EVALUATION OF RESOURCE USE BY A COMMUNITY OF BIRD IN FRAGMENTS IMMERSED IN A FORESTRY MATRIX

• Grant number: 24/19395-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Nature Conservation
• Principal Investigator: Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros Ferraz
• Grantee: Letícia Keiko Nunes de Campos
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The evaluation of resource use by birds in different matrices can be an important strategy to improve human activities in agricultural and forest management, aiming to optimize production and conservation. Thus, this study aims to investigate the resource use by birds present in forest fragments within a silvicultural landscape at the Estação Experimental de Ciências Florestais de Itatinga (EECFI - ESALQ/USP) through the isotopic niches analysis. Samples of the second primary feather of the left wing will be collected from individuals of the station's avifauna, captured using mist nets over six months. The material will be analyzed for stable isotopes of ¿13C and ¿15N to obtain isotopic values. These values will be analyzed to determine the vegetation profile of the area and the type of resource most used by each species. Species with more than five individuals will have their isotopic niche metrics calculated using the SIBER package in R; and the total area of their niche will be plotted using the Bayesian approach (SEAb) to obtain the two-dimensional ellipse. The isotopic signatures will be compared with those obtained from birds collected in remnants immersed in other anthropogenic matrices, for which data are already available, through Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc test. Comparative analyses between the results of this study and those from other bird studies in different landscapes (with available data) will be conducted through isotopic niche metrics, such as width and overlap. The results will provide insight into how the silvicultural matrix influences the ecology of birds in forest remnants, as well as contribute to landscape planning for commercial purposes, with minimal impact on avifauna, combining the development of the forestry sector with wildlife conservation. Thus, this project enhances the intangible heritage of USP, fills a local knowledge gap, and reinforces the university's role in pursuing sustainable economic development.