Forest cover and environmental type shape functional diversity of
insectivorous birds within the Atlantic Forest
Abstract
Arthropod-eating birds are a heterogeneous group, with different levels
of environmental sensitivity and diverse responses to habitat
degradation. In this paper, we tested the effects of landscape on the
functional diversity of insectivorous birds within the Brazilian
Atlantic Forest. We predict that (I) species composition and functional
diversity are shaped by turnover and nestedness across different
habitats, and (II) the gradient of forest cover has a positive effect on
bird species composition and functional diversity. We used data from 22
landscapes of the Atlantic Forest in the Cantareira-Mantiqueira region
(Brazil), within buffers of 1 km radius, surrogating three types of
environments (i.e., forests, pastures, and swamps). The components of
β-functional diversity were calculated using the beta pair and beta
multi-function for each type of environment, and the effects of the
forest cover gradient and environment type were tested using linear
models and GLMM, respectively. Our results showed that the forest cover
gradient and the type of environment had a negative effect on the
indices of functional diversity, contrary to our expectations.
Pasturelands and marshes were susceptible to turnover and nestedness,
respectively. The beta diversity of forests was influenced by both
species nestedness and turnover. The regional native forest fragments
are generally small-sized, and in early successional stages, which could
explain the patterns we found. The presence of secondary forests may
have affected the expected pattern of functional diversity, therefore,
caution is needed when interpreting this, since the way in which
compensatory dynamics may not involve real functional compensation.