Artificial perches increase bird-mediated seed rain in agricultural fallow area in southern Brazil

Abstract

Abstract. One of the main barriers to restoration is the arrival of diaspores in degraded areas. However, this process can be hampered in open areas without trees in the landscape. For that, artificial perches are used to attract and provide a landing area for avian seed dispersers, to enhance seed rain. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of the distance of artificial perches in relation to a forest fragment on the diversity and composition of seed rain in an agricultural fallow area, including alien invasive plant species. We also aimed to record and characterize the bird species that potentially act as seed dispersers. Thus, we used artificial perches at three different distances from a forest fragment (5, 25, and 50 m). Four seed traps were arranged under the perches at each distance, and four control seed traps were interspersed with these and distanced at 7.5 m. Furthermore, we placed four seed traps inside the forest fragment at 5 m from the edge. We also carried out 80 h of focal observation of the avifauna that used artificial perches. A total of 24 655 seeds were sampled across all treatments. There was a significant difference in seed abundance and richness between artificial perches, control seed traps, and forest seed traps. Seed deposition increased with distance from the forest fragment (50, 25, and 5 m). An ordination procedure indicated the formation of three plant seed communities, with the forest community being most distinct. The invasive exotic species Pittosporum undulatum (Australian cheesewood) was the third most abundant in the seed rain. We observed 24 bird species from 12 families using artificial perches. The Tyrannidae family was the most represented. We showed that artificial perches are efficient structures for attracting birds, increasing the richness and abundance of seed species. Artificial perches at 25 and 50 m were more efficient possibly due to the provision of greater visibility for birds. Therefore, artificial perches are efficient in increasing seed rain in the fallow area but should be used with caution in landscapes with the presence of alien species. These findings contribute to increasing knowledge about overcoming the first barrier to ecological restoration, which is the arrival of diaspores in degraded areas, and showing the importance of birds in this process.

Complementing seedling planting with nucleation techniques increases forest restoration potential in areas around bauxite mining

“…Artificial perches may have contributed to the increase in seed rain in SPN, since the arrangement of attractive structures for landing favors attracting birds (Alencar & Guilherme, 2020; Freitas et al, 2022). Furthermore, according to Alencar and Guilherme (2020), birds usually deposit seeds by regurgitation or defecation when they are perched, or soon after they start flying.…”

“…Furthermore, according to Alencar and Guilherme (2020), birds usually deposit seeds by regurgitation or defecation when they are perched, or soon after they start flying. In this sense, these structures function as springboards by providing shelter, rest, and foraging for birds (Freitas et al, 2022). A fauna monitoring study using camera traps and active searching for tracks and signs conducted by Fonseca and Martins, (2021) in the SPN area confirmed the use of artificial perches by avifauna and recorded the presence of many frugivorous species.…”

“…Restoration techniques may affect the soil seed bank differently, for example, nucleation techniques such as direct seeding and topsoil transposition introduce new propagules in the area under restoration and contribute to increasing species richness and including different life forms (e.g., herbaceous plants, shrubs, trees, and vines; Bechara et al, 2016; Fonseca, 2021). Artificial perches can increase seed rain (Freitas et al, 2022; Guidetti et al, 2022), while planting zoochoric seedling species can stimulate flora–fauna interactions and consequently enhance seed dispersal, especially in tropical regions where most trees are dispersed by animals (Coelho et al, 2022; Fonseca & Martins, 2021; Martins et al, 2022; Silva et al, 2019). Furthermore, the presence of native species strengthens the resilience potential of the soil seed bank, especially in the face of disturbances (Martins et al, 2021; Silva, Martins, & Balestrin, 2021).…”

¿Pueden las perchas artificiales atraer aves dispersoras de semillas en bosques secos de montaña disturbados?

“…En sitios disturbados dominados por pastizales antrópicos, las perchas artificiales resultaron más atractivas para la fauna dispersora conformada por tiránidos y córvidos que las perchas naturales. Al igual que en este estudio, otros trabajos experimentales en el Neotrópico reportaron que la familia más abundante en el uso de perchas artificiales fue Tyrannidae (Athiê and Dias 2016;Oliveira et al 2018;Castilhos de Freitas et al 2022). La mayoría de las especies que utilizaron perchas en sitios disturbados son especies de borde o generalistas de hábitat, y si bien son ocasionalmente frugívoras, no son necesariamente buenas dispersoras de especies vegetales de bosque.…”

Urban Vegetation: Anthropogenic Influences, Public Perceptions, and Wildlife Implications

“…In return, those insects help fertilize urban plants and ensure their propagation, a service particularly important for urban farms. No less important, urban birds provide essential dispersal services for fruiting plants [146], just as adding artificial perches can attract birds and enhance plant dispersal in restoration projects [147].…”