Latitudinal variation in species composition of Passerine birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest using citizen science
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Favretto, M. A. 2020. Latitudinal variation in species composition of
Passerine birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest using citizen science
Boletim do Centro Português de Geo-História e Pré-História 2 (1) 2020 : 49-53
https://www.cpgp.pt/boletim.php
ISSN (print): 2184-4518. ISSN (online): 1645-9806. ISSN (CD-ROM): 2184-4194.
Latitudinal variation in species composition of Passerine birds in the
Brazilian Atlantic Forest using citizen science
Mario Arthur Favretto 1
1
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Universitário, Bairro Trindade, Florianópolis, estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
Recebido: 30 julho 2020 / Aceite: 15 novembro 2020 / Disponível online: 1 março 2021
Resumo
A Mata Atlântica foi um dos primeiros biomas do Brasil a ser explorado no início de sua colonização portuguesa, restando 8% de sua área
original. Esse bioma se estende do nordeste ao sul do Brasil, abrangendo quase toda a sua costa. O presente trabalho procurou analisar como
ocorre a variação latitudinal de aves da ordem Passeriformes neste bioma, verificando se há variação e quais padrões de distribuição ocorrem,
usando um banco de dados de ciência cidadã. Com esses dados verificamos que o aumento da riqueza de espécies teve relação positiva com o
aumento da latitude, diferente de outros estudos que demonstram uma relação inversa destas variáveis em grupos animais. Também registramos
um gradiente de variação das aves do norte ao sul neste bioma. A composição de espécies formou grupos de similaridade de espécies que
refletem os centros de endemismo e especiação do bioma, resultado da história geológica da Mata Atlântica que é fortemente influenciada pelos
períodos de glaciação, tendo ocorrido períodos de expansões e de retrações das fitofisionomias florestais que a formam.
Palavras-chave: aves; endemismo; especiação; refúgios florestais.
Abstract
The Atlantic Forest was one of the first biomes in Brazil to be exploited during the Portuguese colonization; which culminated in, today, it
holding 8% of its original area. This biome extends from the northeast to the south of Brazil, covering almost the entire coast of the country.
The present work attempts to unveil the latitudinal variation of Passerine birds (Passeriformes) in this biome, checking if there is variation and
which distribution patterns occur; all using a database made with citizen science data. With these data we found that the increase in species
richness has a positive correlation with the increase in latitude, different from other studies that show an inverse relationship of these variables
in animal groups. We also recorded a gradient in variation of birds from north to south in this biome. The species composition formed groups
of similarity of species that reflect the centers of endemism and speciation of the biome, a result of the geological history of the Atlantic Forest
which is strongly influenced by the periods of glaciation, with periods of expansion and retractions of the forest types that form it.
Keywords: birds; forest refuges; endemism; speciation.
1. INTRODUCTION large gradient of latitudinal variation, being distributed over
different climatic conditions. Related to these variations there
are also changes in the species composition that occur along
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a biome that has been
their geographical distribution. Latitudinal variations generate
exploited since the very beginning of the Portuguese
gradients of different habitat conditions that influence the
colonization in Brazil; this biome spreads throughout
geographic distribution of species of different taxonomic
almost the entire coastal area of that country, which extends
groups, creating specific regional ecological conditions (Prata
latitudinally. Its original area was approximately 1,360,000
et al., 2018; Kinlock et al., 2018; Piovesan et al., 2018).
km2, an area that is currently reduced to 8% of it (MMA,
2002). To add to this the fact, it is notable that 70% of the The variation of species along latitudinal gradients is a
Brazilian population resides within the area of this biome, pattern that is repeated in all parts of the globe, with species
which includes the largest cities in Brazil (MMA, 2002). richness increasing closer to the equatorial regions (lower
Despite the constant anthropic impacts that this biome suffers, latitude) and decreasing closer to the polar regions (higher
its rate of deforestation has been reduced in the last decades latitude), both in the northern and southern hemispheres
(SOS Mata Atlântica / INPE, 2018). (Hildebrand, 2004; Mittelbach et al., 2007).
