Abstract
Consequences of habitat fragmentation for species occurrence are amongst the most important issues in landscape and conservation ecology. Empirical and theoretical studies have demonstrated that the total amount of habitat, patch size and connectivity have nonlinear effects on species survival on multiple spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, population models need to incorporate multiple scales, which can be extremely valuable to prioritizing conservation efforts in these changing landscapes. We tested how the amount and configuration of habitat affect understory bird species occurrence using fine to broad-scale habitat features. We used playback to sample birds in 13 Atlantic Forest fragments in Southeast Brazil. Microhabitat, local and regional landscape variables were tested against bird occurrence. Our results demonstrate that different bird species respond to different habitat scales. Sclerurus scansor, Xiphorhynchus fuscus, Automolus leucophthalmus, Drymophila ochropyga, Mackenziaena leachii, and Chiroxiphia caudata were most influenced by tree height and diameter (microhabitat characteristics), S. scansor, F. serrana and Pyriglena leucoptera were most influenced by forest cover and red-edge reflectance(local-scale metrics) and S. scansor, X. fuscus, D. ochropyga, P. leucoptera, F. serrana and M. leachii had area, core area and functional connectivity index (landscape features) as stronger predictors of species occurrence. Small forest fragments acted as corridors and increased overall connectivity of the entire community. The most effective means of maintaining long-term population connectivity of understory birds involves retaining both large and small areas, including forests with different micro-habitat characteristics. No management approach based on a single-scale would benefit all species. Implementing multiscale conservation strategies are necessary for maintaining long-term viability of forest birds on tropical landscapes.
Highlights
The responses of organisms to habitat loss and fragmentation are not limited to a single spatial [1] or temporal scale [2,3], and are often associated with multiscale processes and phenomena [4]
The presences of six bird species were influenced by microhabitat variables, of three bird species were influenced by local scale variables and six species were influenced by landscape scale metrics (Fig 3)
The presences of Formicivora serrana and Pyriglena leucoptera were positively related to forest cover; while F. serrana and S. scansor were positively related to Red Edge Normalized Difference Vegetation Indexes (ReNDVI) (Table 2)
Summary
The responses of organisms to habitat loss and fragmentation are not limited to a single spatial [1] or temporal scale [2,3], and are often associated with multiscale processes and phenomena [4]. Landscape-scale characteristics are good predictors of species occurrence, with habitat patch size and isolation (structural connectivity) being the most well-known; normally, larger areas possesses more species, and more connected fragments have more species, and both are trues especially for more habitat-sensitive birds [8]. Landscape indices include functional connectivity, which associates habitat characteristics, isolation and species-specific dispersal ability to more realistically assess the response of animals to landscape features [9]. Analyses that encompass multiple spatial scales, using multiple parameters, can improve the understanding about populations’ connectivity and ecology, helping in the conservation and management of the species [9,12,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
