Functional diversity of trophic guilds of mammals and birds along a disturbance gradient in the Amazon Forest

• Grant number: 25/00268-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Mathias Mistretta Pires
• Grantee: Horácio Lins Ganem
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/03965-9 - Living on the edge: plant-animal interactions and the cascading impacts of Amazon Forest fragmentation, AP.TEM

Abstract

Deforestation, fragmentation, and climate change are altering the vegetation structure in the Amazon Forest. Such disturbances increase heat and dryness in forests near edges leading to a decrease in canopy height and an increase in canopy openness. The interactions between fragmentation and regional drying/warming also intensify wildfire regimes increasing the threats to forest species along forest edges. Primates and forest-specialized birds, for instance have been shown to decline in density and richness in disturbed forests with reduced canopy cover, while animal species that are better adapted to live in open environments may increase in density in disturbed areas. The response to changes in the environment may also differ among trophic guilds. For instance, frugivores are often more sensitive to forest loss than omnivores. In this proposal, we will use data from camera traps and autonomous audio recorders placed across a disturbance gradient in the forest to understand how changes in forest structure may impact the guild composition and functional diversity of mammals and birds.