Research Article |
Corresponding author: Cleverton da Silva ( silvac.bio@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Ana Maria Leal-Zanchet
© 2021 Cleverton da Silva, Juan Ruiz-Esparza, Fabiana Oliveira da Silva, Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo, Adauto de Souza Ribeiro.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
da Silva C, Ruiz-Esparza J, da Silva FO, de Azevedo CS, Ribeiro AS (2021) Can guava monocultures (Psidium guajava L.) function as refuge for bird conservation? Neotropical Biology and Conservation 16(4): 475-491. https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.16.e70296
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Agricultural intensification negatively affects bird communities, and the response of birds to these changes varies from those that survive and increase their populations (disturb-tolerant species) to those that cannot adapt to new conditions and are regionally extinct (disturb-sensitive species). Thus, the present study sought to investigate the bird community in 39 guava orchards in the semiarid region of the state of Sergipe, northeast Brazil. Field observations were made between July and October 2017, through a one-hour visit to each orchard. Samplings were conducted using the MacKinnon’s List method. In addition to bird sampling, walks were carried out in the orchards to observe nesting. Seventy-six species of birds belonging to 30 families were recorded using the guava orchards. The most frequent species were Vanellus chilensis, Columbina talpacoti, Columbina picui, Crotophaga ani, Pitangus sulphuratus and Sporophila albogularis. Of the 186 nests recorded in the orchards, the majority (n = 144 nests; 77.4%) belonged to Columbina picui, Columbina talpacoti and Columbina minuta. The results demonstrate that the bird community in the guava orchards is formed only by disturb-tolerant species, showing that the studied guava orchards are not favorable to the conservation of disturb-sensitive birds of the Caatinga domain.
Agricultural environment, biodiversity-friendly agriculture, guava orchards, semiarid
Agriculture is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity (
The effects of agricultural intensification on biodiversity have been widely studied in recent decades (
According to
Although birds have been surveyed in various agricultural crops worldwide (e.g.,
The guava (Psidium guajava L.), originally from the American tropics, is one of the most common and economically important fruit trees in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world (
The study was conducted in 39 guava orchards, in the agricultural settlements California and Jacaré-Curituba, located in the territory of Alto Sertão Sergipe in the northwestern part of the Brazilian state of Sergipe, covering areas of the municipalities of Canindé de São Francisco (09°38'31"S, 37°47'16"W) and Poço Redondo (06°48'21"S, 37°41'06"W) (Fig.
The guava orchards sampled are approximately 12 years old and some have small lakes, used for irrigation. Exotic grasses, like Megathyrsus maximus, can be observed in all sampled orchards, growing among the guava tree lines. The region’s climate is classified as Bsh, according to the Köppen classification – dry and hot semiarid, characterized by lack of rain with great irregularity in its distribution, high evaporation rates and average temperatures above 25 °C (
Bird sampling occurred between July and October 2017, through a single one-hour visit to each orchard, in the early hours of the day (between 6 and 11:00 h am). The MacKinnon Lists method (
The taxonomic classification and nomenclature of the species followed the most up-to-date resolutions of the Brazilian Committee of Ornithological Records (
To verify species richness and evaluate the efficiency of the sampling effort in the orchards, a rarefaction curve was constructed based on the samples. We used the Chao 2 richness estimator (indicated for incidence data) to estimate how many species could be detected based on observed richness (
In addition to bird sampling, walks were carried out in the orchards to observe nests. When located, the nests were photographed, counted, and registered in a field spreadsheet, together with the species using the nest.
Through 83 MacKinnon lists, 76 bird species were registered, distributed in 30 families (Table
Bird species recorded in the sampled guava orchards in Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. IFL: List Frequency Index; NI – Number of individuals observed; TG (Trophic group): CA – Carnivorous, GR – Granivorous, NE – Nectarivorous, GR/FR – Granivorous/Frugivorous, IN – Insectivorous, ON – Omnivorous and PI – Piscivorous.
