A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches
Dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, facing severe degradation from long-term human use. This degradation alters vegetation structure, composition, and spatial configuration, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and local livelihoods. However, its influence on birds...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Artículo |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24349 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320725005919 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111554 |
| _version_ | 1855487308885655552 |
|---|---|
| author | Barzan, Flavia Romina Bellis, Laura Marisa Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Dardanelli, Sebastian |
| author_browse | Barzan, Flavia Romina Bellis, Laura Marisa Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Dardanelli, Sebastian |
| author_facet | Barzan, Flavia Romina Bellis, Laura Marisa Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Dardanelli, Sebastian |
| author_sort | Barzan, Flavia Romina |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, facing severe degradation from long-term human use. This degradation alters vegetation structure, composition, and spatial configuration, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and local livelihoods. However, its influence on birds at multiple scales remains poorly understood, limiting the effectiveness of conservation strategies. In this study, we examined how changes in vertical (local) and horizontal (landscape) vegetation structure influence bird communities and foraging height guilds (ground-, understory-, and canopy-foraging birds) in the threatened Espinal forest. We collected bird and local forest structure data from 30 livestock ranches along a gradient of grazing intensity (6 sites per ranch). We also estimated NDVI texture indices to characterize horizontal vegetation structure. Our results show that bird communities responded positively to increases in vertical and horizontal vegetation structure. Canopy cover, grass cover, and the spatial distribution of plant biomass emerged as key factors explaining bird responses. Foraging height guilds, however, responded differently from bird communities. Canopy- and ground-foraging birds were more sensitive to vertical vegetation structure, showing a positive relationship with canopy cover and a non-linear relationship with DBH, respectively. Understory-foraging birds benefited from shrub-dominated forests and were strongly related to the horizontal vegetation structure. Moreover, the responses of the bird community, canopy- and ground-foraging birds to local vegetation were modulated by biomass distribution at the landscape scale. The results highlight the importance of maintaining vegetation heterogeneity across spatial scales. Preserving old-growth trees, high grass cover, and dense vegetation patches can support bird communities in livestock-dominated dry forests. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA24349 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA243492025-10-28T13:39:48Z A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches Barzan, Flavia Romina Bellis, Laura Marisa Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Dardanelli, Sebastian Pájaros Bosque Seco Vegetación Pastoreo Explotaciones Ganaderas Degradación Forestal Birds Dry Forests Vegetation Grazing Livestock Farms Forest Degradation Dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, facing severe degradation from long-term human use. This degradation alters vegetation structure, composition, and spatial configuration, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and local livelihoods. However, its influence on birds at multiple scales remains poorly understood, limiting the effectiveness of conservation strategies. In this study, we examined how changes in vertical (local) and horizontal (landscape) vegetation structure influence bird communities and foraging height guilds (ground-, understory-, and canopy-foraging birds) in the threatened Espinal forest. We collected bird and local forest structure data from 30 livestock ranches along a gradient of grazing intensity (6 sites per ranch). We also estimated NDVI texture indices to characterize horizontal vegetation structure. Our results show that bird communities responded positively to increases in vertical and horizontal vegetation structure. Canopy cover, grass cover, and the spatial distribution of plant biomass emerged as key factors explaining bird responses. Foraging height guilds, however, responded differently from bird communities. Canopy- and ground-foraging birds were more sensitive to vertical vegetation structure, showing a positive relationship with canopy cover and a non-linear relationship with DBH, respectively. Understory-foraging birds benefited from shrub-dominated forests and were strongly related to the horizontal vegetation structure. Moreover, the responses of the bird community, canopy- and ground-foraging birds to local vegetation were modulated by biomass distribution at the landscape scale. The results highlight the importance of maintaining vegetation heterogeneity across spatial scales. Preserving old-growth trees, high grass cover, and dense vegetation patches can support bird communities in livestock-dominated dry forests. EEA Paraná Fil: Barzan, Flavia Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción; Argentina Fil: Barzan, Flavia Romina. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción; Argentina Fil: Barzan, Flavia Romina. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción; Argentina Fil: Barzan, Flavia Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Instituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales “Mario Gulich”; Argentina. Fil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales “Mario Gulich”; 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: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción; Argentina Fil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción; Argentina Fil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción; Argentina 2025-10-28T13:37:07Z 2025-10-28T13:37:07Z 2026-01 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24349 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320725005919 0006-3207 1873-2917 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111554 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 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Elsevier Biological Conservation 313 : 111554. (January 2026) |
| spellingShingle | Pájaros Bosque Seco Vegetación Pastoreo Explotaciones Ganaderas Degradación Forestal Birds Dry Forests Vegetation Grazing Livestock Farms Forest Degradation Barzan, Flavia Romina Bellis, Laura Marisa Calamari, Noelia Cecilia Canavelli, Sonia Beatriz Dardanelli, Sebastian A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| title | A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| title_full | A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| title_fullStr | A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| title_full_unstemmed | A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| title_short | A multi-scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| title_sort | multi scale approach reveals differential responses of birds to vegetation structure in dry forest on livestock ranches |
| topic | Pájaros Bosque Seco Vegetación Pastoreo Explotaciones Ganaderas Degradación Forestal Birds Dry Forests Vegetation Grazing Livestock Farms Forest Degradation |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24349 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320725005919 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111554 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barzanflaviaromina amultiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT bellislauramarisa amultiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT calamarinoeliacecilia amultiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT canavellisoniabeatriz amultiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT dardanellisebastian amultiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT barzanflaviaromina multiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT bellislauramarisa multiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT calamarinoeliacecilia multiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT canavellisoniabeatriz multiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches AT dardanellisebastian multiscaleapproachrevealsdifferentialresponsesofbirdstovegetationstructureindryforestonlivestockranches |