Foraging behavioural traits of tropical insectivorous birds lead to dissimilar communities in contrasting forest habitats

Castaño‐Villa, Gabriel J.; Santisteban-Arenas, Rafael; Hoyos‐Jaramillo, Alejandro; Estévez‐Varón, Jaime V.; Fontúrbel, Francisco E.

doi:10.2981/wlb.00483

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Canopy branches may produce three times as much leaf area per day when compared with understorey saplings, and the overall numbers of potential bird prey are higher on canopy branches than on saplings (Van Bael et al 2003;Bassett et al 2015). Accordingly, foliage-gleaning birds foraging in tree canopies are generally more abundant and diverse than are birds foraging in understoreys (Robinson and Holmes 1982;Van Bael et al 2003;Castaño-Villa et al 2019).…”

Section: Predation and Plant Ontogenymentioning

confidence: 99%

Top-down factors contribute to differences in insect herbivory between saplings and mature trees in boreal and tropical forests

2020

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Ontogenetic changes in herbivory are generally not consistent with ontogenetic changes in defensive traits of woody plants. This inconsistency suggests that other factors may affect ontogenetic trajectories in herbivory. We tested the hypothesis that top-down factors contribute to differences in foliar losses to insects between juvenile and mature trees in tropical and boreal forests. We used artificial caterpillars made of modelling clay to compare predation rates between saplings and mature trees of two common forest species, Siparuna guianensis in Brazil (tropical site) and Betula pubescens in Finland (boreal site). Leaf area losses to chewing insects in saplings were 2.5-fold higher than in mature trees in both species. Physical plant defences (measured as specific leaf area, SLA) did not differ between saplings and mature trees in the boreal forest, whereas in the tropical forest, SLA was greater in saplings than in mature trees. Attack rates on the model prey by birds were higher in the boreal forest, whereas attack rates by arthropod predators were higher in the tropical forest. Overall, predation rates on model prey were consistently higher on mature trees than on saplings at both sites, but in the boreal site, this pattern was primarily driven by birds, whereas in the tropical site, it was primarily driven by arthropod predators. We conclude that the effect of predation on herbivorous insects may considerably contribute to ontogenetic differences in herbivory, but the relative roles of different predatory groups and of top-down and bottom-up factors may vary between environments.

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Section: Predation and Plant Ontogenymentioning

confidence: 99%

Top-down factors contribute to differences in insect herbivory between saplings and mature trees in boreal and tropical forests

2020

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“…Moreover, the vegetation structure and resource availability (i.e. environmental filters) in the understorey of Andean alder plantations may promote a greater abundance or richness of nectarivorous, frugivorous, gleaner, and flycatcher bird species compared to secondary forests (Salazar‐Ramírez et al 2014; Castaño‐Villa et al 2019b). Furthermore, these traits can affect ecosystem processes (Luck et al 2012) and the restoration of functional diversity in degraded ecosystems (Batisteli et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bird functional diversity in restored and secondary forests of the Colombian Andes

Betancurt‐Grisales

Vargas‐Daza

Castaño‐Villa

et al. 2020

Restoration Ecology

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Forest plantations may have detrimental effects on biodiversity. However, these plantations are widely used to restore degraded habitats, yet their contribution to restoring functional diversity remains largely unknown. We assessed vegetation structure, resource availability, and bird abundance, as well as bird morphological, behavioral, life history, and functional diversity in 35-year-old monospecific protected Andean alder (Alnus acuminata) forest plantations in the Central Andes range at elevations between 2,400 and 2,800 m, to determine if plantation structure and resource availability favor bird functional diversity. We compared our findings to a 35-to 45-year-old secondary forest that had naturally regenerated. We found similarities in bird functional diversity but different functional composition between the Andean alder plantation and secondary forest. The bird life history, behavioral, and morphological traits from the secondary forest were more heterogeneous than those from the plantation. In addition, standing dead trees in the Andean alder plantation promoted bird functional diversity and the presence of birds in the plantation interior. Overall, vegetation structure and understory resource availability of Andean alder plantations appear sufficient to enable bird functional diversity partially resembling that of secondary forests in the region.

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“…Lianas also form dense tangles of stems that trap dead leaf clusters, which provide shelter and food for a wide range of arthropods. Neotropical insectivorous bird abundance and diversity are greater in forests with dense and heterogeneous understories (Banks‐Leite and Cintra 2008, Castaño‐Villa et al 2014, 2019). More specifically, several species of understory insectivorous birds, such as the checker‐throated stipplethroat and dot‐winged antwren, have been observed foraging for arthropods primarily in dead leaf clusters (Gradwohl and Greenberg 1980).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lianas maintain insectivorous bird abundance and diversity in a neotropical forest

Schnitzer

Michel

Powers

et al. 2020

Ecology

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The spatial habitat heterogeneity hypothesis posits that habitat complexity increases the abundance and diversity of species. In tropical forests, lianas add substantial habitat heterogeneity and complexity throughout the vertical forest profile, which may maintain animal abundance and diversity. The effects of lianas on tropical animal communities, however, remain poorly understood. We propose that lianas have a positive effect on animals by enhancing habitat complexity. Lianas may have a particularly strong influence on the forest bird community, providing nesting substrate, protection from predators, and nutrition (food). Understory insectivorous birds, which forage for insects that specialize on lianas, may particularly benefit. Alternatively, it is possible that lianas have a negative effect on forest birds by increasing predator abundances and providing arboreal predators with travel routes with easy access to bird nests. We tested the spatial habitat heterogeneity hypothesis on bird abundance and diversity by removing lianas, thus reducing forest complexity, using a large-scale experimental approach in a lowland tropical forest in the Republic of Panama. We found that removing lianas decreased total bird abundance by 78.4% and diversity by 77.4% after 8 months, and by 40.0% and 51.7%, respectively, after 20 months. Insectivorous bird abundance and diversity 8 months after liana removal were 91.8% and 89.5% lower, respectively, indicating that lianas positively influence insectivorous birds. The effects of liana removal persisted longer for insectivorous birds than other birds, with 77.3% lower abundance and 76.2% lower diversity after 20 months. Liana removal also altered bird community composition, creating two distinct communities in the control and removal plots, with disproportionate effects on insectivores. Our findings demonstrate that lianas have a strong positive influence on the bird community, particularly for insectivorous birds in the forest understory. Lianas may maintain bird abundance and diversity by increasing habitat complexity, habitat heterogeneity, and resource availability.

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Foraging behavioural traits of tropical insectivorous birds lead to dissimilar communities in contrasting forest habitats

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 16 publications

References 26 publications

Top-down factors contribute to differences in insect herbivory between saplings and mature trees in boreal and tropical forests

Top-down factors contribute to differences in insect herbivory between saplings and mature trees in boreal and tropical forests

Bird functional diversity in restored and secondary forests of the Colombian Andes

Lianas maintain insectivorous bird abundance and diversity in a neotropical forest

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