Taxon | Common name | NI | IFL | TG |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tinamidae Gray, 1840 | ||||
Crypturellus parvirostris (Wagler, 1827) | Small-billed Tinamou | 40 | 0.32 | ON |
Crypturellus tataupa (Temminck, 1815) | Tataupa Tinamou | 12 | 0.10 | ON |
Nothura boraquira (Spix, 1825) | White-bellied Nothura | 5 | 0.03 | ON |
Nothura maculosa (Temminck, 1815) | Spotted Nothura | 6 | 0.07 | ON |
Podicipedidae Bonaparte, 1831 | ||||
Tachybaptus dominicus (Linnaeus, 1766) | Least Grebe | 3 | 0.01 | ON |
Ardeidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Tigrisoma lineatum (Boddaert, 1738) | Rufescent Tiger-Heron | 2 | 0.02 | ON |
Butorides striata (Linnaeus, 1758) | Striated Heron | 3 | 0.02 | ON |
Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758) | Cattle Egret | 342 | 0.31 | ON |
Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 | Great Egret | 8 | 0.03 | ON |
Accipitridae Vigors, 1824 | ||||
Rupornis magnirostris (Gmelin, 1788) | Roadside Hawk | 6 | 0.07 | ON |
Rallidae Rafinesque, 1815 | ||||
Pardirallus nigricans (Vieillot, 1819) | Blackish Rail | 2 | 0.01 | ON |
Gallinula galeata (Lichtenstein, 1818) | Common Gallinule | 2 | 0.01 | ON |
Charadriidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Vanellus chilensis (Molina, 1782) | Southern Lapwing | 167 | 0.49 | ON |
Jacanidae Chenu & Des Murs, 1854 | ||||
Jacana jacana (Linnaeus, 1766) | Wattled Jacana | 3 | 0.01 | ON |
Columbidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Columbina minuta (Linnaeus, 1766) | Plain-breasted Ground-Dove | 140 | 0.31 | GR |
Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1811) | Ruddy Ground-Dove | 168 | 0.45 | GR |
Columbina picui (Temminck, 1813) | Picui Ground-Dove | 184 | 0.45 | GR |
Patagioenas picazuro (Temminck, 1813) | Picazuro Pigeon | 5 | 0.06 | GR |
Zenaida auriculata (Des Murs, 1847) | Eared Dove | 2304 | 0.37 | GR |
Leptotilla verreauxi Bonaparte, 1855 | White-tipped Dove | 1 | 0.01 | GR |
Cuculidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Coccyzus melacoryphus Vieillot, 1817 | Dark-billed Cuckoo | 5 | 0.06 | IN |
Crotophaga ani Linnaeus, 1758 | Smooth-billed Ani | 217 | 0.45 | IN |
Guira guira (Gmelin, 1788) | Guira Cuckoo | 33 | 0.12 | ON |
Strigidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Athene cunicularia (Molina, 1782) | Burrowing Owl | 4 | 0.03 | ON |
Trochilidae Vigors, 1825 | ||||
Phaethornis ruber (Linnaeus, 1758) | Reddish Hermit | 1 | 0.01 | NE |
Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788) | Swallow-tailed Hummingbird | 16 | 0.14 | NE |
Chrysolampis mosquitos (Linnaeus, 1758) | Ruby-topaz Hummingbird | 2 | 0.02 | NE |
Chlorostilbon lucidus (Shaw, 1812) | Glittering-bellied Emerald | 6 | 0.06 | NE |
Alcedinidae Rafinesque, 1815 | ||||
Chloroceryle amazona (Latham, 1790) | Amazon Kingfisher | 2 | 0.01 | PI |
Bucconidae Horsfield, 1821 | ||||
Nystalus maculatus (Gmelin, 1788) | Spot-backed Puffbird | 4 | 0.02 | ON |
Falconidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Caracara plancus (Miller, 1777) | Southern Caracara | 18 | 0.16 | ON |
Herpetotheres cachinnans (Linnaeus, 1758) | Laughing Falcon | 1 | 0.01 | CA |
Psittacidae Rafinesque, 1815 | ||||
Eupsittula cactorum (Kuhl, 1820) | Cactus Parakeet | 62 | 0.16 | GR/FR |
Forpus xanthopterygius (Spix, 1824) | Blue-winged Parrotlet | 101 | 0.26 | GR/FR |
Furnariidae Gray, 1840 | ||||
Furnarius rufus (Gmelin, 1788) | Rufous Hornero | 12 | 0.08 | IN |
Pseudoseisura cristata (Spix, 1824) | Caatinga Cacholote | 49 | 0.30 | IN |
Phacellodomus rufifrons (Wied, 1821) | Rufous-fronted Thornbird | 6 | 0.02 | IN |
Certhiaxis cinnamomeus (Gmelin, 1788) | Yellow-chinned Spinetail | 8 | 0.03 | IN |
