Conservation value of remnant riparian forest corridors of varying quality for Amazonian birds and mammals

被引:246
作者
Lees, Alexander C. [1 ]
Peres, Carlos A. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ E Anglia, Sch Environm Sci, Ctr Ecol Evolut & Conservat, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England
基金
英国自然环境研究理事会;
关键词
Amazonia; habitat connectivity; habitat fragmentation; habitat quality; riparian forest; tropical forest; wildlife corridors;
D O I
10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00870.x
中图分类号
X176 [生物多样性保护];
学科分类号
090705 ;
摘要
Forest corridors are often considered the main instrument with which to offset the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Brazilian forestry legislation requires that all riparian zones on private landholdings be maintained as permanent reserves and sets fixed minimum widths of riparian forest buffers to be retained alongside rivers and perennial streams. We investigated the effects of corridor width and degradation status of 3 7 riparian forest sites (including 24 corridors connected to large source-forest patches, 8 unconnected forest corridors, and 5 control riparian zones embedded within continuous forest patches) on bird and mammal species richness in a hyper-fragmented forest landscape surrounding Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil. We used point-count and track-sampling methodology, coupled with an intensive forest-quality assessment that combined satellite imagery and ground truthed data. Vertebrate use of corridors was highly species-specific, but broad trends emerged depending on species life histories and their sensitivity to disturbance. Narrow and/or highly disturbed riparian corridors retained only a depauperate vertebrate assemblage that was typical of deforested habitats, whereas wide, well-preserved corridors retained a nearly complete species assemblage. Restriction of livestock movement along riparian buffers and their exclusion from key areas alongside deforested streams would permit corridor regeneration and facilitate restoration of connectivity.
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页码:439 / 449
页数:11
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