Aves especialistas de ecossistemas de areia branca no noroeste da Amazônia

Abstract

The white sand ecosystems (WSE) in the Amazon are very different environments from what is expected when we talk about the Amazon. A large part of the landscape is made up of “terra firme” and other ecosystems that are part of the dynamics and composition of one of the largest Biomes on Earth. The emergence and evolution of ecosystems over the years have been well studied, favoring the knowledge of the patterns that were shaped by multiple geological, ecological and temporal events. The evolutionary history of the Amazon could shape biodiversity patterns, revealed by studies on functional, taxonomic, and phylogenetic diversity. The first chapter seeks to understand how the ecomorphology of WSE specialist birds is in relation to generalist species that use WSE environments and other Amazon ecosystems such as “terra firme” and riverine forests. The second chapter deals with the relationship between ecomorphology and phylogeny of birds from riverside environments and WSE which evolutionary processes would have influenced the formation of communities in these ecosystems. The results show that the ecomorphology of specialist birds is not different to the point of being a separate group within the functional space. WSE bird communities are influenced over time, mainly by extinction events. With current models through the processing of phylogenetic data and ecological data, we can tell the most likely evolutionary story of the formation of communities. Thus, WSE species sinks, as a species can arrive, adapt to a restrictive environment, and longer be able to occupy other ecosystems. In the evolutionary history of WSE birds, they adapt or become extinct. These results are unprecedented and contribute to the knowledge of the evolutionary ecology of WSE species in the Amazon.