Federal Protected Areas Research Articles

Institutional fragmentation in United States protected area agencies and its impact on budget processes

PurposeProtected areas, lands and seas set aside for nature conservation, are the main tool for governments to conserve biodiversity. The complexity of government processes, however, can lead to fragmentation in protected area systems. Institutional fragmentation can preclude central coordination and undermine funding and performance. Here, we examine the impact of institutional fragmentation on budgets for protected area agencies in the United States, an important actor in the global conservation movement.Design/methodology/approachThis article uses visual text and network analysis with agency budget documents to examine linkages between agencies. These findings are triangulated with semi-structured interviews analyzed with axial coding to develop a framework for the budget process and its outcomes in US protected area agencies.FindingsThe visual text analysis demonstrates varying levels of coordination between agencies. The conceptual framework shows that five factors - mismatches within agencies, the influence of the Presidential administration, the power of Congress as the appropriator of funds, external forces that influence Congress, and a lack of accountability in allocations – lead to institutional fragmentation and “disparate nature enclaves”.Research limitations/implicationsInterview findings are derived from a non-representative population, and thus should not be generalized for all agencies or budget systems.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the factors influencing agency budget proposals will inform policy to make budgeting more effective for U.S. and other national protected area systems.Originality/valueFew studies have conducted qualitative analyses of federal agencies and their budgets, particularly for federal protected areas.

Coordinated action across administration levels and assessments: key tools to reveal barriers to effective management of protected areas

We assessed protected area management effectiveness and identified attributes that limit the effectiveness of 21 protected areas in the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Of these, we assessed 10 areas under state-level administration for which a standardised assessment had not previously been conducted. For the 11 protected areas under federal administration, we obtained assessment data from the government. The protected areas were contrasted regarding the administration level and a list of attributes that could result in differences in management effectiveness between areas. We examined the relationship between protected areas' attributes and mean effectiveness using linear models. The same attributes were also related to management elements, namely context, planning, inputs, processes and outputs, using redundancy analysis. Management effectiveness and scores of management elements were found to be lower for areas either with unresolved land tenure, lacking management plans or updated ones, those under many pressures and threats, or those under state-level administration. Overall, we suggest that federal protected areas do better in at least these attributes or a combination of attributes not well-captured by single indicators than state-level protected areas. Reassessments should be regularly carried out across administration levels in order to effectively flag a barrier, clear it, and identify the next one to be tackled.

Федеральные особо охраняемые природные территории Алтайского края: современное состояние и перспективы развития

Одна из важнейших глобальных проблем современности — сохранение природной среды. Гарантией эффективного сохранения природно-территориальных комплексов региона является создание сети особо охраняемых природных территорий (ООПТ), которая обладает репрезентативностью по отношению к ландшафтному и биологическому разнообразию. Также известно, что более строгий режим охраны, который характерен для заповедников и национальных парков, способствует успешной реализации задач охраны природы. В статье рассмотрено современное состояние ООПТ федерального значения Алтайского края — Государственного природного заповедника «Тигирекский» и Национального парка «Салаир», а также перспективы создания проектируемого Национального парка «Горная Колывань». Показано, что действующие и проектируемая федеральные ООПТ в крае располагаются только лишь в его горной части, а природные комплексы равнинной части края, которые также обладают большой природоохранной ценностью, охраняются лишь режимами заказников и памятников природы регионального значения. Площадь федеральных ООПТ за последнее время в крае увеличена с 0,25 до 1,5 % от площади региона, что является одним из самых низких показателей по регионам Сибирского Федерального округа. Создание Национального парка «Горная Колывань» играет большую роль в сохранении природного разнообразияи историко-культурного наследия Северо-Западного Алтая, позволяет объединить разрозненные региональные ООПТ в единое целое на организационном уровне. В случае создания данной ООПТ и придания охранной зоне заповедника федерального статуса доля федеральных охраняемых территорий возрастет до 2,5 % от площади края.

Checklist of vascular plant species on inselbergs in the Monumento Natural dos Pontões Capixabas, Espírito Santo State, Brazil.

