Incêndios na Mata Atlântica: seletividade em diferentes ambientes e impactos na diversidade de aves

Abstract

Wildfires are becoming an increasingly common disturbance in tropical forests, driven by the intensification of human activities and climate change. In this context, understanding fire patterns and its impacts on biological communities is critical to informing effective management and conservation strategies. This PhD thesis tackles these issues within the Atlantic Forest biome through two main chapters. In the first chapter, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, I explored how fire interacts with different land-use and land-cover types over a 35-year period (1987–2022). By analyzing data from more than 40,000 fires, I found that secondary forests are the most fire-prone environments, while old-growth forests are the least susceptible, demonstrating their remarkable resilience to fire. One particularly striking result was the reduced fire selectivity in secondary forests over time, suggesting that as ecological succession progresses, these forests become increasingly resistant to fire. The second chapter, submitted to the Journal of Applied Ecology, investigates how fire affects bird communities in the Atlantic Forest. I focused on how fire influences species composition and diversity—both taxonomic and functional—while also examining how landscape and fire characteristics shape these responses. The findings showed that, overall, fire did not significantly alter the composition or diversity of bird communities. However, species richness was positively linked to vegetation productivity, and functional diversity was influenced by fire size. Together, these two chapters provide valuable insights into the complex interactions between fire, landscapes, and biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest. The results highlight the need for public policies and management strategies that are tailored to local conditions, such as forest restoration initiatives and fire-smart management practices. These actions are essential for addressing the increasing threat of wildfires and preserving the biodiversity of this critically endangered biome.