EFFECTS OF PALM HEART HARVESTING ON AVIAN FRUGIVORES IN THE ATLANTIC RAIN-FOREST OF BRAZIL

1, It has been suggested that palm fruits are keystone resources for f rugivores in tropical rain forests, but no study has addressed this hy pothesis. The effects of the harvesting of a dominant palm tree Euterp e edulis were studied over 2 years in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. 2 . The abundance of 15 large frugivorous birds from five families (Ramp hastidae, Cracidae. Cotingidae, Trogonidae and Psittacidae) was estima ted using unlimited distance point counts (IPA) and encounter rate. 3. Although all species studied are known to eat Euterpe fruits, only on e Cotingidae (Carpornis melanocephalus) and one Ramphastidae (Ramphast idae vitellinus) were negatively affected by the removal of this palm from the forest. 4, This result indicates that Euterpe palms in the lo wland forests do not fulfil the role of keystone species, because they bear ripe fruits during the period of peak overall fruit availability and because birds may switch their diets to other food sources when p alms are removed, 5, Palm-heart exploitation is not recommended in sma ll forest areas; nor in areas where E. edulis bears fruit during the p eriod of overall fruit scarcity. Only long-term monitoring call evalua te the responses of the bird and mammal communities to the harvesting process.