Effects of forest fragmentation on frugivorous and nectarivorous bats in French Guiana

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Cosson ◽  
Jean-Marc Pons ◽  
Didier Masson
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Fruit Bat ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Genetic Structures ◽  
And Control

The effects of tropical forest fragmentation on frugivorous and nectarivorous bats were studied on recent islands created by the flooding of a dam in French Guiana. Study sites include forest islands isolated by water, and control plots in nearby continuous forest. Studies began 1y before the onset of forest fragmentation and encompassed the first 3y after flooding. Forest fragmentation greatly modified the diversity and abundance of bats. Changes occurred more rapidly in the smallest fragments than in the largest one, and trends were remarkably similar among all the studied islands. Bat captures in islands were characterised by the scarcity of understorey frugivores. Differences in home range size and foraging strategies may explain why understorey fruit bat species are more sensitive to fragmentation than canopy ones. Changes in the frugivorous bat community may have indirect consequences on both the demographic and the genetic structures of plant populations inside forest fragments.

Nonconstituent species in soil seed banks as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in forest fragments

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2300-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luxiang Lin ◽  
Min Cao ◽  
Yongtao He ◽  
Jerry M Baskin ◽  
Carol C Baskin
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Southwestern China ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Continuous Forest

Forest fragmentation is prevalent in regions with high human population density, but also with high biological diversity, such as southwestern China. Predicting potential changes in species composition in native forest ecosystems resulting from forest fragmentation is an important approach in assessing forest ecosystems and sustainable management of forests. The term nonconstituent species is proposed for plant species that occur in a natural landscape but are not native to it. We hypothesized that fragmentation of continuous forests significantly increases both the richness and the size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species. To test our hypothesis we compared soil seed banks in three small fragments and one large tract of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. In total, 249 species were identified in all soil samples from the four sites. Nonconstituent species represented 36.4%–61.5% of the total taxa and 33.8%–59.6% of total germinants from soil samples in the three forest fragments, but only 3.7%–7.9% of total taxa and 7.5%–9.4% of total germinants from soil samples in the continuous forest tract. Both richness and size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species were greater under forest fragments than under continuous forest. A majority of nonconstituent species were native weeds and annual herbs with wind-dispersed seeds; most were present in soil seed banks but not in aboveground vegetation. We suggest that nonconstituent species in soil seed banks could be used as an indicator species group for assessing human disturbance. If so, the richness and size of soil seed banks of nonconstituent species could play an important role in quantifying disturbance in forests.

Continuous forest has greater taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity than an adjacent naturally fragmented forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas ◽  
Selmy G. Jurado-Dzib ◽  
Candy R. Mezeta-Cob ◽  
Salvador Montiel ◽  
Armando Rojas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Fragmented Forest ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Abstract:Several studies have evaluated the short-term effects of tropical forest fragmentation on plant taxonomic diversity, while only a few have evaluated its effects on functional or phylogenetic diversity. To our knowledge no study has looked at the long-term consequences of tropical forest fragmentation on the three main components of plant diversity simultaneously: taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. We sampled the vascular flora using belt transects (50 × 4 m) in a continuous tropical semi-evergreen forest (16 transects) and in an adjacent naturally fragmented forest (fragments of 1.7-My-old semi-evergreen forest immersed in a mangrove/sedge matrix) (18 transects), and compared their taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity. There were 36 species in the continuous forest and 28 in the fragmented forest. Continuous forest was taxonomically more diverse (25%) than the fragmented forest. All functional diversity metrics were greater (6–33%) in the continuous than in the fragmented forest. Phylogenetic diversity was 19% greater and phylogenetically more overdispersed in the continuous forest than in the fragmented forest. The results suggest that in the fragmented forest not only is taxonomic plant diversity lower, but functional and phylogenetic diversity are as well. The negative effects of forest fragmentation on plant diversity seem to be chronic.

scholarly journals Effects of Forest Fragmentation on the Vertical Stratification of Neotropical Bats

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Silva ◽  
Ricardo Rocha ◽  
Adrià López-Baucells ◽  
Fábio Z. Farneda ◽  
Christoph F. J. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Vertical Stratification ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Forest Strata ◽  
Neotropical Bats ◽  
Artibeus Lituratus

Vertical stratification is a key component of the biological complexity of rainforests. Understanding community- and species-level responses to disturbance across forest strata is paramount for evidence-based conservation and management. However, even for bats, known to extensively explore multiple layers of the complex three-dimensional forest space, studies are biased towards understory-based surveys and only few assessments of vertical stratification were done in fragmented landscapes. Using both ground and canopy mist-nets, we investigated how the vertical structure of bat assemblages is influenced by forest fragmentation in the experimentally fragmented landscape of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Central Amazon, Brazil. Over a three year-period, we captured 3077 individuals of 46 species in continuous forest (CF) and in 1, 10 and 100 ha forest fragments. In both CF and forest fragments, the upper forest strata sustained more diverse bat assemblages than the equivalent understory layer, and the midstory layers had significantly higher bat abundance in fragments than in CF. Artibeus lituratus and Rhinophylla pumilio exhibited significant shifts in their vertical stratification patterns between CF and fragments (e.g., R. pumilio was more associated with the upper strata in fragments than in CF). Altogether, our study suggests that fragmentation modulates the vertical stratification of bat assemblages.

