Aspectos ecológicos de Antilophia Galeata (Passeriformes: Pipridae) e seu potencial em biomonitoramento e conservação

Abstract

The species conservation is a challenge, as factors such as agriculture and livestock expansion, urbanization, pollutant emissions, intensify the fragmentation of natural habitats, which contribute to climate change and jeopardize the survival of species in their habitats. These modifications can alter vital ecological functions such as resource supply, which in turns affects major activities for the species as the reproduction. In birds, the availability of food is the most important factor in determining their reproductive periods and other associated activities. Knowing the consequences of these impacts for potential use in biomonitoring species is important for conservation of degraded areas. This study aimed to evaluate the use of Antilophia galeata as an environmental biomonitor and therefore, its use in conservation areas, through the analysis of population patterns, body condition and biomonitoring techniques like Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), Relative Mass Índex (RMI) and micronucleus analysis. The study was conducted in four fragments of a semideciduous forest in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais. Individuals were captured in mist nets in campaigns between the years of 1994 and 2015, collecting morphometric data, blood and faeces. 531 individuals were captured, of which 505 were banded, and of these 132 were in reproductive stage. 302 subjects were used for wing FA analysis and 248 for tarsus FA, 493 for RMI and 82 for the Micronucleus tests. The peak of captured individuals and reproductive stage was the dry season, coinciding with the peak of fruit offer in the area. The proportion of arthropods in faeces was irrelevant in relation to fruit and A. galeata did not show a preferred height. stratum The sex ratio for the population found in the analyzed fragment was 1.1: 1 male / female. As the tools to evaluate the use of the species in biomonitoring, it was found significant differences in the wings and tarsus FA between the four areas, and between the years in Glória. For these same area, it was found negative correlation between FA and precipitation. Both for FA and RMI, it was not found difference between dry and wet season. The RMI was also not different between areas, years and sex. For micronuclei, it was found differences between the areas with greater frequency in those closest to highways. Antilophia galeata apparently relates its main activities such as reproduction with the greatest resource period abundance, and proves to be a generalist frugivore foraging in heights stratum according to the resource offer. The species showed a small deviation in the sex ratio for males in that population and also reflected well the environmental quality through AF and micronucleus analysis. This study shows that A. galeata can be used as a biomonitor, mainly through the micronucleus analysis tool.