Inselbergs are granitic and/or gneissic rocky outcrops and, in Brazil, the dome-shaped ones in the Atlantic Forest Domain are called sugarloaves (pães de açúcar). They have an extremely specialised vegetation with high levels of endemism. Even though, they are poorly studied and highly degraded. In north-eastern Espírito Santo State, south-eastern Brazil, the Monumento Natural dos Pontões Capixabas (MONAPC) is a federal protected area created to guard some inselbergs mainly threatened by mining, which is one of the main economic activities in the State. In this work, we provide the first checklist of the vascular plant species in this protected area. We recorded 108 species in 36 families and 75 genera that inhabit the vegetation islands on the inselbergs within the official limits of MONAPC. A new species of Pleroma (Melastomataceae) and a new species of Cololobus (Asteraceae) were discovered as new to science and they are being described in other articles.

Current status of the remaining Mexican cloud forests: landscape findings and conservation initiatives.

Tropical montane cloud forests are known for their unique biodiversity and their critical role in sustaining ecosystem services; however, approximately 50% of their original cover in Mexico was estimated to have been lost by 1998. The Mexican ecoregion that supports these ecosystems experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation between 2001 and 2021. Thus, a more recent evaluation of Mexico's cloud forests is required. There is limited data on the landscape structure of cloud forests in Mexico, despite the possible application of landscape factors in conservation planning. Here, we estimated the average total area, number of patches, effective mesh size, total edge, and the shape of mixed forests that was present in 2020 within polygons of cloud forests defined in 1999 by Mexico's National Commission for the Use and Knowledge of Biodiversity (CONABIO for its acronym in Spanish). We estimated land cover using data from the North American Land Change Monitoring System, which classifies cloud forests as mixed forests. We found that eight out of the 109 polygons have no mixed forests and that an average of 49% of the 1,768,914 ha of cloud forests polygons are now covered by mixed forests distributed across 13 states. Additionally, within the remaining 101 polygons that do contain this type of vegetation, mixed forest is distributed on average across 140 patches (range = 1-1,473); 80% of these forests have very low effective mesh size values; 90% of them have low total edge values (<2,000 km); and their shapes tend to be uniformly distributed. Furthermore, most of cloud forest polygons are located outside of federal protected areas. Overall, our results suggest that the remaining Mexican cloud forests are extremely vulnerable and fragmented and that their extent has steadily declined since 1999. To ensure the survival of Mexican cloud forests, it will be crucial to prioritize high-diversity areas, strengthen protection in critical zones, establish ecological corridors, encourage sustainable practices, and actively engage local communities. This study highlights the complex issues and inherent heterogeneity that characterize cloud forest ecosystems in Mexico and provides crucial insights for conservation.

How personnel allocation affects performance: Evidence from Brazil's federal protected areas agency

AbstractMany government agencies operate with fewer personnel than they need to perform effectively. Yet little research has explored how agencies might allocate their personnel so as to maximize performance with the personnel they have. I address this gap through a study of Brazil's federal protected areas agency, which manages the world's third largest system of conservation areas. Based on 66 interviews and econometric analyses covering 322 administrative units, I find that three moderators influence the relationship between sub‐unit size and performance: the size of a sub‐unit's jurisdiction, a sub‐unit's likelihood of near‐term failure, and the strength of a sub‐unit's ties with local stakeholders. Personnel re‐allocation strategies informed by these factors may have reduced deforestation on the order of 26% over the agency's first decade. This study contributes a framework for analyzing the efficacy of personnel allocation strategies, with implications for management of one of the world's greatest natural assets.

Causes and period of occurrence of forest fires in Brazilian federal protected areas from 2006 to 2012

Forest fires, regardless of their causes, represent one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in Brazilian protected areas. Collecting data on the causes, periods, and sites with the highest occurrence of fires allows for the adoption of more effective prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to characterize forest fires in Brazilian federal protected areas from 2006 to 2012, thus contributing to improving the knowledge of the dynamics of fires in these areas. Data were obtained from Fire Occurrence Records (ROIs, in Portuguese) available in the National Fire Information System (SISFOGO, in Portuguese) database. The total number of records found was 2,259, of which 88.2% had reported causes. Among the records with a reported cause, 42.2% correspond to unknown causes, 26.7% to debris burning, and 18.5% to arson events, which shows that the majority of fires with a known cause are the result of accidental or intentional human action. Forest fires were more frequent from July to October, with a mean of 50.6 occurrences per year, influenced by the annual precipitation distribution. Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Ceará were the states with the highest number of records, with 19.8%, 15.5%, and 12.0%, respectively. Forest fires reported without any cause information or reported as unknown cause indicate, respectively, a poor use of the tool (ROI) or an unsatisfactory expertise in identifying the cause of the fire, resulting in an obstacle for planning actions to prevent and fight forest fires in protected areas.