Habitat fragmentation and haemoparasites in the common fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis (Phyllostomidae) in a tropical lowland forest in Panamá

Parasitology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 136 (10) ◽  
pp. 1133-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. M. COTTONTAIL ◽  
N. WELLINGHAUSEN ◽  
E. K. V. KALKO
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Tropical Lowland ◽  
Fruit Bat ◽  
Artibeus Jamaicensis ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Tropical Lowland Forest ◽  
The Common

SUMMARYAnthropogenic influence on ecosystems, such as habitat fragmentation, impacts species diversity and interactions. There is growing evidence that degradation of habitats favours disease and hence affects ecosystem health. The prevalence of haemoparasites in the Common Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) in a tropical lowland forest in Panamá was studied. We assessed the relation of haemoparasite to the general condition of the animals and tested for possible association of haemoparasite prevalence to habitat fragmentation, with special focus on trypanosomes. Overall, a total of 250 A. jamaicensis sampled from fragmented sites, here man-made, forested islands in Lake Gatùn, and sites in the adjacent, continuous forest in and around the Barro Colorado Nature Monument were examined. Using microscopy and DNA-sequencing 2 dominant types of haemoparasite infections, trypanosomes and Litomosoides (Nematoda) were identified. Trypanosome prevalence was significantly higher in bats from forest fragments, than in bats captured in continuous forest. We attribute this to the loss of species richness in forest fragments and specific characteristics of the fragments favouring trypanosome transmission, in particular changes in vegetation cover. Interestingly, the effect of habitat fragmentation on the prevalence of trypanosomes as multi-host parasites could not be observed in Litomosoides which probably has a higher host specificity and might be affected less by overall diversity loss.

scholarly journals Bird species that occupy river edge in continuous forest tend to be less sensitive to forest fragmentation

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-186
Author(s):  
Barbara Rocha Arakaki Lindsey ◽  
Gabriela Menezes Bochio ◽  
Luiz dos Anjos
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Small Stream ◽  
Edge Habitat ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractAlong a distance gradient from a given river, two types of habitat can be recognized: natural river edge and forest interior, each one with its own vegetation characteristics and dynamics. In a continuous area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we investigated (1) if bird communities are different between a riverbank of a small stream and an inland forest habitat; (2) if the species of the river edge habitat are the ones that persist in the most in forest fragments after deforestation of a continuous forest; (3) if the river edge habitat species are those that are less sensitive to forest fragmentation. It is expected that there are differences in the bird communities and the occupancy of some species between the two habitats. We allocated 16 sampling points in each of the habitats and sampled the birds by point counts with a short radius of 30 m. Results suggest that there is a significant difference between the composition of the bird communities of the river edge and forest interior habitats, although the species richness is similar. Six species were more likely to occupy the river edge and 14 species had a greater probability of occupancy in the forest interior. Species associated with the river edge habitat (15 species) tend not to be sensitive to forest fragmentation (12 species). In this study, we demonstrated that river-border species of continuous forest areas form a significant part of the bird communities that persist in small forest fragments, with intense edge effect. This shows that not all forest edge species are the result of the colonization from open areas. Congruently, species that occupy the most distant areas from the river vegetation in a continuous forest are those more sensitive to forest fragmentation.

scholarly journals Avian responses to fragmentation of the Maulino Forest in central Chile

Oryx ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo M. Vergara ◽  
Javier A. Simonetti
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Maulino Forest

Depending on the mosaic of habitats that is created, forest fragmentation can reduce the abundance and diversity of forest birds. Temperate deciduous forests in South America are rapidly being replaced by pine plantations, causing changes in habitats for both breeding and migrant birds. We examined differences in avian species richness and abundance in three areas: a reserve with continuous tracts of native forest, forest fragments and pine plantations. Four species were negatively affected by fragmentation, with their abundance declining from continuous forest to pine plantations. Fourteen species were not affected by fragmentation and eight had significantly increased abundance in pine plantations compared to continuous forest. Overall abundance in pooled and ground/understorey birds was higher in forest fragments and pine plantations compared to continuous forest. The abundance of granivorous species was higher in the pine plantations than in the forest reserve, but the abundance of insectivorous species was higher in the forest reserve and in forest fragments than in pine plantations. Thus, forest fragmentation affects birds differentially according to their feeding ecology.

