Vulture Abundance and Habitat Association Following Major Hurricane Disturbance in the Tropical Dry Forest of Western Mexico

Abstract:Few reports have described the relationship between the distribution of frugivorous birds and vegetation successional changes in dry forests. We assessed the abundance and behaviour of frugivorous birds in early, intermediate and mature dry forests in the Balsas river basin, Guerrero, Mexico. We selected nine dry-forest fragments, three fragments per stage, in these three stages of succession. We analysed the vegetation, estimated bird abundances in 10-min count periods, and recorded the way birds process fruits in circular plots (11–15 plots per fragment, 123 plots in total). Birds were classified as seed predators (15% of all individuals in this study), pulp consumers (15%) or legitimate dispersers (70%). Bird abundance was higher in mature forests in the dry season, while abundance and richness of legitimate dispersers and seed predators were positively related to vegetation complexity. Mature forests have a high vegetation complexity and a high cover ofBurseraspecies that produce fruit during the dry season. During the rains, abundance was higher in early-successional sites when the zoochorous plants produced fruit. Legitimate disperser migrants (i.e.Tyrannus vociferans, Myiarchus cinerascensandM. tyrannulus) were widespread, helping the establishment of zoochorous trees such asBurseraspp. in early-successional forests.

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Litter and soil arthropods diversity and density in a tropical dry forest ecosystem in Western Mexico

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-006-9109-7 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 16 (13) ◽

pp. 3703-3717 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

J. G. Palacios-Vargas ◽

G. Castaño-Meneses ◽

J. A. Gómez-Anaya ◽

A. Martínez-Yrizar ◽

B. E. Mejía-Recamier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Ecosystem ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Soil Arthropods ◽

Western Mexico

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Riparian Areas and Conservation of Herpetofauna in a Tropical Dry Forest in Western Mexico

Biotropica ◽

10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00677.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 237-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ireri Suazo-Ortuño ◽

Javier Alvarado-Díaz ◽

Miguel Martínez-Ramos

Keyword(s):

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Riparian Areas ◽

Western Mexico

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Behavioral responses to seasonality by two Sceloporine lizard species from a tropical dry forest

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/157075610x12610595764291 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 97-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Marciano Valtierra-Azotla ◽

Bradford Lister ◽

Andrés García

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Changes ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Behavioral Responses ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Behavioral Strategies ◽

Lizard Species ◽

Western Mexico ◽

Dry Seasons ◽

Resource Levels

AbstractWe investigated behavioral responses of two lizards, Sceloporus melanorhinus and S. utiformis, to environmental seasonality in a tropical dry forest of western Mexico. We conducted focal observations of individuals in the field during both the rainy and dry seasons and compared perch use, foraging and social behaviors and displacement activity within and between species. Our results indicate that seasonal changes occur in the behavior and activity of both male and female S. melanorhinus and S. utiformis. Feeding frequency, social displays, and distances travelled increased significantly in both species during the rainy season. These seasonal changes tended to be more pronounced in the arboreal species; S. melanorhinus. Surprisingly, female S. melanorhinus perched higher than males during the rainy season. Most of the observed changes are similar to the responses to seasonality observed in other lizards, both for species that exist within our study area, and for species that inhabit other seasonal environments in tropical and temperate ecosystems. Thus, the seasonal patterns in behavior documented in this study may represent a general set of behavioral strategies that allow lizards to better adapt to seasonal fluctuations in their environment, such as changes in predation pressure, variation in resource levels, and differences in insolation, temperature, and moisture levels.

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