PAPEL ECOLÓGICO DAS AVES NO BIOMA CERRADO COM ÊNFASE NA POLINIZAÇÃO E DISPERSÃO

Abstract

This study aims to address the ecological role of birds emphasizing the processes of pollination and dispersal of plant species focusing on the Cerrado biome. The Cerrado is regarded as the largest savanna in the world in terms of biodiversity and covers a huge part of the territory of Brazil. It has a very varied flora, displaying plants with the most diverse characteristics, recognized as an ecosystem rich in water and phytophysiognomic resources, but also in terms of bird diversity. Birds have different ecological roles, acting in the pollination and dispersion of fruits and seeds. This research consists of a descriptive work, which was carried out through a literature search through the search for scientific articles and studies on the subject analyzed, three databases were used to carry out the research, namely: Scientific Electronic Libraryonline (Scielo ), Academic Google and Capes Journal Portal, found by the keywords Cerrado biodiversity, ornithophilia and ornithocory. After analyzing the publications on the subject, it became evident that among the dispersing and pollinating animals, birds are important contributors to the natural restoration of vegetation in destroyed areas, as they are able to move in open areas, causing the deposition of seeds during their travels, in addition to strongly influencing the distribution of vegetation. Pollination and dispersal are important for maintaining the diversity of native plants from the Cerrado and other biomes, and indirectly responsible for the existence of other guilds that depend on floral resources, such as herbivores and seed predators.