Os efeitos da fragmentação florestal no fenótipo de um pássaro de sub-bosque neotropical

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation drives biodiversity loss in the Neotropics at an alarming rate. However, some individuals and species confined to fragments develop phenotypic adaptations that allow populations to persist, even in landscapes made harsh by human activities and urbanization. Adaptations in both morphology and behavior may enhance a population’s ability to cope with changing anthropogenic hazards. We investigated if urban populations of Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus), an understory insectivorous neotropical bird, developed phenotypic differences in response to fragmentation, by comparing it with populations from continuous preserved forests. We evaluated the exploratory behavior and morphological traits using generalized linear models (GLM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to quantify phenotypical differences among populations, and used failure time analysis (FTA) to compare latency to explore and move during exploration in a novel environment test (NET). Our analyses detected differences in morphology (tarsus and tail length) and certain movement behaviors (latencies to move during NET), suggesting that fragmentation in our system may be causing selection on traits influencing routine movements. Observed differences were not associated with environmental variables. We do not ascribe population variation to evolutionary processes yet, given the short timeline since fragment formation, but we suggest these differences may currently be aiding fragmentation persistence in this small forest bird.