A New Record of a Nonnative Bivalve Species in an Amazonian Environmental Protection Area: What Might Have Happened?

Corbicula fluminea is an Asian mussel that has aggressively invaded freshwater habitats worldwide, causing damage both economically and with the disappearance of native species. In Brazil, this species is present in almost all watersheds, including areas of Federal Conservation Units. In this context, the present work reported the first record of C. fluminea in the Carajás mosaic, Pará, Brazil, a Federal Conservation Area. Collections were made in September and February 2021 and May 2022. In total, 154 specimens of C. fluminea were collected. The size range of the specimens was 16 to 28 mm in shell length and 1.46 to 5.91 g in wet weight. This new record extends the distribution of this species in South America and in the tropical watersheds of Brazil and is the first record in federal protected areas, highlighting the need for large-scale knowledge of the environmental and economic changes that the species can cause.

Effectiveness of Federal Protected Areas in the Preservation of Mangrove Forests on the Coast of the State of Paraíba, Brazil.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Federal Protected Areas on the coast of the state of Paraíba in northeastern Brazil with regard to the preservation of mangrove forests. The study area encompassed remaining mangrove forests distributed in four federal protected areas (PAs) located in Paraíba: Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (AREI) of Mangroves of the Mamanguape River, Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of the Mamanguape River, the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest (NATFOR), and the Acaú-Goiana Extractive Reserve (EXTRES). The methods consisted of a spatiotemporal analysis considering the year of creation of each PA, with mapping and quantification as well as the assessment of impacts and effectiveness. NATFOR and EXTRES had the most conserved mangrove areas on the temporal scale, whereas AREI and EPA had the largest reductions in areas of mangrove forest. Urban expansion, sugarcane monoculture, and shrimp farming represented the main negative impacts spatially identified in these PAs. Based on the results of this study, the mangrove forests analyzed have continually suffered anthropogenic pressures since their creation as protected areas. The greatest effectiveness in the preservation of mangrove forests was found in Acaú-Goiana EXTRES and the least effectiveness was found in the AREI of Mangroves of the Mamanguape River.

Crop wild relatives in the protected areas of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Background. Comprehensive research into crop wild relatives (CWR) is essential to ensure food security. Protected areas serve as the main reserves for CWR in situ conservation and their population genetics studies. There are four federal protected areas in the Republic of Bashkortostan: the Bashkiria National Park, the Shulgan-Tash State Biosphere Nature Reserve, the South Ural and Bashkir State Nature Reserves.Materials and methods. The floristic study of CWR was conducted using the standard route method. The methods of comparative floristics were applied in the CWR analysis,. The economic value of plant species was assessed according to the ranking developed at the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources.Results. In total, out of 259 species of CWR growing in Bashkortostan, 186 (72%) occur in the federal protected areas, with the highest number in the Bashkiria National Park (148 spp.). Species belonging to the Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae families and the Poa L., Trifolium L., Lathyrus L., Allium L. genera are predominant. CWR are mainly confined to the forest meadow, forest margin, steppe and riverside communities. Alpine and raised bog CWR species occur only in the South-Ural Nature Reserve. There are 13 regional endemics in the studied territories and 34 species on their range boundaries. Of the 23 CWR species listed in the regional Red Book, seven are conserved in the surveyed areas: Allium obliquum L., Crambe tataria Sebeok, Linum uralense Juz., Melilotoides platycarpos (L.) Soják, Oxycoccus microcarpus Turcz. ex Rupr., Rubus arcticus L., and R. humulifolius C.A. Mey.Conclusion. Monitoring of the rare CWR species populations is required in the surveyed protected areas. Eight CWR species are recommended for further population genetics studies: Amygdalus nana L., Cerasus fruticosa Pall., Allium rubens Schrad. ex Willd., A. obliquum L., A. schoenoprasum L., Lathyrus gmelinii Fritsch, L. litvinovii Iljin, and L. sylvestris L.

