What is the value of eucalyptus monocultures for the biodiversity of the Atlantic forest? A multitaxa study in southern Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Eucalyptus plantations are increasing in Brazil, frequently replacing pastures, but there is still scarce information about its capacity to maintain the fauna of neighbor forest remnants. In this study, we compared descriptors of the communities of leaf litter organisms (lizards, anurans, myriapods, arachnids, orthopterans, coleopterans, and ants) between a large remnant of primary Atlantic Forest and an adjacent eucalyptus monoculture (phase 1). Then, we compared the same descriptors for leaf litter lizards and anurans, Euglossini bees, and frugivorous butterflies among the largest remnant, small remnants at intermediate regeneration stage, and eucalyptus monocultures that were not adjacent to the largest remnant (phase 2). Monocultures were sampled immediately before logging. In phase 1, we detected significant differences in structure between the forest and the monoculture in six out of seven communities sampled. Ca. 81% of the species of the landscape were recorded in the forest, but only 54% of these were found also in the monoculture. In phase 2, the structure of two out of four forest communities was significantly different from the structure of small remnants and monocultures. On average, 76% of the species found in the whole landscape were sampled in the forest. Out of this subset, on average 74% of the species were also sampled in small remnants and 68% in monocultures. Findings of the present study point out a moderate capacity of eucalyptus monocultures to harbor species of the forest fauna even when fully grown but highlights the opportunity that they might offer for increasing connectivity in anthropogenic forest landscapes depending on their management.