Influence of environmental variables on the distribution of Piciformes in the Ivaí river basin

Abstract

Birds occupy diverse habitats, and therefore the environmental gradient of the Atlantic Forest contributes to the distribution of species. In this sense, we sought to determine the structure of the Piciforme birds community in the Ivaí river basin, investigating spatial substitutions in the distribution of birds within the same genus and testing the influence of environmental characteristics on the distribution, in different vegetation types of the Atlantic Forest. Species occurrence data were obtained through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform (GBIF). The genera that presented substitution were Picumnus, Pteroglossus, Ramphastos and Veniliornis. The environmental characteristics tested were: climate, domain, designation, geomorphology, degradation and land use, obtained through data and Thematic Geospatial Information, from Instituto Água e Terra. The results obtained by the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that the vegetal typology is the main characteristic that determines the distribution of these species, as the variables that presented greater importance within the component.