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

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.

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjali Kumar ◽  
Sean O'Donnell

Army ants (Formicidae: Ecitoninae) are top predators in neotropical forests. Army ant raids support a community of diverse organisms, including birds that attend the raids to collect prey. While elevation and forest fragmentation influence army ant and insectivorous bird communities, their effects on the interaction between army ants and bird species is unknown. We studied the size and species composition of bird flocks attending army ant swarms in forest fragments and continuous forest across an elevational gradient (1100–1680 m asl) in a neotropical montane region (Monteverde, Costa Rica). We observed a total of 41 bird species attending army ant swarms. Neither the number of birds, nor the total body mass of birds, nor the number of bird species in attending bird flocks was related to elevation. However, we found a higher bird species richness, larger flock size and greater total body mass of birds attending army ant swarms in continuous forest. Continuous and fragmented forest shared many attending bird species in common, but there was elevational segregation of attending bird species. Some montane endemic birds, and neotropical migrants, attend swarms regularly and use army ant raids as a food source.


1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (0) ◽  
pp. 215-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard O. Bierregaard Jr ◽  
Thomas Ε. Lovejoy

SUMMARYData form an intensive mist-netting mark-recapture program in the central Amazon demostrate significant changes in the undesrtory avian community in isolate patches of 1 and 10 ha of terra firme forest. Following isolation, capture rates increase significantly as birds fleeing the felled forest entered the. newly formed forest fragments. Movement to and from the reserve is restricted, as witnessed by an increase in recapture percentages following isolation. Species of birds that axe. obligate army ant followers disappeared at the time the surrounding habitat was removed from 1 - and 10 - ha areas. The complex mixed-species insectivorous flocks typical of Amazonian forests deteriorated within 2 years of isolation of 1 - and 10 - ha forest fragments. Several species of mid-story insectivores changed their foraging behavior after isolation of small forest reserves.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5047 (5) ◽  
pp. 531-546
Author(s):  
GIOVANNI A. CHAVES-PORTILLA ◽  
ERIKA NATHALIA SALAZAR ◽  
JOSÉ GIL-ACERO ◽  
ADRIANA DORADO-CORREA ◽  
ROBERTO MÁRQUEZ ◽  
...  

A new species of Andinobates (Dendrobatidae) is described from the East Andes of Colombia, just 37 km away from the Colombian capital, Bogotá. Andinobates supata sp. nov., represents the second known species of yellow Andinobates, and can be distinguished from the other, Andinobates tolimensis, by an unique combination of ventral and dorsal color patterns. Our phylogenetic analyses, based on ≈ 1120 bp from two mitochondrial markers (16S rRNA and cytochrome b) showed that this new taxon is sister to a clade formed by A. cassidyhornae, A. bombetes, A. opisthomelas, A. tolimensis and A. virolinensis. The new species appears to be restricted to a handful of small forest fragments (<10 ha) distributed in no more than 5 km2, between 1800–2000 m elevation, where the human activity is high. In addition, more than 90% of the original forest has been logged at the type locality, and its watersheds receive considerable agrochemical discharges. Altogether, the evidence suggests that this new species should be listed as Critically Endangered and should receive immediate attention regarding basic research and urgent conservation measures.  


1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 309-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heraldo Luís de Vasconcelos

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.


Sociobiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 5861
Author(s):  
Ana Isabel Sobreiro ◽  
Lucas Lopes da Silveira Peres ◽  
Jessica Amaral Henrique ◽  
Rosilda Mara Mussury ◽  
Valter Vieira Alves-Junior

Forest habitats are important sources of food and nesting resources for pollinators, primarily in urban areas and landscapes with intense agricultural activity. The forest fragmentation and environmental changes occurring in these green refuges are known to impose survival challenges to pollinating bees, leading to species loss. However, it is not well known how the species of bees that visit flowers are distributed in forest micro-environments. To fill this gap, we sampled flower visiting bees in a continuous forest matrix with micro-environments of two forest types (mature and regenerating forest). We examined how the local environmental changes and climatic conditions affect the composition and uniformity of bee communities in the different micro-environments. Our results indicated that both abundance and richness were similar between forest types studied here, however climatic conditions and plant flowering patterns affect the composition of bees. Thus, our results demonstrated that the continuous micro-environments can favor floral visits and the reintegration of bee communities, and still, that this strategy can be used to minimize the impacts of environmental changes at local scales.


1998 ◽  
Vol 282 (5394) ◽  
pp. 1611a-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cowles;

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 291-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony B. Rylands ◽  
Alexine Keuroghlian

Population densities of six primate species (Saguinus midas, Pithecia pithecia, Cebus apella, Chiropotes satanas, Alouatta seniculus and Ateles paniscus) were estimated in continuous forest and in isolated reserves (one of 100 ha and four of 10 ha). Saguinusdensities in the continuous forest were found to be low, probably due to the lack of edge habitat and second growth favoured by them; Pithecia, Cebus and Ateles populations are also low, possibly because of more widely distributed and/or less abundant food sources than is true for other Amazonian regions, although hunting in the past, particularly of Ateles may also be a contributing factor; and Chiropotes and Alouatta densities were found to be similar to those observed in other areas of Amazonas forests. Ateles and Chiropotes, which occupy ranges on the order of three km2 were excluded from the 100-ka reserve at the time of its isolation. Unfortunately populations were not known prior to isolation of this reserve but during isolation there remained four groups of Saguinus, two Pitheciagroups, one Cebus groups and five Alouatta groups. One Saguinus group disappeared two months later, and one year post-isolation the Cebus group also left the reserve. Single Alouatta groups survive in the isolated 10-ha reserves. Saguinus, present in the four 10-ha reserves following isolation, have disappeared from two of them. One 10-ha reserve retains a group of Pithecia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarita B. Fáveri ◽  
Heraldo L. Vasconcelos ◽  
Rodolfo Dirzo

Abstract:We evaluated the effects of forest fragmentation on herbivory on central Amazonian trees. Levels of herbivory were measured on leaves from a total of 1200 saplings from 337 species. There was a positive and significant effect of forest fragment area on herbivore damage, with plants from continuous forest having twice as much damage as plants in the smallest fragments studied (1 ha). Measurements of herbivory rates on two species, however, indicate that the effect can be species-specific. Forest area had a positive and linear effect on rates of herbivory in Henriettella caudata (Melastomataceae), whereas in Protium hebetatum (Burseraceae), rates of herbivory were greater in the 10-ha fragments than in the 1-ha fragments and in continuous forest. There is no evidence that the nutritional and defensive characteristics of the leaves of the species we studied changed as a result of forest fragmentation, at least not in a manner consistent with the observed herbivory patterns. Herbivore predation levels, measured with artificial caterpillars, also showed no significant relationship with forest area. Therefore, neither of these top-down and bottom-up forces could explain the observed patterns of herbivory. It is suggested, instead, that forest fragmentation may affect the dispersal of insect herbivores, and reduce their abundances on small forest isolates. Altered patterns of herbivory on tree saplings may have important consequences for forest structure and dynamics.


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