Conservation Value of Remnant Riparian Forest Corridors of Varying Quality for Amazonian Birds and Mammals

• Published in: Conservation biology 2008-04, Vol.22 (2), p.439-449
• Main Authors: LEES, ALEXANDER C., PERES, CARLOS A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amazonia; Analysis of Variance; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Aves; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biology; Birds; Birds - physiology; bosque ripario; bosque tropical; Brazil; calidad de hábitat; conectividad dehábitat; Conservation; Conservation biology; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; corredores para vida Silvestre; Ecosystem; Environmental policy; Forest conservation; Forest habitats; Forestry; Forests; fragmentación de hábitat; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; habitat connectivity; Habitat conservation; Habitat corridors; habitat fragmentation; habitat quality; Mammals; Mammals - physiology; Old growth forests; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Population Dynamics; Research methodology; Riparian ecology; riparian forest; Riparian forests; Species; Species Specificity; Trees; tropical forest; wildlife corridors
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00870.x

Forest corridors are often considered the main instrument with which to offset the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Brazilian forestry legislation requires that all riparian zones on private landholdings be maintained as permanent reserves and sets fixed minimum widths of riparian forest buffers to be retained alongside rivers and perennial streams. We investigated the effects of corridor width and degradation status of 37 riparian forest sites (including 24 corridors connected to large source-forest patches, 8 unconnected forest corridors, and 5 control riparian zones embedded within continuous forest patches) on bird and mammal species richness in a hyper-fragmented forest landscape surrounding Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil. We used point-count and track-sampling methodology, coupled with an intensive forest-quality assessment that combined satellite imagery and ground truthed data. Vertebrate use of corridors was highly species-specific, but broad trends emerged depending on species life histories and their sensitivity to disturbance. Narrow and/or highly disturbed riparian corridors retained only a depauperate vertebrate assemblage that was typical of deforested habitats, whereas wide, well-preserved corridors retained a nearly complete species assemblage. Restriction of livestock movement along riparian buffers and their exclusion from key areas alongside deforested streams would permit corridor regeneration and facilitate restoration of connectivity /// Los corredores forestales a menudo son considerados el principal instrumento mediante el cual se atenúan los efectos de la pérdida y fragmentación del hábitat. La legislación silvícola brasileña requiere que todas las zonas riparias en terrenos privados sean mantenidas como reservas permanentes y define anchura mínima de los bosques riparios amortiguadores que deben ser retenidos a lo largo de ríos y arroyos permanentes. Investigamos los efectos de la anchura y del estatus degradación del corredor en 37 sitios forestales riparios (incluyendo 24 corredores conectados a parches forestales extensos, 8 corredores forestales no conectados y 5 zonas riparias control embebidas en parches de bosque continuos) sobre la riqueza de aves y de mamíferos en un paisaje forestal hiperfragmentado en Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Utilizamos métodos de conteo por puntos y muestreo de huellas, además de una evaluación intensiva de la calidad del bosque que combinó imágenes de satélite y datos de veri