Translating plant community responses to habitat loss into conservation practices: Forest cover matters

Benchimol, Maíra; Mariano‐Neto, Eduardo; Faria, Deborah; Rocha‐Santos, Larissa; Pessoa, Michaele S.; Gomes, Francisco Sanches; Talora, Daniela Custódio; Cazetta, Eliana

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.03.024

Cited by 48 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…We then assessed four models that describe the relationship between each phylogenetic metric (separately assessing the complete community, forest birds and non‐forest birds) and forest cover: (1) a null model, (2) a linear model, (3) a nonlinear model represented by the power law model and (4) an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model. We used the power law model because: (1) it was consistent with some patterns we observed in a visual inspection of the scatter plots; and (2) this model has been widely used to investigate nonlinear relationships in fragmented tropical forests (Benchimol et al., ; Pessoa et al., ; Rybicki & Hanski, ). In the ANCOVA model, we included the effect of the region (i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…We then assessed four models that describe the relationship be- model. We used the power law model because: (1) it was consistent with some patterns we observed in a visual inspection of the scatter plots; and (2) this model has been widely used to investigate nonlinear relationships in fragmented tropical forests (Benchimol et al, 2017;Pessoa et al, 2017;Rybicki & Hanski, 2013). In the ANCOVA model, we included the effect of the region (i.e.…”

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Forest loss and disturbance have been particularly extensive and accelerated in the tropics (Hansen et al, 2013), and are considered significant predictors of biodiversity patterns in modified tropical landscapes (Fahrig, 2013). Both linear and nonlinear positive associations between landscape-scale forest cover and different diversity metrics have been reported in different taxa (Arroyo-Rodríguez, González-Perez, Garmendia, Solà, & Estrada, 2013;Banks-Leite et al, 2014;Benchimol et al, 2017;Morante-Filho, Faria, Mariano-Neto, & Rhodes, 2015). Forest loss can actually have a stronger negative impact on species diversity than forest fragmentation per se (Fahrig, 2003), as it is positively related to habitat amount and connectivity, especially for forest-dwelling species (Fahrig, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compensatory dynamics maintain bird phylogenetic diversity in fragmented tropical landscapes

Morante‐Filho

Arroyo‐Rodríguez

Andrade

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Abstract1. Tropical forest loss can drive the extinction of forest-dependent species. Yet, nonforest species can proliferate in deforested landscapes, thus enabling communitylevel attributes (e.g. total abundance and richness) to be maintained in the remaining forest patches. Such compensatory dynamics have been, however, poorly investigated regarding the phylogenetic dimension of species diversity. Here, we assessed whether compensatory dynamics can stabilize the phylogenetic richness, divergence and structure of bird communities in response to forest loss in two regions in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, each under with different levels of land use intensification.2. We surveyed birds in 40 forest sites, and assessed the response of five phylogenetic metrics to forest cover measured in local (600-m radius) landscapes. We separately assessed the entire community, forest-dependent and non-forest-dependent species and used information-theoretic criteria to assess the effect of forest cover on each response variable. In particular, we evaluated the plausibility of four models: a null model (no effect of forest cover), a linear model, a power law model (nonlinear effect) and an analysis of covariance model (to assess whether the effect of forest cover differed between regions).3. Forest cover varied from 7% to 98%, and was positively related to the phylogenetic richness of forest-dependent species, but negatively related to the phylogenetic richness and divergence of non-forest birds, particularly in the more disturbed region. As consequence, the phylogenetic richness and divergence of the entire community were weakly related to forest cover.4. Forest birds were less phylogenetically clustered in sites surrounded by lower forest cover, but the phylogenetic structure of non-forest birds was independent of forest cover. Synthesis and applications.The phylogenetic impoverishment of forest-dependent birds is offset by the phylogenetic enrichment and divergence of non-forestdependent birds in severely tropical deforested landscapes. These compensatory dynamics suggest that both bird groups are important for safeguarding bird evolutionary diversity in human-modified landscapes. Although deforested landscapes are reservoirs of bird phylogenetic diversity, suggesting that ecosystem functioning may be maintained in these sites, preventing further deforestation is urgently needed to preserve forest birds and their key ecological roles in the ecosystem. | 257Journal of Applied Ecology MORANTE-FILHO ET AL. Although the changes in bird phylogenetic diversity in humanmodified tropical landscapes are poorly understood, there is evidence that wildlife-friendly farms (i.e. those that involve integrating biodiversity conservation and food production in the same land, Melo et al., 2013) show lower bird phylogenetic diversity than old-growth forests, and that forest patch isolation leads to the loss of more evolutionarily distinct bird species (Edwards et al., 2015). Bird phylogenetic diversity is, however, higher in diversified agricu...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Compensatory dynamics maintain bird phylogenetic diversity in fragmented tropical landscapes