Pedodiversity of Subboreal Ecosystems under Contrasting Geogenic Factors (Case Study of Samarskaya Luka, Middle Volga Region, Russia)

The soils of uplands and partially isolated landforms located in the central Volga region were investigated in terms morphology, diversity and geogenic factor specificity. The Samarskaya Luka area is characterized by extreme spatial inhomogeneity and contrast of geogenic (lithological and topographic) conditions, and at the same time is located on the ecotone-transitional border of several natural zones. This territory is a part of two federal protected areas because of its peculiar nature. It is established that the diversity of geogenic (geological and topographic) conditions leads to the differentiation of the soil cover. Key soil types are presented by Leptosols, Cambisols, Retisols, Chernozems, Fluvisols and Technosols. By the example of the recognized upland macrolandscape, it is shown that the usual gradual course of soil zonation significantly changes due to the transformation of the soil-forming potential of the environment. The obtained data can be used for further regional verification of soil taxonomy. In addition, since the role of parent materials increases as they move from the west to the east of the East European Plain, parameterization of the role of this process becomes particularly important. Information about the diversity of chemical parameters and the granulometric composition of the key soil types of the studied area is also given.

The productive autonomy of public forest-dwellers in the Amazon: two case studies of community timber management

Forest-dwellers in the Brazilian Amazon public forests share the management of the territory and natural resources with governmental agencies, subjecting themselves to State rules. This study aims to evaluate the perception of stakeholders about the autonomy of traditional communities to carry out community timber forest management (CFM) in two federal protected areas. A Swot analysis revealed mismatches in priorities among stakeholder groups (Communities, Government and Partners). Four autonomy parameters were evaluated by 111 stakeholders using a satisfaction questionnaire. Communities and Government had similar perceptions of the autonomy of communities to develop CFM, while Partners were pessimistic. Stakeholders showed greater satisfaction with communities’ social organization than with their business management ability. Licensing, operational tools and administrative knowledge were perceived as bottlenecks for community enterprises. Nevertheless, targeted public policies and a minimum regulatory requirement for CFM may guarantee community autonomy to maintain their way of life and make their forest enterprises viable.

Successful nesting by 2 endangered Hawaiian waterbird species in a restored Indigenous wetland agroecosystem

The Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) and Hawaiian Gallinule (Gallinula galeata sandvicensis) are federally endangered waterbirds endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Both species are conservation-reliant; their population persistence is dependent on invasive predator control and removal of invasive plants that degrade habitat. We present observations of successful nesting by one Hawaiian Stilt pair and one Hawaiian Gallinule pair at a site managed within an adaptive Indigenous agroecological framework on the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. The Hawaiian Stilt nest, found in February 2019, contained 4 eggs and produced 3 hatchlings, 2 of which were banded and monitored after hatching. The Hawaiian Gallinule nest, found in February 2020, contained 6 eggs and produced 5 hatchlings. Although no individuals were banded from this nest, 2 adults and 2 hatchlings were continuously observed in the nesting area after the eggs hatched. Lo‘i kalo Hawaiian wetland agroecosystems centered around the cultivation of kalo (taro; Colocasia esculenta), have the potential to expand Hawaiian waterbird habitat beyond state and federal protected areas. We are aware of unpublished accounts of Hawaiian waterbirds nesting in commercially farmed lo‘i kalo, but until now, there have been no previously published accounts of native waterbirds breeding in lo‘i kalo managed as Indigenous agroecosystems.

Опыт разработки локальной ГИС орошаемых земель Волго-Ахтубинской поймы на территории Волгоградской области

The Volga-Akhtuba floodplain is a particularly valuable natural object in the south of Russia, located on the territory of three constituent entities of our country. There are three regional and one federal protected areas. Trends in the agricultural use of floodplain lands are aimed at increasing acreage and intensifying agriculture. Under these conditions, the risks of various pollution of soil and water resources increase. Land use control, as well as sown areas, is impossible without knowledge of the current state and location of cultivated irrigated lands. The modern policy of the state is aimed at involving unused agricultural land, one of the stages of which is updating information. The paper presents the results of the development of a local geoinformation system for irrigated lands of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain within the Volgograd region. The purpose of the work is to create and maintain the functioning of a local geoinformation system of irrigated fields, natural and anthropogenic objects that form the general attractiveness of sites in terms of resuming economic activity, in the context of rural settlements located within the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain on the territory of the Volgograd areas. The author has developed thematic geoinformation layers in three blocks: natural, economic and analytical. The main materials for compiling the thematic layers were Earth remote sensing data of high and ultra-high spatial resolution. Substantiated are various methods for the formation of geoinformation layers, as well as the problems of identifying irrigated lands by automated methods and the prospects for automating the process of determining the use of irrigated lands. The general structure of a local GIS consists of more than 20 layers and 50 attribute datasets. A local geoinformation system can be presented as a web GIS and used in landscape and environmental studies, as well as to optimize measures to involve agricultural land.

