Birds as a conservation tool for biological monitoring in the Atlantic forest ecoregion: a study case in Misiones, Argentina

ZURITA, G.A.; VARELA, D.; REY, N.; ARIENTI, M.C.

San Pablo, Brasil

Congreso; XIX Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology; 2005

Society for the Conservation Biology

Biological corridors are one of the best strategies for Atlantic forest conservation, whereas in most cases its effectiveness is unknown. Since 2002 we implemented a conservation project in a corridor between two protected area separated by 3 kilometers in Misiones (Argentina), in one of the majors remnants of Atlantic forest ecoregion. Bird use of the corridor is monitored through a long term banding program. We established 10 permanent sampling sites inside the corridor with 10 mist nets on each one. At the moment we captured 72 species (4500 hours/net). The 76% of the captured species (58) presents in protected areas use the corridor whereas Campyloramphus falcularius, Dendrocolaptes fuliginosa,  Haplozpiza unicolor and two Phylidor were restricted to protected areas. Richness and diversity decreased from protected areas to the center of the corridor. Banded individuals of Trichotraupis melanops, Habia rubica, Leptopogon amaurocephalus and Lepidocolaptes fuscus move more than 1 km through the corridor. This monitoring program provide the information to identify important routes to birds movements between protected areas and to select key areas for forest restoration and protection inside the corridor. The connectivity between protected areas is not fully efficient because at least 25% of the species don’t use the corridor.