Morante‐Filho

Arroyo‐Rodríguez

Andrade

et al. 2017

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…All sites were located in forest patches (>3 ha) isolated from each other by an anthropogenic matrix dominated by shade cacao plantations, rubber tree and Eucalyptus plantations, and cattle pastures. Sites also showed similar soil, topography, and floristic characteristics (Benchimol et al 2017). Then, we randomly selected 20 forest sites (Fig.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct and Cascading Effects of Landscape Structure on Tropical Forest and Non‐forest Frugivorous Birds

Morante‐Filho¹,

Arroyo‐Rodríguez²,

Pessoa³

et al. 2019

Bulletin Ecologic Soc America

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Global biodiversity is increasingly threatened by land-use change, but the direct and indirect drivers of species diversity in human-modified tropical landscapes are poorly known. Forestdependent species are expected to be particularly sensitive to changes in landscape composition (e.g., forest loss) and configuration (e.g., increase of forest edges), both directly and indirectly through cascading landscape effects on local patterns of forest structure and resource availability. In contrast, non-forest-dependent species are probably more strongly related to landscape changes than to local forest patterns, as these species are able to use resources not only from the forest, but also from other landscape elements over larger spatial scales. We tested these hypotheses using structural equation modeling. In particular, we sampled 20 landscapes (115 ha each) from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest to assess the effect of landscape-scale forest cover and amount of forest edges on the diversity of frugivorous birds, both directly and indirectly through the effect that these landscape variables may have on vegetation complexity and fruit biomass. We separately assessed the response of forest-dependent and non-forest-dependent frugivores to infer potential mechanisms underlying bird assemblages in fragmented landscapes. The diversity of forest-dependent birds mainly decreased with the simplification of vegetation complexity in more deforested landscapes, but increased with increasing fruit biomass in more forested landscapes (indirect effects). Both patterns were significant, thus supporting a strong bottom-up control, i.e., local habitat simplification and resource scarcity in highly deforested landscapes limits the maintenance of forest-dependent birds. Conversely, but as expected, non-forestdependent birds were more strongly and directly related to landscape-scale patterns. In particular, landscapes with higher forest edge amount showed higher bird species diversity, probably because the increasing length of ecotones and interspersion/juxtaposition of different habitat types in landscapes with more forest edges can increase resource availability and foraging efficiency of non-forest-dependent birds. As the seed dispersal services offered by forest-dependent species cannot be ecologically compensated for by the proliferation of non-forest-dependent species, preventing forest loss is imperative to maintain forest-dependent birds and forest regeneration in this vanishing biodiversity hotspot.

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“…Yet several studies have clearly emphasized the importance of also considering the spatial arrangement of forest fragments and habitat quality. For instance, the percentage of surrounding habitat within the landscape has been widely considered as a good predictor of species diversity for several vertebrate and floristic groups (Andrén, 1994;Morante-Filho et al, 2015;Benchimol et al, 2017), and the dominant role of habitat amount has been suggested when species richness is measured at sample sites (Fahrig, 2013; but see Bueno & Peres 2019). Thus, combining different patch and landscape metrics are likely to provide a better understanding on the effects of habitat fragmentation on the diversity patterns of harvestmen assemblages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marked compositional changes in harvestmen assemblages in Amazonian forest islands induced by a mega dam

Tourinho

Benchimol

Porto

et al. 2019

Preprint

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1. Mega hydroelectric dams have become one of the main drivers of habitat loss in tropical forests, converting large tracts of pristine forests into isolated forest islands.Understanding how biodiversity cope with landscape modification in these archipelagic landscapes is of paramount importance to assess the environmental consequences of dam infrastructure and propose mitigation actions for biodiversity conservation. In this context, harvestmen (Opiliones, Arachnida) comprise an excellent indicator taxon of habitat quality, given their high sensitivity to desiccation and microclimatic change.2. We investigate the effects of landscape change induced by a mega hydropower dam on forest harvestmen species richness, abundance and composition within the Balbina Hydroelectric Dam, Central Brazilian Amazon. We sampled 20 islands and five mainland continuous forests, relating our biological response variables to local, patch and landscape scale metrics.3. Although unexpectedly species richness was unaffected by any local, patch and landscape variables, species composition and abundance were differentially affected by a set of predictor variables at different scales. Forest cover and fallen woody stems were significant predictors of patterns of species composition, whereas vegetation density, forest cover, island area, abundance of palm trees, and fallen woody stems best explained harvestmen abundance. 4.Our results indicate that both islands embedded within greater and lower amount of forest cover are important to ensure high diversity of harvestmen. We recommend retaining large forest habitat patches surrounded by a large amount of forest cover to minimize forest disturbance effects and enhance long-term persistence of harvestmen sensitive species in large hydroelectric dams. Neto 41.59 237861 9796638 4 5

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Translating plant community responses to habitat loss into conservation practices: Forest cover matters

Cited by 48 publications

References 61 publications

Compensatory dynamics maintain bird phylogenetic diversity in fragmented tropical landscapes

Compensatory dynamics maintain bird phylogenetic diversity in fragmented tropical landscapes

Direct and Cascading Effects of Landscape Structure on Tropical Forest and Non‐forest Frugivorous Birds

Marked compositional changes in harvestmen assemblages in Amazonian forest islands induced by a mega dam

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