Impacts of park roads and trails on a community of Atlantic Forest fruit-eating birds

Abstract

Understanding how birds respond to road and trail disturbance is urgently needed to support conservation strategies. We aimed to assess the impacts of pathways of various widths and uses on a community of fruit-eating birds, considering that the effect of pathways should be modulated by the sensitivities of bird species. Bird data were collected over a year in four sites inside an Atlantic Forest tract in southeastern Brazil: three with different types of pathways—a main road (20 m wide, high usage), a secondary road (10 m wide—low usage), a touristic trail (2 m wide, high usage)—and a control area (no pathways). Eight sampling plots were established along with eight point-count locations at the edge of each pathway. The control area had the greatest bird diversity when more weight is assigned to equitability, followed by the area with the main road. The main road, however, had the lowest richness and abundance of large frugivores and the highest abundance of omnivores. Pathway width, usage and fruit availability were the most important components structuring the bird communities. This study revealed that the impacts of pathways in forests, particularly when paths are large and/or extensively used, might have negative consequences for local communities of fruit-eating birds. It is likely that the lower abundance of large frugivorous birds in forest tracts near pathways will affect local seed dispersal processes. Park managers should be aware and care about the management and use of pathway networks in order to maintain the services provided by frugivorous birds.