Comparison of avian communities between burnt and unburnt riparian forests immersed in savanna landscapes: Insights for fire management

Fire has shaped biological communities in savannas for millions of years, but anthropogenic fires are altering their natural fire regime. The Cerrado (Brazilian savanna), a global biodiversity hotspot due to high species endemism and habitat loss, has been increasingly affected by anthropogenic wildfires. We investigated the impacts of anthropogenic fires on the avifauna of riparian forests embedded within the savanna matrix in southeastern Brazil. We addressed the differences in forest structure between burnt and unburnt sites and changes in bird abundance and composition, considering traits such as body mass, diet and forest dependence. We sampled six riparian forests, three burnt two years ago and three fire-free for at least ten years (unburnt). Birds were recorded through point counts bimonthly for one year, and vegetation attributes were sampled in plots centered in each point count. Burnt riparian forests showed, on average, twice the tree mortality, lower canopy cover (-56%), and greater soil coverage (+18%) by invasive African grasses, such as Urochloa spp. and Panicum maximum . Total bird abundance did not differ, but species abundances varied widely between burnt and unburnt riparian forests and were independent of bird body mass. Burnt forests had fewer insectivorous (-32%) and forest-dependent (-38%) birds but more herbivorous-granivorous birds (86%) than unburnt forests. These differences in bird communities appear partially explained by fire-induced changes in vegetation, which favor generalist species over specialists. These changes highlight the need to consider riparian forests as fire-sensitive vegetation within the Cerrado, with implications for biodiversity conservation and fire management strategies.