ANALYZING TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL TRENDS IN MANAGEMENT PLANS OF FEDERAL PROTECTED AREAS IN BRAZIL

Protected areas are the most frequently used tool for the mitigation of threats to biodiversity. However, without effective management, the creation of new protected areas may be ineffective. In Brazil, protected areas must have both a governing body (consultative or deliberative council) and an official management plan. Here, we analyzed general trends and patterns in the approval of the management plans for Brazilian federal protected areas. We considered all federal protected areas, and compiled data on (i) the year the area was created, (ii) the type of protected area (integral protection vs. sustainable use), (iii) year its management plan was approved, (iv) year in which the management plan was revised after its approval, (v) total area (in hectares), and (vi) the biome in which the area is located. We stablished three groups of protected area: 1) Group A: protected areas created prior to 1979, 2) Group B: protected areas created between 1979 and 1999, and 3) Group C: protected areas created between 2000 to the present time. Finally, we tested whether time for the approval of the management plan suffered a simultaneous effect of the type of biome and type of categories of protected area (strictly protected vs. sustainable use areas). We found 211 (63.17% of the 334) protected areas with management plan. On average, the time taken for the creation and approval of a management plan far exceeds the deadlines (5 yrs.) defined under current Brazilian law. All Brazilian biomes are poorly covered by protected areas with effective management plans, with the highest and lowest value observed in the Pantanal (100%) and Caatinga (46.42%), respectively. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of many federal protected areas in Brazil can be reduced considerably by the lack of a management plan, with deleterious consequences for the country’s principal conservation strategies.

Biodiversity of a boreal mire, including its hydrographic network (Shichengskoe mire, north-western Russia).

BackgroundThe paper is based on the dataset whose purpose was to deliver, in the form of GBIF-mediated data, diverse materials on the biodiversity of a large mire, Shichengskoe mire (Vologda Region, north-western Russia), including its various mire sites and intra-mire water bodies. The dataset was based on our materials collected for two decades (from 2000 to 2021) in different parts and biotopes of the Shichengskoe mire and complemented by scarce data obtained previously by other researchers. The data contain materials on the diversity of Animalia (2886 occurrences), Bacteria (22), Chromista (256), Fungi (111), Plantae (2463) and Protozoa (131). Within the study period, the most detailed and long-term biodiversity studies were carried out for higher plants and invertebrates. On the other hand, the data on the composition of lichens, protozoa, algae, basidiomycetes, some groups of invertebrates and, to a lesser extent, lichens and vertebrates are far less comprehensive and require further substantial research efforts. The list includes occurrences from both the peatland (mire sites and mire margins different in typology) and the objects of the mire hydrographic network. In a standardised form, this article summarises both already published (mainly in Russian) and unpublished materials.New informationThe paper summarises the results of long-term research on the biodiversity of a boreal mire, including its hydrographic network. A total of 5869 occurrences were included in the dataset published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, gbif.org) for the first time. According to the GBIF taxonomic backbone, the dataset covers 1358 taxa, including 1250 lower-rank taxa (species, subspecies, varieties, forms) and 108 taxa identified to the genus level. Several species found in the Shichengskoe mire, mainly belonging to Bacteria, Chromista and Protozoa, have never been listed in GBIF for the territory of Russia before. The overwhelming majority of occurrences and identified species came from the territory of Shichengskiy Landscape Reserve. Due to our work, this Reserve is now the most studied regional reserve in the Vologda Region with respect to biodiversity. By the number of revealed species, it is close to two federal protected areas: Darwinskiy State Nature Biospheric Reserve and National Park "Russkiy Sever".

