Seleção de microhabitat pelo cara-pintada (Phylloscartes ceciliae) em uma reserva no Centro de Endemismo Pernambuco

• Ano de defesa: 2025
• Autor(a) principal: Ferneda, Rafaela Vitti [UNESP]
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
• Palavras-chave em Português: Rhynchocyclidae; Nicho (Ecologia); Endemismo; Conservação da natureza; Mata Atlântica; Microhabitat selection; Endemism; Conservation; Atlantic Forest
• Link de acesso: https://hdl.handle.net/11449/311085

Studies on the relationship between the occurrence of endemic and threatened species and habitat characteristics are very important, as they allow the understanding and prediction of the effects of environmental disturbances on populations, providing relevant information for their maintenance and conservation. The Alagoas Tyrannulet (Phylloscartes ceciliae) is a critically endangered bird, endemic to northeastern Brazil, whose information about its biology and natural history remains scarce. This study aimed to analyze whether the species selects specific microhabitat characteristics. Circular plots with a 5-m radius were established within the RPPN Pedra D’Antas, located in the Pernambuco Center of Endemism. Seven microhabitat variables (average height and average DBH of trees; canopy cover; altitude; slope; distance to water; and number of trees) were measured in the plots, and GLMs were used to model the probability of the species' occurrence at each plot. Additionally, NMDS analysis was performed to contrast the tree species composition among sampling points to test whether P. ceciliae selects habitats based on the tree species present. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) vegetation characteristics, such as the average height and the mean diameter at breast height (DBH) of tree trunks, as well as canopy cover, positively influence the probability of occupation; and (2) P. ceciliae selects environments based on floristic composition. The results showed that the average height of the trees was the only variable with a significant and positive relationship with the species' occurrence, indicating that P. ceciliae selects habitats based on tree height, meaning that the greater the average height of the trees the higher the probability of occurrence of the species. Furthermore, the results of the NMDS analysis indicate that the species does not show any preference for any specific plant species in what concerns the composition of tree species. Based on the results of this study and given the critically endangered status of the studied species, it was found that the conservation of forest areas with taller vegetation may be a key factor for its persistence in the Pernambuco Endemism Center.