Bird-plant interaction networks: the role of birds in seed dispersal in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

• Grant number: 24/21284-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Mauro Galetti Rodrigues
• Grantee: Geisiane Maiara Tenório Sobral
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, AP.CEPID

Abstract

A key site for the protection of biodiversity and endangered species in the South Atlantic, the Fernando de Noronha (FN) archipelago is a group of 21 oceanic islands of volcanic origin home to three species of frugivorous birds - Vireo gracilirostris, Elaenia ridleyana and Zenaida auriculata and It is the only archipelago to have endemic populations of terrestrial birds on oceanic islands in Brazil. However, detailed studies on the role of these birds in seed dispersal in FN are lacking. This project aims to study the structure of the network of native bird-plant interactions and the influence of invasive plant interactions on this network in FN. To record frugivory, Transects, Focal Observation and camera trapping will be carried out on trails in the Fernando de Noronha National Park (PARNA-FN) and in the Environmental Protection Area (APA). Using the Trail Method combined with the 1km transect, the synchrony in the fruiting phenology of native and exotic species will be monitored. To assess the effectiveness of dispersal, feces will be collected by catching birds in mist nets and germination tests will be carried out for subsequent statistical analyses and hypothesis testing. Understanding these interactions is crucial for the conservation of the island's biodiversity, since birds in general play a fundamental role in seed dispersal and the regeneration of native vegetation.