Due to its long extension, the Atlantic Forest forms a Following this pattern, the composition of birds also
Favretto, M. A. Boletim do Centro Português de Geo-História e Pré-História 2 (1) 2020 49-53
varies in a latitudinal way, in some situations with expressive Brazilian
changes, influencing even the amount of eggs laid by the birds Municipality/State Coordinate geopolitical
and the survival of their offspring (Morrison et al., 2010; region
Stegen et al., 2013; Muñoz et al., 2018). However, specific Torres (RS) 29° 20' 06" S, 49° 43' 37" W South
regional conditions may result in an absence of this variation,
making the avifauna more homogeneous, eventually being a Florianópolis (SC) 27° 35' 49" S, 48° 32' 56" W South
reflection of the homogenization of the habitats themselves Paranaguá (PR) 25° 31' 12" S, 48° 30' 32" W South
(Filloy et al., 2015). São Vicente (SP) 23° 57' 46" S, 46° 23' 31" O Southeast
For the Atlantic Forest, there are some recognized centers Campos de Goytacazes (RJ) 21° 45' 14" S, 41° 19' 26" W Southeast
of endemism of species that occur along its latitudinal lines.
São Mateus (ES) 18° 43' 00" S, 39° 51' 31" W Southeast
These areas reflect the history of forest retractions and
expansions during glaciations of the Pleistocene period and Canavieiras (BA) 15° 40' 30" S, 38° 56' 49" W Northeast
contact or isolation with other South American forest biomes Aracaju (SE) 10° 54' 36" S, 37° 04' 12" W Northeast
(Ribeiro et al., 2009; Silva et al., 2012).
Maceió (AL) 09° 39' 57" S, 35° 44' 06" W Northeast
Based on these considerations, the present work performs Recife (PE) 08° 03' 14" S, 34° 52' 51" W Northeast
an analysis of the latitudinal variation of Passerine birds (order
João Pessoa (PB) 07° 05' 00" S, 34° 50' 00" W Northeast
Passeriformes) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, between the
latitudes 7°S and 29°S, in order to verify if the use of citizen Table 1
Geographic coordinates of the municipalities used in the evaluation of the
science data reflects known biogeographical patterns for the latitudinal variation of Passerine birds of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
distribution of birds of this biome.
composition of Passerine bird species, the following statistical
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS methods were performed: linear regression analysis between
species richness and degrees of latitude; cluster analysis using
UPGMA algorithm and Jaccard distance; NMDS analysis
This study was conducted with the objective of analyzing
and ANOSIM, to check the similarities and differences in
how the latitudinal variation of Passerine birds occurs along
the composition of bird species between the different areas;
the Atlantic Forest on the coast of Brazil by using citizen
and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). All of these
science data. For our analysis we utilized the data available on
analyses were generated through the software Past, version
the website Wikiaves (2019); this website is a citizen science
2.16 (Hammer et al., 2001).
initiative, which currently hosts a database with a huge amount
of Brazilian bird occurrence records, to be precise, a total of
3,270,834 bird records from 35,431 users. We’ve retrieved the 3. RESULTS
lists of species available on this website that occurred within
a 50 km radius from 11 municipalities distributed from the
In this study, information from 430 Passerine bird species,
northeast to the south of the Brazilian coast (tab. 1, fig. 1).
with records of distribution between latitudes 7°S and 29°S,
To determine if and which variations occurred in the was used. The regression analysis showed that there was a
Fig. 1. Location of the sampling municipalities and the Atlantic Forest biome in Brazil. A - location of Brazil in South America (in black); B - original
distribution of the Atlantic Forest biome in Brazil before the beginning of the European occupation (in green); C - current distribution of the Atlantic Forest
biome in Brazil (in green) and deforested areas (in light yellow), and location of the municipalities used in this study (black circles). Adapted from: SOS Mata
Atlântica / INPE (2018).
50
Favretto, M. A. Boletim do Centro Português de Geo-História e Pré-História 2 (1) 2020 49-53
positive and significant relationship between the increase in
latitude and the increase in Passerine species richness (R2 =
0.52; p = 0.01; fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Regression analysis of the relationship between latitude and species
richness of Passerine birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (R2 = 0.52; p =
0.01).
The cluster analysis demonstrated the formation of three
distinct groups of species composition (fig. 3 and fig. 4). These Fig. 4. Location of the latitudinal species composition groups found in
cluster analysis in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Adapted from: SOS Mata
groups followed a latitudinal pattern, one group encompassing
Atlântica/INPE (2018).
areas of the southeast and south regions of Brazil (southeast-
south group), another group area of the southeast and northeast
regions, encompassing the central region of the Brazilian coast
(southeast-northeast group) and another yet the northeast
region (northeast group) (coph. corr. = 0.93).
Fig. 5. NMDS analysis of the species composition of Passerine birds along
different latitudes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Fig. 3. Cluster analysis of the species composition of Passerine birds along
different latitudes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, using UPGMA algorithm
and Jaccard distance (ccc = 0.93). Dotted lines indicate the groups formed.
