title: Distribution and conservation of three important bird groups of the Atlantic Forest in north-east Brazil.
abstract: The Pernambuco Endemism Center in north-east Brazil has the most fragmented forest cover and the largest number of threatened birds of the whole Atlantic Forest. We analyzed the distribution of three groups of bird species: forest-dependent, endemic and/or threatened using the interpolation method of Inverse Distance Weighting. We also checked the concentration of these birds in protected and unprotected areas, suggesting new sites that need to be protected. The richness concentration of forest-dependent, endemic and/or threatened birds in 123 sites were analysed. There was a greater concentration of the three groups in north Alagoas, south and north Pernambuco, and north and west Paraíba. The distribution of the three groups was almost regular in different vegetation types, although a lower concentration was found in the pioneer formation. There was a greater concentration of birds from all three groups between Pernambuco and Alagoas, and this must be due to the presence of more forest fragments with better structure and vegetation heterogeneity. The protected and unprotected areas hosted important records of endemic and/or threatened birds. We suggested some important places for implementation of new protected areas due to the larger concentrations of the target birds and because they are located within the boundaries of the Important Bird Areas.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Laboratório de Ornitologia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB, Campus Universitário, Rua Santa Rita, 130, CEP 58397-000, Areia, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: H F P
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Laboratório de Ornitologia, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco - UFRPE, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, s/n, CEP 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Azevedo-Júnior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds; D001938:Brazil; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D065928:Forests