Species Limits and Natural History of Scytalopus tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), with Descriptions of the Ecuadorian Taxa, including Three New Species

Krabbe, Niels; Schulenberg, Thomas S.

doi:10.2307/40157527

Cited by 65 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Ecuadorian Tapaculos have short, round wings and only limited flight capacities; they do rarely fly distances longer than 3 m and move mainly by walking or hopping (Krabbe and Schulenberg 1997). In this study, we found wing shape to be related to forest size.…”

Section: Morphological Adaptations To Forest Fragmentationmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Study Species and Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The species was only discovered in 1990 (Krabbe and Schulenberg 1997) and is so far not well studied. It occurs in the undergrowth of mature forests and is very reluctant to cross even small areas of open habitat (Krabbe and Schulenberg 1997). Being practically unable to fly longer distances, Tapaculos move around by hopping or walking (Reid et al 2004, Castellón andSieving 2006).…”

Section: Study Species and Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Weights were determined on expert-opinion based on literature review and observations of the behavior of individuals. As Ecuadorian Tapaculos are reluctant to cross open habitats without forests (Krabbe and Schulenberg 1997), we assumed the costs for crossing open areas to be 100-fold higher than for dispersing through forests. Roads are known to represent a strong dispersal barrier for understory birds; even narrow, unpaved roads significantly reduce dispersal, while highways can even entirely block movement (Laurance et al 2004).…”

Section: Least-cost Paths and Isolation By Distancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of forest fragmentation on the morphological and genetic structure of a dispersal-limited, endangered bird species

Hermes¹,

Döpper²,

Schaefer³

et al. 2016

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Citation: Hermes C, Döpper A, Schaefer MH, Segelbacher G (2016) Effects of forest fragmentation on the morphological and genetic structure of a dispersal-limited, endangered bird species. Nature Conservation 16: 39-58. doi: 10.3897/ natureconservation. 16.10905 Abstract Throughout the tropics, pristine forests disappear at an alarming pace. This presents a severe threat to forest-dependent species. Especially dispersal-limited understory birds are affected by forest loss. We here explored the effects of habitat fragmentation on the genetic structure and the morphology of the Ecuadorian Tapaculo (Scytalopus robbinsi). This bird occurs only in a small range in the premontane cloud forests of southwestern Ecuador. The global population size is declining rapidly due to habitat loss and is currently estimated at only 3000 mature individuals. We caught a total of 28 Ecuadorian Tapaculos in forests of varying size in an area of about 40 km². From each bird, we took morphological measurements and a blood sample. This was used to develop a set of 10 species-specific microsatellite primers for genetic analysis and we found that the Ecuadorian Tapaculos display high levels of genetic diversity. Additionally, we identified dispersal corridors for the species across the landscape using a least-cost path analysis. Notably, we found that wing shape is related to forest size. Individuals in smaller fragments show adaptations of the wing morphology to enhanced mobility and better flight capacity. Our results suggest that the Ecuadorian Tapaculo may rapidly adapt its morphology to the level of habitat fragmentation. This potential can possibly mitigate the risk of local extinctions of the species due to human-caused forest loss and fragmentation.

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Section: Morphological Adaptations To Forest Fragmentationmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Study Species and Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Species and Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Least-cost Paths and Isolation By Distancementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Effects of forest fragmentation on the morphological and genetic structure of a dispersal-limited, endangered bird species

Hermes¹,

Döpper²,

Schaefer³

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is an important biogeographic pattern that was obscured by a mixture of greater and lesser degrees of geographic variation being treated at the same, subspecific level. Many Neotropical bird species comprise well-marked geographical forms, and our understanding of biogeography and diversification processes is likely to be enhanced by careful analyses of that variation, especially when disparate types of data (morphological, behavioral, genetic) are integrated , Bierregaard et al 1997, Krabbe and Schulenberg 1997, Robbins and Stiles 1999.…”

Section: Discussion Species Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian Speciation in the Pantepui: The Case of the Roraiman Antbird (Percnostola [Schistocichla] “Leucostigma” Saturata)

Braun

Isler

et al. 2005

Condor

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Abstract. We document the first records for Guyana of Roraiman Antbird (Percnostola [Schistocichla] ''leucostigma'' saturata), an endemic of the tepui highlands of southeastern Venezuela, northern Brazil and western Guyana. This form is well differentiated from nominate leucostigma (Spot-winged Antbird) of the Guianan lowlands in morphology, vocalizations, and genetics, and replaces it both altitudinally and ecologically. The two taxa are distributed parapatrically on the continuously forested northeastern slopes of the eastern tepuis, and they almost certainly come into contact, yet there is no evidence of intermediacy. We recommend that saturata be treated as a distinct species of Percnostola, and consider its' origin in the light of various models of speciation in the tepuis.

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Habitat requirements and population estimate of the endangered Ecuadorian TapaculoScytalopus robbinsi

Hermes

Jansen

Schaefer

2017

Bird Conservation International

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SummaryThe Chocó-Tumbesian region of western Ecuador is one of the 25 global biodiversity hotspots harbouring high numbers of endemic species, which are heavily threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Moreover, ongoing climate change in the tropics drives species uphill as lower-lying areas are becoming constantly drier. Such upslope movement can pose major challenges for less mobile species, such as understorey birds which are confined to mature forests and unable to cross habitat gaps. Consequently, these species are threatened by a combination of upslope range shifts and forest fragmentation. In our study, we investigated population numbers and habitat requirements of the Ecuadorian Tapaculo Scytalopus robbinsi, which is endemic to the premontane cloud forests of south-western Ecuador. Comparing the microhabitat structure within territories with control sites revealed that Ecuadorian Tapaculos prefer old secondary forests. Moreover, connectivity between forest fragments was the strongest predictor of the presence of territories within them. We estimated the mean upslope shift of the distribution range as 100 m per decade and developed a model of habitat availability for the revised range. Extrapolating the number of territories from the study area to the distributional range of the Ecuadorian Tapaculo showed that the global population size is smaller than previously assumed. Our results suggest that the Ecuadorian Tapaculo is strongly affected by forest loss and degradation. Therefore, to prevent a continuing decline in population numbers or even extinction, conservation measures focusing on restoring connectivity between fragments and increasing habitat quality and quantity for the remaining populations need to be prioritised.

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Species Limits and Natural History of Scytalopus tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), with Descriptions of the Ecuadorian Taxa, including Three New Species

Cited by 65 publications

References 11 publications

Effects of forest fragmentation on the morphological and genetic structure of a dispersal-limited, endangered bird species

Effects of forest fragmentation on the morphological and genetic structure of a dispersal-limited, endangered bird species

Avian Speciation in the Pantepui: The Case of the Roraiman Antbird (Percnostola [Schistocichla] “Leucostigma” Saturata)

Habitat requirements and population estimate of the endangered Ecuadorian TapaculoScytalopus robbinsi

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