Bird Response to Habitat Structure and Habitat Disturbance in Andean Forests of Ecuador

What species: Many residents species, including Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina), Azara's Spinetail (Synallaxis azarae),Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula),Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis), Russet-crowned Warbler (Basileuterus coronatus), Spectacled Whitestart (Myioborus melanocephalus), Black-crested Warbler (Basileuterus nigrocristatus), Black Flowerpiercer (Diglossa humeralis), Masked Flowerpiercer (Diglossa cyanea), Blue-and-black Tanager (Tangara vassorii), Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager (Anisognathus igniventris), Stripe-headed Brush Finch (Buarremon torquatus), and Rufous-naped Brush Finch (Atlapetes latnuchus).

Where: Cajas National Park, Ecuador.

Who: Dr. Steven Latta (National Aviary), Dr. Catherine Graham (Stony Brook University, New York), Dr. Gustavo Chacón (University of Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador), and Boris Tinoco (University of Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador).

When: 2005 – present

Why: Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and degradation is so pervasive that it can be considered the greatest threat to biological diversity. Because degradation of natural habitats jeopardizes the survival of species and communities, it is critical to understand the patterns and processes that occur within human-altered landscapes. Ecuadorian habitats, especially broadleaf forests, harbor extraordinary levels of biodiversity, but are also being lost at alarming rates. In order to document and understand how habitat alteration influences biodiversity, both monitoring (pattern) and detailed behavioral studies (process) are needed.

Current Goals: To date, research on the effects of habitat degradation often focuses on abundance and richness of bird species in both natural and disturbed habitats. More rigorous studies are needed that compare variation in the condition of individual birds by recording, for example, changes in mass, fat levels, muscle mass size, and parasite load among habitats. In addition, few studies have examined how reproductive effort, reproductive success, site fidelity, juvenile dispersal behavior, and survival vary with habitat conditions, but such information is vital to predict the long term viability of populations in degenerated habitats. We are addressing these deficiencies with a two pronged approach: one focused on intensive long term monitoring across a landscape composed of different natural and human-altered habitats, and a second on behavioral and demographic studies of specific species in the same landscape.

Next Steps: We have completed the first year of a multi-year study.

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