A First Look into the Natural History of the Sierra Box Turtle (Terrapene nelsoni klauberi) in Southeast Sonora, Mexico

The Sierra Box Turtle, Terrapene nelsoni, comprises 2 recognized subspecies that are distributed across the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain chain in western Mexico and little is known about their natural history. We present new information on the natural history of Terrapene nelsoni klauberi. Our study area was the Monte Mojino reserve located within the larger Sierra de Alamos–Río Cuchujaqui federal protected area in southeastern Sonora. We located 49 individuals in 3 different vegetation types: 4 were found at 600 m above sea level (masl) in the tropical dry forest, 4 at 1000 masl in grassy oak (Quercus spp.) savannah, and 41 at 1300 masl in pine(Pinus spp.)–oak forest. Seven turtles were monitored using radiotelemetry and have the average home range size of 1.7 ha. The areas we sampled appear to consist of mainly adults and the sex ratio is female-biased (1♂:1.5♀). Cloacal temperatures of active turtles and their immediate surroundings suggest that T. n. klauberi actively maintain their body temperature above the surrounding temperatures. Males also have higher average body temperatures than females (29.58°C ± 2.26°C vs. 27.35°C ± 2.71°C). We found no significant patterns of sexual dimorphism in carapace length (i.e., sexual size dimorphism) but did find sexual dimorphism in head size. We also found that 44% of males and 22% of females had severe damage to their marginal scutes, possibly from a local predator or from enduring bites over time from other turtles. Lastly, we observed T. n. klauberi foraging on beetles, mushrooms, grass, and wildflowers. These findings provide a first insight into the natural history of T. n. klauberi and how this species is distributed across different elevations and vegetation types. This information provides a starting point to assess the conservation status of this species. However, this species remains unstudied throughout the rest of its geographic range.

HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF THE BIOSPHERE SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURAL TERRITORIES OF TAIMYR

In 1995, the State Reserve "Taimyrsky" was awarded the status of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It was during this period, that the global concept of the tasks and functions of biosphere reserves as such changed. Initially, biosphere reserves were created as territories for background monitoring of undisturbed natural complexes. With the adoption of the Seville Strategy in 1995, along with this function, the task of promoting sustainable social-economic development of regions and local communities was adopted, but at the same time preserving and deepening the scientific work of the reserve - monitoring natural environment of the reserve core and adjacent areas. A zone of cooperation of the reserve was declared, including areas of compact residence and nature use of indigenous people - Dolgan and Nganasan. After the unification of all 5 federal protected areas of Taimyr in 2013 into the management of a single Unified Directorate, the implementation of the functions of the biosphere reserve, especially scientific works, for the Taimyr Reserve has become significantly more complicated. Currently, one of the main tasks is to monitor and manage the Taimyr population of wild reindeer - the basis of the traditional nature management of Taimyr people, along with domestic reindeer husbandry, fishing and fur trade. The satellite tracking program conducted since 2018 and the resumption of accounting works have made it possible to identify the unfavorable state of this population and outline measures for its protection and restoration.

The role of Russian federal protected areas in conservation of plant species included in the Red Data Book of Russian Federation (Volga Federal District)

The role of Russian federal protected areas in conservation of plant species included in the Red Data Book of Russian Federation (Volga Federal District)

BIRD ASSEMBLAGES AT THE SOUTHERN LIMIT OF THE BRAZILIAN ATLANTIC FOREST: A COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO FOREST PHYSIOGNOMIES AT THE APARADOS DA SERRA NATIONAL PARK

The Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots harbouring at least 900 species of birds. Covering less than 7% of its original distribution, conservation strategies for this biome depend on information about diversity patterns and the mechanisms behind them. Here we evaluated the composition, richness, and taxonomic and functional diversity of the bird assemblage in two forest physiognomies, corresponding to two elevation ranges, at the southernmost federal protected area within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the Aparados da Serra National Park. Birds were sampled with mist nets in two environments: Araucaria forest, at elevation ranging above 900 m a.s.l., and dense ombrophilous forest, at elevations between 0 and 200 m a.s.l.. We found no differences in species richness between the two environments but species composition was dissimilar, as revealed by ANOSIM. Also, dense ombrophilous forest was functionally richer, while Araucaria forest presented higher functional divergence. No dominance pattern was found in dense ombrophilous forest, while in Araucaria forest a few species dominated the assemblage. The evidence that the bird assemblages of the two forests are distinct both in terms of species composition and functionality indicates that the conservation and management of the bird communities at the two environments is fundamental for the maintenance of the Southern Atlantic Forest’s bird species pool.