Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina
Ground birds are strongly associated with the vegetation structure in natural environments under livestock grazing. Birds that fed on the ground may be the most affected by overgrazing, while those that fed on the shrub layer may respond positively to shrub encroachment in open xerophytic forest. Th...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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Elsevier
2022
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/12553 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112722004339 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120439 |
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| author | Dardanelli, Sebastian Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Barzan, Flavia Romina Goijman, Andrea Paula Lezana, Lucrecia |
| author_browse | Barzan, Flavia Romina Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Dardanelli, Sebastian Goijman, Andrea Paula Lezana, Lucrecia |
| author_facet | Dardanelli, Sebastian Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Barzan, Flavia Romina Goijman, Andrea Paula Lezana, Lucrecia |
| author_sort | Dardanelli, Sebastian |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Ground birds are strongly associated with the vegetation structure in natural environments under livestock grazing. Birds that fed on the ground may be the most affected by overgrazing, while those that fed on the shrub layer may respond positively to shrub encroachment in open xerophytic forest. Therefore, evaluating changes in bird species associated with a particular stratum can provide valuable information on the health, productivity, and functionality of the ecosystem. Here, we explore the relationships between vegetation structure and grazing intensity with the individual responses of terrestrial bird species in forests of Central-East Argentina. We tested the hypothesis that vegetation structure and grazing intensity affect the occupancy of 12 ground-foraging bird species. We used hierarchical single-species occupancy models with a Bayesian approach, considering points nested within farms, to estimate the influence of vegetation structure and grazing intensity on the bird occupancy. Vegetation structure variables were related to the occupancy of 11 out of 12 species. Three of these species also responded to grazing intensity. Occupancy of most open country bird species was favored by increasing grass cover but disfavored by increasing shrubs and tree density. Therefore overgrazing, with its consequent low grass cover, negatively affected the presence of open country bird species. On the other hand, occupancy of forest species was favored by either shrub or tree density or by forest age (larger diameter of trees at breast height - dbh). Based on specific responses of bird species, we propose that species directly related to grass cover and grazing intensity, such as the Spotted Nothura (Nothura maculosa), are potential indicator of low grazing intensity in forests of central-east Argentina. In turn, the Ultramarine Grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii), a forest species associated with dense woody sites with high grazing intensity and low grass cover, could be a good indicator of overgrazing in these forests. Livestock management in these forests should promote environmental heterogeneity inside farms. Maintaining minimal livestock grazing in semi-open areas with mature trees and conserving areas of dense forest will be fundamental for achieving satisfactory compromises between the conservation of ground-foraging birds and livestock farming. |
| format | info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo |
| id | INTA12553 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA125532022-08-10T20:04:25Z Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina Dardanelli, Sebastian Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Barzan, Flavia Romina Goijman, Andrea Paula Lezana, Lucrecia Vegetación Ganadería Pastoreo Intensidad de Pastoreo Pájaros Búsqueda de Alimento Bosques Argentina Vegetation Animal Husbandry Grazing Grazing Intensity Birds Foraging Forests Ground birds are strongly associated with the vegetation structure in natural environments under livestock grazing. Birds that fed on the ground may be the most affected by overgrazing, while those that fed on the shrub layer may respond positively to shrub encroachment in open xerophytic forest. Therefore, evaluating changes in bird species associated with a particular stratum can provide valuable information on the health, productivity, and functionality of the ecosystem. Here, we explore the relationships between vegetation structure and grazing intensity with the individual responses of terrestrial bird species in forests of Central-East Argentina. We tested the hypothesis that vegetation structure and grazing intensity affect the occupancy of 12 ground-foraging bird species. We used hierarchical single-species occupancy models with a Bayesian approach, considering points nested within farms, to estimate the influence of vegetation structure and grazing intensity on the bird occupancy. Vegetation structure variables were related to the occupancy of 11 out of 12 species. Three of these species also responded to grazing intensity. Occupancy of most open country bird species was favored by increasing grass cover but disfavored by increasing shrubs and tree density. Therefore overgrazing, with its consequent low grass cover, negatively affected the presence of open country bird species. On the other hand, occupancy of forest species was favored by either shrub or tree density or by forest age (larger diameter of trees at breast height - dbh). Based on specific responses of bird species, we propose that species directly related to grass cover and grazing intensity, such as the Spotted Nothura (Nothura maculosa), are potential indicator of low grazing intensity in forests of central-east Argentina. In turn, the Ultramarine Grosbeak (Cyanoloxia brissonii), a forest species associated with dense woody sites with high grazing intensity and low grass cover, could be a good indicator of overgrazing in these forests. Livestock management in these forests should promote environmental heterogeneity inside farms. Maintaining minimal livestock grazing in semi-open areas with mature trees and conserving areas of dense forest will be fundamental for achieving satisfactory compromises between the conservation of ground-foraging birds and livestock farming. EEA Paraná Fil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina Fil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Calamari, Noelia Cecilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina Fil: Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina Fil: Barzan, Flavia Romina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina Fil: Barzan, Flavia Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Goijman, Andrea Paula. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Consulta; Argentina Fil: Lezana, Lucrecia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina 2022-08-10T20:01:17Z 2022-08-10T20:01:17Z 2022-10 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/12553 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112722004339 0378-1127 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120439 eng info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/PNNAT-1128053/AR./Evaluación y manejo de la biodiversidad y sus servicios ecosistémicos de interés para la producción agropecuaria. info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Argentina .......... (nation) (World, South America) 7006477 Elsevier Forest Ecology and Management 521 : 120439 (October 2022) |
| spellingShingle | Vegetación Ganadería Pastoreo Intensidad de Pastoreo Pájaros Búsqueda de Alimento Bosques Argentina Vegetation Animal Husbandry Grazing Grazing Intensity Birds Foraging Forests Dardanelli, Sebastian Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Barzan, Flavia Romina Goijman, Andrea Paula Lezana, Lucrecia Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina |
| title | Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina |
| title_full | Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina |
| title_short | Vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground-foraging birds in xerophytic forests of Central-East Argentina |
| title_sort | vegetation structure and livestock grazing intensity affect ground foraging birds in xerophytic forests of central east argentina |
| topic | Vegetación Ganadería Pastoreo Intensidad de Pastoreo Pájaros Búsqueda de Alimento Bosques Argentina Vegetation Animal Husbandry Grazing Grazing Intensity Birds Foraging Forests |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/12553 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112722004339 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120439 |
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