Efeitos da diversidade taxonômica e funcional das aves na diversidade e abundância de parasitas sanguíneos em função da extração seletiva de madeira na Amazônia Oriental

Abstract

Forest management is a rational way of using forest resources, in which the main objective is the extraction of resources without generating high environmental impact. However, this activity can cause impacts on species richness and abundance of individuals, as well as being able to cause physiological stress on birds, making them more susceptible to infections by blood parasites. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of timber management on the host and parasite taxonomic diversity, functional diversity of birds and the intensity of parasite infection, and to understand if the taxonomic and functional diversity of birds affects the taxonomic diversity of parasites and the intensity of infection. For this, we collected blood samples from 125 individuals belonging to 31 species and 11 families. Sixty individuals from 19 species were sampled in the managed area and 65 individuals from 24 species were sampled in the control area. We found significant differences in the taxonomic diversity of birds and parasites between managed and control areas, but not in the functional diversity of birds and intensity of infection by parasites. In addition, our results suggest that the taxonomic diversity of parasites depends on the taxonomic diversity, but not on the functional diversity of birds, while the infection intensity is independent of taxonomic diversity, but was dependent on the functional diversity of birds. Our study has demonstrated that forest management has caused significant effects on the taxonomic diversity of birds and parasites and that host assemblies determine parasite assemblages. However, our findings are based on a relatively short period after logging, and a long-term monitoring program is needed to understand the role of accumulated anthropogenic changes over time.