Temporal edge effects structure the assemblages of Drosophilidae (Diptera) in a Restinga forest fragment in Southern Brazil

By

Mendes, Mayara Ferreira
Blauth, Monica Laner
Santos, Luana Amaral Dos
Gaiesky, Vera Lúcia Da Silva Valente
Gottschalk, Marco Silva

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021-5-12

Original Publication

Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Volume

16

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

299--315

Subjects

Drosophilinae , environmental detectors , Exotic species , habitat fragmentation , Neotropical forest , species composition

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Brazil Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.16.e61481

 

Abstract

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation directly affects ecological processes, leading to negative biodiversity impacts for insects and other biota. Increased edge effects are one consequence of fragmentation, and may alter the composition or abundance of species in the remaining habitat fragments. Understanding the ways in which edge effects impact upon the biota is essential for conservation decision-making in fragmented landscapes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the seasonal patterns of abundance, richness, and composition of Drosophilidae in a Restinga forest fragment in the extreme south of Brazil, as a function of the distance from the edge to the interior of the fragment. The data were analyzed using SIMPER analyses, which showed that the edge and the forest interior were most dissimilar during winter, followed by spring, autumn and summer. An NMDS and the SIMPER analyses showed that the lower dissimilarity between the edge and interior in spring, autumn and summer, compared to winter, is driven by immigration of individuals from outside of the forest fragment. Furthermore, some species were asymmetrically distributed in the fragment, with some species restricted to the edge of the fragment and others to the interior. This information aids in the understanding of the functioning and dynamics of fragmentation, which is fundamental for the maintenance and integrity of environments and their fauna.