Abstract
Artificial perches are widely used in ecological restoration projects; however, the results of these works are yet to be summarized in a review. The goal of the present study was to describe the taxonomic structure of birds that utilized artificial perches, as well as determine the species of birds that most frequently utilized the perches in restoration areas of the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes. We used secondary data obtained from a systematic review of literature available on digital sources. A total of 17 studies were obtained for the two biomes, 15 of which were analyzed. From these studies, 126 bird species were recorded, averaging 19.26 ± 8.30 SD species per study. Five species were categorized as frequent users of artificial perches (Pitangus sulphuratus, Tyrannus melancholicus, Mimus saturninus, Columbina talpacoti, and Tyrannus savana). These birds are predominantly generalist species, which disperse seed under the perches and this feeding habit of this group has implications for the restoration process. The large number of species that utilize artificial perches highlights the importance of these structures in supporting bird diversity, in addition to the promotion of bird ecosystem services.Keywords: nucleation, birdlife, ecosystem services, agroecosystems.
Highlights
Artificial perches mimic bare trees that naturally occur in the landscape
Studies regarding artificial perches indicate that perches fail to achieve ecological restoration in degraded landscapes when seed-dispersing birds are absent
Ecological restoration can be limited by a lack of seed deposition, which might occur when the fruiting phenology of vegetation is not synchronized with the presence of seed-dispersing bird species (Vogel et al, 2016)
Summary
Artificial perches mimic bare trees that naturally occur in the landscape. The application of artificial perches in the restoration of degraded areas attempt to increase the seed rain of autochthonous and allochthones plant species because they attract birds via the provision of resting sites from which they might defecate or regurgitate seeds consumed from nearby forests (Marcuzzo et al, 2013). Dispersed seeds might germinate and establish into woody recruits, which in turn might facilitate the establishment and spread of new species. This ecological engineering process is known as nucleation and is one of the few techniques aimed to facilitate restoration in a degraded environment from an original patch of vegetation (Bechara et al, 2016). Studies regarding artificial perches indicate that perches fail to achieve ecological restoration in degraded landscapes when seed-dispersing birds are absent. Ecological restoration can be limited by a lack of seed deposition, which might occur when the fruiting phenology of vegetation is not synchronized with the presence of seed-dispersing bird species (Vogel et al, 2016)
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