Effects of Land-Use Modifications in the Potential Distribution of Endemic Bird Species Associated With Tropical Dry Forest in Guerrero, Southern Mexico

Abstract

Land-use changes are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. It would be expected that species with restricted hábitats and distribution should experience the main negative effects of the modification of natural environm ents. To exemplify the potential effect of land transformation on restricted species, we focused on the potential habitat loss of six endemic and quasi-endemic species to Mexico (Ortalis poliocephala, Melanerpes chrysogenys, Trogoncitreolus, Pheugopedius felix, Uropsila leucogastra, and Arremonops rufivirgatus) whose distributions include the state of Guerrero, in southern Mexico. Species distribution models were generated for each species, and potential habitat loss was evaluated using three temporal vegetation and land-use maps (1997, 2003, and 2013).