Human-modified landscapes narrow the isotopic niche of neotropical birds

Abstract

Deforestation and habitat loss resulting from land use changes are some of the utmost anthropogenic impacts that threaten tropical birds in human-modified landscapes (HMLs). The degree of these impacts on birds' diet, habitat use, and ecological niche can be measured by isotopic analysis. We investigated whether the isotopic niche width, food resources, and habitat use of bird trophic guilds differed between HMLs and natural landscapes (NLs) using stable carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen isotopes (delta N-15). We analyzed feathers of 851 bird individuals from 28 landscapes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We classified landscapes into two groups according to the percentage of forest cover (HMLs <= 30%; NLs >= 47%), and compared the isotopic niche width and mean values of delta C-13 and delta N-15 for each guild between landscape types. The niches of frugivores, insectivores, nectarivores, and omnivores were narrower in HMLs, whereas granivores showed the opposite pattern. In HMLs, nectarivores showed a reduction of 44% in niche width, while granivores presented an expansion of 26%. Individuals in HMLs consumed more resources from agricultural areas (C-4 plants), but almost all guilds showed a preference for forest resources (C-3 plants) in both landscape types, except granivores. Degraded and fragmented landscapes typically present a lower availability of habitat and food resources for many species, which was reflected by the reduction in niche width of birds in HMLs. Therefore, to protect the diversity of guilds in HMLs, landscape management strategies that offer birds more diverse habitats must be implemented in tropical regions.