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Strengthened insectivory in a temperate fragmented forest

  • Conservation Ecology
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Abstract

Habitat fragmentation modifies ecological patterns and processes through changes in species richness and abundance. In the coastal Maulino forest, central Chile, both species richness and abundance of insectivorous birds increases in forest fragments compared to continuous forest. Through a field experiment, we examined larvae predation in fragmented forests. Higher richness and abundance of birds foraging at forest fragments translated into more insect larvae preyed upon in forest fragments than in continuous forest. The assessed level of insectivory in forest fragments agrees with lower herbivory levels in forest fragments. This pattern strongly suggests the strengthening of food interactions web in forest fragments of coastal Maulino forest.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Forestal Terranova and CONAF VII Región for granting permits to work in their lands and for logistical support. We are grateful to Ronny and Yuri Zúñiga for their kind help during field work. This research has been supported by Fondecyt 1010852 (JAS) and Universidad de Chile Fellowship PG-28/2003 (PGG). Sampling procedures and experiments included in this paper comply with current Chilean laws and regulations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile

    Paulina L. González-Gómez & Javier A. Simonetti

  2. Departamento de Manejo de Recursos Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 9206, Santiago, Chile

    Cristián F. Estades

Authors
  1. Paulina L. González-Gómez
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  2. Cristián F. Estades
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  3. Javier A. Simonetti
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Correspondence to Paulina L. González-Gómez.

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Communicated by Scott Robinson

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González-Gómez, P.L., Estades, C.F. & Simonetti, J.A. Strengthened insectivory in a temperate fragmented forest. Oecologia 148, 137–143 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0338-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0338-3

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