Bird diversity and abundance in forest fragments and Eucalyptus plantations around an Atlantic forest reserve, Brazil

Little of Brazil's remaining Atlantic forest is protected, so it is importa nt to assess how well the region's wildlife can persist in areas/habitats o utside reserves. We studied bird diversity and abundance during 546 point c ounts in the Sooretama/Linhares reserve, 200 point counts in 31 forest frag ments (10-150 h), and 50 point counts in < 30-year-old Eucalyptus plantatio ns, within 7 km of the reserve. Only eight bird species were recorded in Eu calyptus, and this impoverishment, as compared to some Eucalyptus plantatio ns elsewhere in Brazil may be a result of intensive clearance of understory vegetation. Species diversity in forest fragments was significantly lower than in the reserve. Twelve, mostly non-forest or edge species, were signif icantly commoner in the fragments, but nineteen species were frequent in th e reserve but rare or absent in forest fragments. These included two Pyrrhu ra parakeets, a Brotogeris parakeet, a trogon Trogon, a jacamar Galbula, wo odpeckers Piculus and Campephilus, Myrmotherula antwrens, and Hemithraupus and Tachyphonus tanagers. Bird species richness at points in forest fragmen ts did not decline with fragment size, distance from the reserve, or forest quality. However, forest in fragments was more heavily degraded than fores t within the reserve and poor forest quality may be the cause of declines i n some species. Whilst protection of forest within reserves is a priority, management of forest fragments may aid conservation of some threatened spec ies.