Foram avaliadas assembleia de aves com dois anos de idade segundo parâmetros de diversidade de três diferentes tecnologias de restauração ecológica aplicadas no sul do Brasil: restauração passiva (PR) nucleação (NC), e plantio de alta diversidade (HD). Os parâmetros de riqueza, abundância e diversidade foram comparados por meio de ANOVA em arranjo fatorial (três tratamentos x quatro estações com seis amostragens por estação). A maior riqueza observada foi constatada na NC (49 ± 2,45 espécies) e a menor riqueza ocorreu no tratamento PAD (37 ± 3,14 espécies) com um padrão estatístico semelhante para abundância e diversidade. NC respondeu favoravelmente às hipóteses do equilíbrio dinâmico, heterogeneidade e complexidade de habitats, sendo estes os prováveis mecanismos que influenciaram principalmente na riqueza da assembleia. Devido à presença de espécies exclusivas a cada um dos tratamentos, recomenda-se a aplicação conjunta das técnicas testadas para maximizar o número de habitats e suas interações com a avifauna.Palavras chave: floresta neotropical, restauração ecológica, avifauna.

Neotropical rainforest restoration: comparing passive, plantation and nucleation approaches

“…However, the use of active restoration techniques with high levels of intervention can present side effects, leading the community to an excessively different pathway and lower degree of natural recovery (''overrestoration'') previously tested in Honduras (Zahawi and Augspurger 2006) and recently reviewed and named ''applied nucleation'' by Corbin and Holl (2012). Although plantations foster greater bird abundance and compositional similarity to old-growth forest than applied nucleation designs (Reid et al 2014;Vogel et al 2015), Vogel et al (2015) showed that Brazilian nucleation techniques facilitated exclusive species with higher richness and abundance (in disagree with Reid et al 2014). Overall, it is argued that applied nucleation facilitates pollinator visitation and tree recruitment to a similar degree as plantations, but with lower costs Lindell and Thurston 2013;Zahawi et al 2013).…”

“…2). These nucleation techniques have been recommended and applied by managers, scientists, governmental agencies and forestry companies of Brazil (Ivanauskas et al 2007;Wuethrich 2007;Rodrigues et al 2009;Brancalion et al 2010;Vogel et al 2015); however, large-scale and long-term data are still needed to evaluate their effectiveness.…”

“…In Brazil, the named ''nucleation techniques'' take an integrated approach that combine several techniques, including artificial shelters for fauna, artificial perches, seed bank and seed rain sod block nuclei, ground-covering shrub/herbaceous nuclei, and the planting of native trees and bromeliads in dense nuclei (Reis et al 2003(Reis et al , 2010Vogel et al 2015Vogel et al , 2016. Multiple techniques are then applied together in several small nuclei (1-12 m 2 ), which can be applied randomly or in mowed systematic strips in the middle of pastures on large scale (Vogel et al 2015), producing key microsites that occupies 10-33.3 % of the restoration area (Fig. 2).…”

Acnistus arborescens (Solanaceae): an important food resource for birds in an Atlantic Forest site, Southeastern Brazil

“…Birds are preferentially used to evaluate the effectiveness of restored areas because of their mobility, the speed at which they colonize new environments, their ability to connect habitats through seed dispersal, and their maintenance of gene flow among plant populations (Campos et al 2012;Cavallero et al 2013;Vogel et al 2015). In Brazil, the main species of birds related to the process of forest regeneration are those that are more generalist, with a diet of fruits and insects and that live on forest edges and open areas (Pizo .…”

Selection of Native Tree Species for Subtropical Forest Restoration in Southwest China

“…Many countries in subtropical regions have implemented reforestation and restoration programs with the aim of restoring native forests and improving ecosystem services [42–45]. In the Chinese subtropics, for example, large-scale state reforestation programs (e.g.…”