Eficiência de poleiros artificiais na dispersão de propágulos em área em restauração ecológica

Abstract

The Glória de Dourados Municipal Natural Park (PNMGD), established by Decree No. 18/2019, represents the first municipal Conservation Unit in the municipality of Glória de Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, and is classified as a strict protection area. Located approximately 3 km from the urban center, the park covers an area of 19.62 hectares and primarily aims to conserve biodiversity remnants within the Atlantic Forest biome. The area is part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, recognized by the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB/UNESCO), and exhibits high environmental heterogeneity while harboring significant regional biodiversity, including threatened species. Despite its ecological importance, PNMGD faces challenges related to deforestation, habitat fragmentation, soil erosion, sedimentation of watercourses, and pressures from surrounding livestock activities. These impacts reflect the broader degradation scenario of the Atlantic Forest biome, which currently retains only about 12.4% of its original mature forest cover, making it a priority for conservation and ecological restoration efforts. In this context, ecological restoration emerges as a key strategy to reestablish the structural and functional integrity of degraded ecosystems. Among the restoration techniques employed, nucleation strategies stand out, aiming to accelerate ecological succession through the formation of regeneration nuclei. Artificial perches represent a relevant tool within this framework, as they attract frugivorous birds and bats that promote zoochorous seed dispersal, thereby enhancing natural regeneration processes. Although the effect of artificial perches on seed rain has been relatively well studied, there is still a scarcity of research addressing subsequent stages, such as germination, seedling emergence, and survival, as well as the influence of edaphic and climatic factors on these processes. To address this gap, this dissertation is structured into three chapters: the first examines propagule dispersal and initial establishment under artificial perches; the second analyzes seed emergence potential under nursery conditions; and the third evaluates avifauna dynamics in a restoration area using artificial perches, contributing to the improvement of strategies aimed at the functional recovery of degraded ecosystems.