Abstract

ESPEJO, Néstor  and  MORALES, Nathalie. Variation of the taxonomic and functional avian diversity in a dry tropical forest (DTF) at different successional stages in the south of Magdalena Valley, Huila, Colombia. Caldasia [online]. 2019, vol.41, n.1, pp.108-123. ISSN 0366-5232.  https://doi.org/10.15446/caldasia.v41n1.71272.

The Dry Tropical Forest is one of the most threatened ecosystems in Colombia and there are aspects about their avifauna and ecology still unknown, specially in the south of the Magdalena river. This study evaluated the changes of the taxonomic and functional diversity of a bird assemblage in an area at different successional stages, in a dry tropical forest in the south of Magdalena valley. For the characterization of the avifauna, fixed-radius counting points were carried out and, for the complexity of the habitat, structural variables of the vegetation were quantified in each successional state, a principal component analysis was conducted, where the first principal component was used as a measure of habitat complexity. The results show that the taxonomic diversity measured as richness based on the effective number of species, and the functional diversity evaluated by the functional richness index index of the assemblage were significantly correlated with habitat complexity increasing in more complex successional stages. Those patterns remained at the bird- functional group level, with positive and significant correlations in frugivorous and insectivorous, and negative for the granivores group, so that the successional status and habitat complexity may be playing a key role in the structuring of avifauna communities. These findings contributed to the avian knowledge and their ecological relation with the dry forest in the south of the Magdalena valley.

Keywords : Avifauna; functional diversity; habitat complexity; succession.

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