ABSTRACT

Caribbean islands are important hotspots for endemic species, concentrating high biodiversity on exceptionally small areas. Cozumel Island is not an exception, yet little published information exists on its bird diversity. In this study, we assessed the contribution of each major ecosystem of Cozumel Island (i.e., tropical forest, mangrove, palm thicket, and urban setting) to the island’s avian diversity. Avian richness was highest in tropical forests, followed by mangroves, palm thickets, and urban setting. Bird densities were highest in urban settings, followed by tropical forests, mangroves, and palm thickets. Species composition similarity among ecosystems was low, with the most dissimilar ecosystem being the urban setting. Interestingly, we recorded the highest number of unique species in mangroves, followed by tropical forests, urban settings, and palm thickets. Tropical forests and mangroves of Cozumel Island are the main ecosystems harboring high avian diversity, with tropical forests housing high avian densities and endemics and mangroves including the most unique species. As expected, the contribution of urban settings to the avian diversity of Cozumel Island is limited and includes some highly abundant invasive species, of which the Eurasian Collared-Dove could represent a major ecological threat.

摘要

加勒比岛屿是特有物种的重要热点，高度的生物多样性集中在极小的区域。科苏梅尔岛也不例外，但关于其鸟类多样性的公开信息很少。在这项研究中，我们评估了科苏梅尔岛每个主要生态系统（即热带森林、红树林、棕榈树丛和城市环境）对该岛鸟类多样性的贡献。热带森林的鸟类丰富度最高，其次是红树林、棕榈树丛和城市环境。城市环境中的鸟类密度最高，其次是热带森林、红树林和棕榈树丛。生态系统之间的物种组成相似性较低，最不同的生态系统是城市环境。有趣的是，我们记录的红树林中独特物种的数量最多，其次是热带森林，城市环境和棕榈树丛。科苏梅尔岛的热带森林和红树林是拥有高度鸟类多样性的主要生态系统，热带森林拥有高鸟类密度和特有物种，红树林包括最独特的物种。正如预期的那样，城市环境对科苏梅尔岛鸟类多样性的贡献是有限的，其中包括一些高度丰富的入侵物种，其中欧亚颈鸽可能是主要的生态威胁。