scholarly journals Effects of fragmentation on Thamnophilus stictocephalus (aves, Thamnophilidae) in semideciduous forest of Alter-do-Chão, Pará

2005 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Dantas ◽  
T. M. Sanaiotti ◽  
A. L. K. M. Albernaz
Keyword(s):  
Relative Density ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
The Other ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Biomass Density ◽  
Semideciduous Forest ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Fragmentation Processes

Effects of fragmentation on biodiversity have received much attention in recent decades, as fragmentation can greatly reduce viable areas for living organisms. We studied its effect on Thamnophilus stictocephalus (Thamnophilidae), an understory bird, in semideciduous forest fragments in Alter-do-Chão, Santarém, Pará. We tested whether the density of Thamnophilus stictocephalus was a function of fragment size and shape, density of vegetation, or arthropod biomass. Density of Thamnophilus was positively related to fragment size, but not to the other factors analyzed. Arthropod biomass was positively related to fragment size. The density of T. stictocephalus in fragments was significantly higher than it was in continuous forest. Fragmentation processes had a pronounced effect on the relative density of T. stictocephalus.

scholarly journals The persistence of ant-following birds in small amazonian forest fragments

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (0) ◽  
pp. 249-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee H. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Ant Colonies ◽  
Amazonian Forest ◽  
Army Ant ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Introduced Birds ◽  
Small Forest

SUMMARYMist-net captures of army ant-following bird were monitored during the isolation of central Amazonian forest fragments of 1 ha (n = 5), 10 ha (n = 4) and 100 ha (n = 1). Post-isolation captures of the three obligate ant-following birds Dendrocinela merula, Pithys albifrons, and Gymnopithys rufigula decreased significantly in all fragments. post-isolation captures of four facultative ant-following species were not significantly different in forest fragments of 1 ha and 10 ha, although two species decreased significantly in the 100 ha fragment. Experimental introductions of obligate species into small forest fragments in the absence and presence of introduced Eciton burchelli army ant colonies resulted in significantly greater recaptures of introduced birds when active army ant colonies were present. Of the 105 birds introduced, 58 ' 55%) crossed 100-320 m od dedorested area an were recaptured in continuous forest.

scholarly journals Distribution of Atta (Hymenoptera - Formicidae) in "terra-firme" rain forest of Central Amazonia: density, species composition and preliminary results on effects of forest fragmentation

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heraldo Luís de Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Terra Firme ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Leaf Cutting

One hundred and fourteen hectares of a "terra-fiirme" rain forest 70 km north of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, were surveyed for leaf-cutting ant colonies (Atta spp). One half of this area was in isolated forest fragments (surrounded by pastures or second growth) of two sizes: 1 and 10 ha. The other half was in non-isolated fragments (connected to a large parch of forest) of the same sizes. Only two species occured in this forest: Atta sexdens sexdens L. and A. cepfhalotes L. The first was the most abundant species with a mean density of 0.35 colonies per ha. The mean density of A. cephalotes colonies was 0.03 per ha. The density of colonies was not significantly different between the isolated fragments and the continuous forest. Furthermore, the species composition did not change with isolation. However, pre-isolation data and long term monitoring are necessary to conclude that the isolation of a forest fragment has no effect upon Atta colonies. The non-uniform spatial distribution of Atta colonics within the "terra-firme" forest must be taken into account when selecting conservation areas in the Amazon, in order to preserve this important group of ants together with their native habitat.

scholarly journals Forest fragmentation in the landscape in the Atlantic Forest Biome: A systematic review of the literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephany Diolino Cunha ◽  
Bruna Sampaio Crivilin ◽  
Matheus da Silva Araújo ◽  
Luís Antônio Coimbra Borges
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Landscape Ecology ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Forest Biome ◽  
Degree Of Fragmentation

Forest fragmentation is defined as the process by which a continuous area of habitat is reduced in size and divided between spaces. Therefore, due to the increase in these areas, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on forest fragments in the Atlantic Forest biome in order to verify their main characteristics and landscape ecology. Publications in search platforms referring to the period from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed such as: SciELO, Google academic and CAPES journals portal. The search terms entered were: “Studies of forest fragments in the Atlantic Forest biome” and “Landscape ecology in forest fragments”. A total of 15 articles were selected from among the works found, and 5 of these were chosen to be evaluated in the present study. Four of the five works were carried out in the state of Espírito Santo, close to basins and sub-basins, and only one work was carried out in a state park. Thus, the evaluated works with the theme, study of fragmentation and ecology of the landscape showed a high degree of fragmentation, meaning that they have fragments smaller than 5 hectares; in addition, all fragments have an irregular edge effect. Therefore, measures aimed at the conservation of biodiversity are needed in all places so that there is ecological restoration of the landscape and conservation of fauna and flora in the Atlantic Forest biome. 

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