Rhynchocyclidae Berlepsch, 1907 | ||||
Todirostrum cinereum (Linnaeus, 1766) | Common Tody-Flycatcher | 35 | 0.25 | IN |
Hemitriccus margaritaceiventer (d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) | Pearly-vented Tody-tyrant | 1 | 0.01 | IN |
Tyrannidae Vigors, 1825 | ||||
Camptostoma obsoletum (Temminck, 1824) | Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet | 2 | 0.02 | IN |
Elaenia flavogaster (Thunberg, 1822) | Yellow-bellied Elaenia | 1 | 0.01 | ON |
Machetornis rixosa (Vieillot, 1819) | Cattle Tyrant | 3 | 0.02 | IN |
Pitangus sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) | Great Kiskadee | 83 | 0.43 | ON |
Myiozetetes similis (Spix, 1825) | Social Flaycatcher | 11 | 0.07 | ON |
Tyrannus melancholicus Vieillot, 1818 | Tropical Kingbird | 50 | 0.25 | IN |
Empidonomus varius (Vieillot, 1818) | Variegated Flaycacher | 1 | 0.01 | IN |
Fluvicola nengeta (Linnaeus, 1766) | Masked Water-Tyrant | 18 | 0.10 | IN |
Xolmis irupero (Vieillot, 1823) | White Monjita | 1 | 0.01 | IN |
Vireonidae Swainson, 1837 | ||||
Cyclarhis gujanensis (Gmelin, 1789) | Rufous-browed Peppershrike | 4 | 0.04 | ON |
Troglodytidae Swainson, 1831 | ||||
Troglodytes musculus Naumann, 1823 | Southern House Wren | 37 | 0.25 | IN |
Cantorchilus longirostris (Vieillot, 1819) | Long-billed Wren | 2 | 0.02 | IN |
Polioptilidae Baird, 1858 | ||||
Polioptila plumbea (Gmelin, 1788) | Tropical Gnatcatcher | 32 | 0.19 | IN |
Turdidae Rafinesque, 1815 | ||||
Turdus rufiventris Vieillot, 1818 | Rufous-bellied Thrush | 14 | 0.08 | ON |
Mimidae Bonaparte, 1853 | ||||
Mimus saturninus (Lichtenstein, 1823) | Chalk-browed Mockingbird | 33 | 0.13 | ON |
Motacillidae Horsfield, 1821 | ||||
Anthus lutescens Pucheran, 1855 | Yellowish Pipit | 11 | 0.08 | IN |
Passerellidae Cabanis & Heine, 1850 | ||||
Zonotrichia capensis (Statius Muller, 1776) | Rufous-collared Sparrow | 1 | 0.01 | GR |
Ammodramus humeralis (Bosc, 1792) | Grassland Sparrow | 56 | 0.26 | GR |
Icteridae Vigors, 1825 | ||||
Icterus pyrrhopterus (Vieillot, 1819) | Variable Oriole | 3 | 0.02 | ON |
Icterus jamacaii (Gmelin, 1788) | Campo Troupial | 1 | 0.01 | ON |
Gnorimopsar chopi (Vieillot, 1819) | Chopi Blackbird | 3 | 0.01 | ON |
Chrysomus ruficapillus (Vieillot, 1819) | Chestnut-capped Blackbird | 108 | 0.12 | ON |
Agelaioides fringillarius (Spix, 1824) | Pale Baywing | 45 | 0.09 | ON |
Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin, 1789) | Shiny Cowbird | 59 | 0.16 | ON |
Thraupidae Cabanis, 1847 | ||||
Paroaria dominicana (Linnaeus, 1758) | Red-cowled Cardinal | 12 | 0.10 | GR |
Tangara sayaca (Linnaeus, 1766) | Sayaca Tanager | 77 | 0.26 | ON |
Sicalis flaveola (Linnaeus, 1766) | Saffron Finch | 2 | 0.02 | GR |
Volatinia jacarina (Linnaeus, 1766) | Blue-black Grassquit | 305 | 0.24 | GR |
Corysphopingus pileatus (Wied, 1821) | Pileated Finch | 1 | 0.01 | GR |
Coereba flaveola (Linnaeus, 1758) | Bananaquit | 7 | 0.04 | ON |
Sporophila nigricollis (Vieillot, 1823) | Yellow-bellied Seedeater | 12 | 0.04 | GR |
Sporophila albogularis (Spix, 1825) | White-throated Seedeater | 133 | 0.48 | GR |
Compsothraupis loricata (Lichtenstein, 1819) | Scarlet-throated Tanager | 6 | 0.01 | ON |
Fringillidae Leach, 1820 | ||||
Euphonia chlorotica (Linnaeus, 1766) | Purple-throated Euphonia | 51 | 0.31 | ON |
Estrildidae Bonaparte, 1850 | ||||
Estrilda astrid (Linnaeus, 1758) | Common Waxbill | 19 | 0.04 | GR |
Passeridae Rafinesque, 1815 | ||||
Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) | House Sparrow | 6 | 0.02 | ON |
The Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata), a migratory species that can be seen in large flocks (
One hundred and eighty-six nests were recorded, belonging to 12 bird species (Fig.