When the NMDS analysis was performed, utilizing the
cluster analysis groups, we verified the occurrence of the same
pattern of segregation by regions and latitudinal variation
(fig. 5). Indicating a larger similarity between the southeast-
northeast and northeast areas, in accordance with the results
of the cluster analysis. In fact, when these regional groupings
are considered, there was a significant difference in the
composition of species between them (ANOSIM: R = 0.97, p Fig. 6 - Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) of the species
= 0.0002). composition of Passerine birds along different latitudes in the Brazilian
Atlantic Forest.
The Detrended Correspondence Analysis showed that the
ordering of bird species is distributed along the sample areas
forming a gradient (fig. 6). Indicating that the composition of
species varies gradually along the Atlantic Forest.
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Favretto, M. A. Boletim do Centro Português de Geo-História e Pré-História 2 (1) 2020 49-53
4. DISCUSSION The data on the distribution of birds also corroborates the
hypothesis of the existence of an ecological gradient, since the
Results obtained in Argentina found a reduction in species species vary gradually along its extension. This hypothesis
richness associated with increased latitude (see: Filloy et al., states that as the Atlantic Forest is isolated and surrounded by
2015). However, in our study in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, biomes of open areas, such as Caatinga, Cerrado and Pampas,
the opposite occurs, with the higher latitudes having greater it develops different characteristics along its area (Dantas et
richness of Passerine birds; furthermore, the composition of al., 2011). It is also known that the flora of the Atlantic Forest
species here varies and changes along the latitudinal gradient. undergoes changes in its composition along the latitudinal
gradient, influenced mainly by changes in temperature and
These results seem to contradict the latitudinal gradient rainfall. It is possible that this floristic composition also
hypothesis, which posits that there should be greater species influences the composition of birds or reflects a similar pattern
richness at lower latitudes, i.e., closer to tropical areas (Prata et al., 2018).
(Hildebrand, 2004; Mittelbach et al., 2007). The bird fauna
The understanding of the factors that influence the
in the Atlantic Forest seems to contradict said hypothesis in
latitudinal distribution of animals is still limited, considering
other fronts as well, such as in the genetic variations of its
that many of these may not be sufficient to explain the current
bird residents, with some species having less genetic stability
distribution of birds, such as ecological characteristics, body
in regions of lower latitude, whereas larger stability should be
size, life strategies and climate change, since the last maximum
expected closer to tropical regions (D’Horta et al., 2011). of glaciation (Weir & Schluter, 2007; Smith et al., 2017). In
Possibly the lower richness in low latitudes of the Atlantic this context, latitudinal differences could only be the result
Forest occurs due to the diminished extension of this biome of higher extinction rates or differences in time for speciation
towards those latitudes, a reflection of the fact that those areas between different latitudes (Weir & Schluter, 2007; Smith et
were the first to be colonized in Brazil, and have suffered major al., 2017).
environmental degradation (Mittermeier et al., 2005; Silva et These data show that, at least in the coastal region of the
al., 2018). In addition, the lower latitude regions occur close Atlantic Forest, the general notion that there should be a
to another biome, with a semi-arid climate, called Caatinga decrease in species richness with the increase of latitude is
(Fritzsons et al., 2017; Silva et al., 2018). not applicable, the opposite in fact occurring for this biome.
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has a dynamic history To understand this, it is necessary to consider the historical
from the last millions of years, having suffered expansions aspects that occurred over geological time in these areas. The
and retractions of its forest areas, as well as oscillations of processes of isolation of Passerine bird populations in forest
glaciation periods, sometimes more intense and sometimes refuges during the Pleistocene certainly contributed to their
reduced. These changes in forest areas were also reflected speciation and even after the expansion of forest areas the
species composition maintained its regional characteristics;
in the fauna, with population expansions and retractions, in
with different Passerine bird species replacing each other
addition to population isolations in forest fragments or specific
throughout the biome and only part of them occurring within
habitats that resulted in processes of speciation or intra-species
all its extension. Finally, the data used here, originated from
genetic variations (Sobral-Souza et al., 2015; Françoso et al.
citizen science, proved to be robust to explore biogeographical
2016; Batalha-Filho & Miyaki, 2016).
patterns of bird species, corroborating previously recognized
In fact, the groupings formed in our analysis coincide with patterns of distribution of birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
the philogeographic discontinuities of the Atlantic Forest,
reflecting areas of forest refuge that were formed during
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