INVENTORIES OF BIRDS AND MEDIUM- TO LARGE-BODIED MAMMALS IN FIVE ATLANTIC FOREST REMNANTS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Birds and Mammals in Atlantic Forest Fragments

Abstract

Birds and mammals are two species-rich taxonomic groups that play several roles in terms of ecosystem functioning. Yet, these homoeothermic vertebrates face several threats to survive worldwide. Our major aims were (1) to provide a checklist of both birds and medium- to large-bodied mammals and (2) to explore the patterns of diversity and composition of birds and mammals in five forest fragments of Semideciduous Forest, located in the Ipumirim municipality, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The mammal inventory was performed using camera-trapping, active search and, visual signals and vocalizations. The bird inventory was obtained by occasional records from camera-trapping and active search, complemented by the point count method. We analysed the data with classical diversity descriptors, a rarefaction approach, and a dissimilarity index. We obtained 210 independent records for both taxonomic groups, which included 57 species. Among them, 37 bird species and 20 medium- to large-bodied mammal species were included. Both for birds and mammals, the richness among sites was not significantly different when compared via rarefaction curves and was also equally dissimilar among the sites in terms of species composition. We conclude that the homoeothermic vertebrates in the study area represent only an incomplete parcel of a once-diverse transitory region regarding phytophysiognomy and associated fauna. Even so, faunistic inventories can provide valuable information on species distribution, occurrence, and persistence, which is essential for advancing macroecological studies on persistent Wallacean gaps in medium- to large-sized birds and mammals in certain Neotropical regions, heavily modified by ongoing human activities.