Effects of forest fragmentation on birds of the cerrado region, Brazil

Abstract

Bird surveys were conducted through observations and mist-netting in six forest fragments in the cerrado region of central Brazil, to evaluate the effects of fragmentation on bird species richness and community composition. Smaller forest fragments had fewer species than larger fragments. The proportion of species in most foraging guilds did not change with forest size, except for that of granivores, which decreased as fragment size increased. The proportion of forest-dependent species increased significantly with increasing fragment size while that of semi-dependent species significantly decreased. Forest-dependent endemic birds, however, were not area sensitive, but appeared to be partially dependent on the flooded forests of the region. Conservation policies for the region should conserve both large and small forest fragments urgently, and flooded forests especially.