Padrões atuais de distribuição de aves florestais na região sul do Estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil

Abstract

The objective of this study was the determination of current distribution patterns of resident forest birds in southern Espírito Santo state. Inasmuch, a qualitative inventory of the avifauna was conducted in diverse forest fragments within the study area. Results were compared with distributional data for the study area, adjacent regions, and the Atlantic Forest in general, based on exhaustive bibliographical research. The inventory was carried out between October, 1996, and October, 1998, in field excursions of 6-19 days, in each of six regions identified as distinct: coastal, foothill of Domingos Martins, highland, Caparaó highland, lowland of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, and the west. This concerted inventory resulted in records of 462 species (83.8% of which were documented), supplemented by 51 additional species represented by previously published records, for a total of 513 species in the study area. Of these, 336 were considered "forest residents", the regional distributional patterns of which were analyzed in this study. This set of species was separated into three basic distributional patterns: exclusive to lowland forest (83), highland (149), and widespread (104). The avifaunal assemblages studied included 104 species endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome and, considering also described subspecies, the total reached 180 taxa. The conclusion that the number of species endemic to the Atlantic Forest increases with increase in elevation was corroborated. Interestingly, some verified distributional patterns of a regional nature differed from established patterns in neighboring states and the Atlantic Forest in general. It is recommended that other, methodologically similar, studies should be implemented to aid in biogeographic studies of wider scope as well as conservation decisions at the local level.