Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: CARLOS SALUSTIO GOMES

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : CARLOS SALUSTIO GOMES
DATE: 29/08/2023
TIME: 08:30
LOCAL: Sala de reuniões do Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, UFRN
TITLE:

OCCUPANCY PATTERNS, POPULATION DENSITY, AND VOCAL ACTIVITY OF OWLS IN ATLANTIC FOREST PATCHES

KEY WORDS:

Pernambuco Endemism Center; animal behavior; owl; deforestation; passive acoustic monitoring; multiple scales.

PAGES: 58
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

Understanding the drivers of species distribution shifts in degraded habitats is crucial for conservation. In the context of the Atlantic Forest, deforestation has severely affected bird populations, especially raptors, making their protection vital to maintain ecosystem balance. The use of appropriate methods, such as occupancy modeling and passive acoustic monitoring, allows a more accurate approach to understand the effects of environmental degradation and identify priority areas for conservation. In addition, studies on vocal activity of raptors also provide crucial insights to understand their ecology and evolution. Surveys in various regions reveal vocalization patterns linked to environmental factors such as climate and habitat. This information aids in the identification of vocal activity patterns and directs monitoring efforts towards conservation. In Chapter 1, we adopt a multi-spatial scale approach to identify environmental factors affecting the occupancy of the Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) and estimate its population density. We conducted the survey in 88 sites distributed in 11 forest patches located in the northern Pernambuco Endemism Center, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We installed autonomous sound recorders at each site to capture detection data of the species over three nights. We collected covariate data at the local and landscape scales. We found that P. perspicillata requires more intact forest landscapes and forests closer to the core of higher bird diversity of the Pernambuco Endemism Center to have high occupancy probability. Our results are fundamental to understanding the species' distribution patterns at multiple spatial scales using robust ecological models. We warn about the negative impact of environmental changes on landscape configuration, threatening the survival of the species. The study provides sound basis to guide conservation of species with similar habitat requirements and protect forests threatened by deforestation. The application of these techniques in ecological studies and the involvement of environmental agencies and society can mitigate the negative impacts of forest loss and protect biodiversity. In chapter 2, we applied passive acoustic monitoring to investigate the response of vocal activity of two nocturnal owls occurring in the Neotropical region, the Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba) and the Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata), to different biotic and abiotic factors. Data analyses are in progress.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - MARCELO CÂMARA RODRIGUES
Interno - 1439088 - MAURO PICHORIM
Interna - 1914239 - MIRIAM PLAZA PINTO