Bird species observed using the sampled guava orchards, located in Sergipe, northeastern Brazil, for nesting.
Taxon | Common name |
---|---|
Tinamidae Gray, 1840 | |
Crypturellus parvirostris (Wagler, 1827) | Small-billed Tinamou |
Columbidae Leach, 1820 | |
Columbina minuta (Linnaeus, 1766) | Plain-breasted Ground-Dove |
Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1811) | Ruddy Ground-Dove |
Columbina picui (Temminck, 1813) | Picui Ground-Dove |
Cuculidae Leach, 1820 | |
Crotophaga ani Linnaeus, 1758 | Smooth-billed Ani |
Furnariidae Gray, 1840 | |
Furnarius rufus (Gmelin, 1788) | Rufous Hornero |
Phacellodomus rufifrons (Wied, 1821) | Rufous-fronted Thornbird |
Tyrannidae Vigors, 1825 | |
Fluvicola nengeta (Linnaeus, 1766) | Masked Water-Tyrant |
Polioptilidae Baird, 1858 | |
Polioptila plumbea (Gmelin, 1788) | Tropical Gnatcatcher |
Turdidae Rafinesque, 1815 | |
Turdus rufiventris Vieillot, 1818 | Rufous-bellied Thrush |
Mimidae Bonaparte, 1853 | |
Mimus saturninus (Lichtenstein, 1823) | Chalk-browed Mockingbird |
Thraupidae Cabanis, 1847 | |
Sporophila albogularis (Spix, 1825) | White-throated Seedeater |
Nests of birds that used the sampled guava orchards, located in Sergipe, northeastern Brazil, for reproduction. A) Columbina talpacoti, B) Columbina picui, C) Columbina minuta, D) Mimus saturninus, E) Furnarius rufus, F) Sporophila albogularis, G) Fluvicola nengeta, H) Polioptila plumbea, I) Turdus rufiventris, J) Crypturellus parvirostris K) Phacellodomus rufifrons, L) Crotophaga ani. Photos: Cleverton da Silva.
The recorded bird richness in the 39 guava orchards sampled (n = 76 species) corresponds to only 38% of the total of 197 species already described for the semiarid region of the state of Sergipe (
All bird species recorded in this study were documented in studies already carried out in the semiarid region of Sergipe (
The total number of bird species found in the present study was lower than that observed in
Some of the bird species observed in guava orchards, such as Crypturellus parvirostris, Bubulcus ibis, Vanellus chilensis, Columbina talpacoti, Crotophaga ani, Furnarius rufus, Pitangus sulphuratus, Tyrannus melancholicus, Troglodytes musculus, Tangara sayaca, Volatinia jacarina and Euphonia chlorotica, were common to the studies by
The representation of the Tyrannidae and Thraupidae families in a number of species has also been observed in other studies carried out in rural areas, especially in agricultural environments (
The prevalence of omnivorous, insectivorous and granivorous species in guava orchards is similar to the pattern of occurrence observed in other tropical anthropogenic environments (
Birds that were observed using the guava orchards for nesting events account for 16% of the total 76 bird species recorded in the present study. According to
In a study conducted by
In conclusion, bird species recorded in the guava orchards are common in the semiarid region (caatinga) of the state of Sergipe, except by the White Monjita (Xolmis irupero), a new record for the state. Also, all bird species recorded using the guava orchards are considered disturbed-tolerant species. In general, the guava orchards are not acting as a refuge for the conservation of birds in the semiarid region of Brazil in a satisfactory manner, as they are excluding species sensitive to human disturbances. However, they are being used by five endemic species, showing that these habitats can be important for at least some of the birds living in the Caatinga. Thus, the adoption of some agroecological practices, such as the planting of some shrub and/or native tree species in association with the cultivation of guava, can be applied to attract species of high conservation value, such as the endemics (
The authors dedicate this work to their unforgettable friends Genivaldo A. de Jesus (in memoriam) and Daniela P. Bitencurti (in memoriam). To the guava producers from Alto Sertão Sergipe, who allowed the research to be carried out. To the financial support of FAPITEC (public notice: FAPITEC/SE/FUNTEC/CAPES No. 07/2015 – LINE 1 – Research Project) and CNPq/CAPES/INCT IN-TREE (called INCT – MCTI/CNPq/FAPs No. 16 /2014). This work was carried out with the support of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel – Brazil (CAPES) – Financing Code 001.