Aves de sub-bosque como bioindicadoras de florestas naturais e plantadas no extremo sul da Mata Atlântica

Abstract

The presence or absence of species in an environment can indicate its environmental quality. Therefore, identifying indicator species is essential for assessing the conservation status of ecosystems. In this study, we aimed to identify indicator birds in natural and planted forests with Araucaria angustifolia or Pinus elliottii in the Passo Fundo National Forest, RS. To survey birds, we used mist nets in 18 sampling units, with six in each forest type. A total of 51 species were recorded, of which 23 were analyzed as they were captured 10 or more times. Of these 23 species, only four species were associated with specific forest types: Leptopogon amaurocephalus, Synallaxis cinerascens, Chiroxiphia caudata, and Zonotrichia capensis. The study indicated that the forest types are not sufficiently different for most species to prefer one forest type over the other. This result suggests that planted forests can serve as complementary or alternative habitats for most of the recorded species, including species considered dependent on forest habitat.