Ecologia alimentar de psitacídeos na diagonal seca brasileira e implicações no processo de soltura

• Ano de defesa: 2017
• Autor(a) principal: Rodrigues, Giovanna Soares Romeiro
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal da Paraíba; Brasil; Zoologia; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas; UFPB
• Palavras-chave em Português: Ecologia alimentar; Psittacidae; Diagonal seca brasileira; Solturas; Conservação; Foraging ecology; Dry brazilian diagonal; Release; Conservation; CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::ZOOLOGIA
• Link de acesso: https://repositorio.ufpb.br/jspui/handle/tede/9774

The open biomes of Brazil, including Cerrado and Caatinga, are characterized by the intense seasonality and low pluviometric indices. The survival in such conditions depends upon ecological adaptations. Even so, we lack of information on the required resources for the maintenance of the species in that ambient. Psittaciformes is one of the most threatened groups among birds, either by habitat loss, or harvesting for wildlife traffic. Additionally, there is an ongoing debate on the proper destination for the animals seized from traffic, and we currently lack of data on the success of reinserting these birds back in the wild, or on the associated impacts into the wild. For the purpose of evaluating comparatively, in terms of feeding, the adaptive strategies of the Psittacidae in Brazilian open diagonal and evaluating reinserting birds seized from traffic, we colected and compiled data of six natural populations of one Cerrado’s Psittacidae (Brotogeris chiriri) and three natural populations and one group released on the Caatinga (Eupsittula cactorum). The natural populations of both species are frugivorous and seed predators. Both show variations on the diet composition with up to 50% of exclusive species between dry and rainy seasons, including exotic and cultivated on theirs diet and they do not realize migratory movements. The Caatinga species, Eupsittula cactorum, explores a higher number of species, has a higher number of plant-animal interactions and feeds on a wider strata when compared to the on of Cerrado (Brotogeris chiriri). The diet of both is characterized by a high spatial turnover, which seems to reflect the local composition of available resources. In terms of niche, both show similar behavior, narrowing the diet dimension but feeding on a wider range of strata during the dry season. Our data indicates that although presenting a narrower niche, E. cactorum explores qualitatively and quantitatively a larger pool of resources (when compared to Brotogeris chiriri), thus presenting more behavioral versatility. Regarding the released population of E. cactorum, most of the individuals survived and adapted to the environment, dispersing itself and congregating with the natural population. The released population presented lower diet richness, with the predominance of exotic and/or cultivated species, and not feeding on zoological resources. The composition differences implies on a low diet similarity with a of the natural populations and to different plant-animal interactions, as released animals shows a preference for the predation of non-reproductive parts. In terms of niche, the released population of E. cactorum presents higher homogeneity on the diet, but responds to the seasonal varieties in a similar way to the natural populations, by narrowing the niche on the diet dimension but feeding on a wide strata during dry season. Based on these results, it seems to train individuals to use plants that compose the local flora, as these could improve success under a highly seasonality such as found at the Caatinga.