Banca de DEFESA: JOSIVANIA GONCALVES DA SILVA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOSIVANIA GONCALVES DA SILVA
DATE: 30/04/2024
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência
TITLE:

Natural history and ecology of army ant-following bird assemblages in the Pernambuco Endemism Center

KEY WORDS:

Endangered species, interespecific interactions, foraging, conservation

PAGES: 74
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUBÁREA: Ecologia de Ecossistemas
SUMMARY:

Army ants of the genus Eciton (Formicidae: Dorylinae) are carnivorous insects that forage collectively. In the Atlantic Forest, there are 11 species, with only two recorded in the Pernambuco Center of Endemism (CEP), where more than 30% of the region's bird species depend on them for foraging. These interactions are critical, as the collapse of this phenomenon is linked to cascading extinctions of insectivorous birds. We investigated the presence and natural history of Eciton species and associated birds in the conservation areas of ESEC Murici and REBIO Pedra Talhada, the largest remnants of the Atlantic Forest in the CEP. Data were actively collected by searching for raids. In our study, we recorded 41 raids, including 15 of Eciton burchellii, one of Eciton mexicanum, nine of Eciton hamatum, and one of Eciton vagans, the latter two being new occurrences for the CEP. All E. burchellii raids had associated birds, while E. hamatum showed association with birds only once. We recorded 10 species of endangered birds following the raids, highlighting the importance of these insects as a food source in the region. Additionally, for the first time, the structure of the ant-following bird assemblies (ASF) during raids in the CEP was analyzed, investigating taxonomic diversity and testing the hypothesis that the most specialized species (nuclear species) plays a fundamental role in the structure of ASF assemblies. The results indicate that the abundance of Pyriglena pernambucensis explains much of the richness and diversity of birds in the assemblies, while temperature better explains the dissimilarity of these assemblies. These findings contribute not only to understanding the ecology of birds in the region but also to promoting effective conservation measures aimed at protecting endangered species. Moreover, our observations contribute to the knowledge of the local fauna, with the registration of two new species of raiding ants for the CEP.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno(a) - 2882780 - RICHARD JAMES LADLE
Externo(a) à Instituição - Jean Carlos Santos - UFS
Externo(a) à Instituição - MIGUEL ANGELO MARINI - UnB