Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming

Human activities have modified wetlands all over the word. Water control structures that are frequently implemented in these ecosystems to keep lands free of flooding can decrease or degrade habitat for biodiversity. The Paraná River Delta, one of the largest wetlands in Argentina, has recently expe...

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Main Authors: Sica, Yanina Vanesa, Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio, Pidgeon, Anna Michle, Travaini, Alejandro, Bustamante, Javier, Radeloff, Volker C., Quintana, Rubén D.
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2971
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.12621
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12621
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author Sica, Yanina Vanesa
Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio
Pidgeon, Anna Michle
Travaini, Alejandro
Bustamante, Javier
Radeloff, Volker C.
Quintana, Rubén D.
author_browse Bustamante, Javier
Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio
Pidgeon, Anna Michle
Quintana, Rubén D.
Radeloff, Volker C.
Sica, Yanina Vanesa
Travaini, Alejandro
author_facet Sica, Yanina Vanesa
Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio
Pidgeon, Anna Michle
Travaini, Alejandro
Bustamante, Javier
Radeloff, Volker C.
Quintana, Rubén D.
author_sort Sica, Yanina Vanesa
collection INTA Digital
description Human activities have modified wetlands all over the word. Water control structures that are frequently implemented in these ecosystems to keep lands free of flooding can decrease or degrade habitat for biodiversity. The Paraná River Delta, one of the largest wetlands in Argentina, has recently experienced rapid cattle grazing intensification facilitated by water control structures, resulting in extensive conversion of wetlands to pastures. It is unclear if this loss of wetlands has had a negative impact on the highly diverse bird community. Here, we evaluated the changes in bird assemblages in the Lower Delta of Paraná River after 14 years of cattle grazing intensification. We compared point count data from 1997 to 1999 with data collected in 2012 and 2013 using the same survey methods. We assessed the temporal changes in bird richness and composition using paired permutation tests and multivariate analysis. We related the bird composition to landscape changes to analyse if avian changes were associated with landscape dynamics. We found that after 14 years, the bird community differed greatly. In general, species richness decreased, especially in wet years. We found fewer wetland species in recent surveys; in particular we did not register saffron‐cowled blackbird (Xanthopsar flavus), a species listed as globally vulnerable. Changes in bird composition were associated with an increase in bare soil due to land‐use changes. Even though inter‐annual differences in precipitation and river stage have great effects on the species present in the surveys, the absence of many wetland species in recent wet years, that is when habitat is suitable for them, is most likely due to changes in land cover. Globally, agricultural land use makes inroads into many wetlands, eroding their quality and extent. Maintenance of wetland species requires that conservation efforts focus on these vulnerable ecosystems before full‐scale land conversion occurs.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
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publishDateRange 2018
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spelling INTA29712024-08-09T10:21:51Z Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming Sica, Yanina Vanesa Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio Pidgeon, Anna Michle Travaini, Alejandro Bustamante, Javier Radeloff, Volker C. Quintana, Rubén D. Tierras Húmedas Ecosistema Pájaros Ganado Bovino Sistemas de Explotación Wetlands Ecosystems Birds Cattle Farming Systems Human activities have modified wetlands all over the word. Water control structures that are frequently implemented in these ecosystems to keep lands free of flooding can decrease or degrade habitat for biodiversity. The Paraná River Delta, one of the largest wetlands in Argentina, has recently experienced rapid cattle grazing intensification facilitated by water control structures, resulting in extensive conversion of wetlands to pastures. It is unclear if this loss of wetlands has had a negative impact on the highly diverse bird community. Here, we evaluated the changes in bird assemblages in the Lower Delta of Paraná River after 14 years of cattle grazing intensification. We compared point count data from 1997 to 1999 with data collected in 2012 and 2013 using the same survey methods. We assessed the temporal changes in bird richness and composition using paired permutation tests and multivariate analysis. We related the bird composition to landscape changes to analyse if avian changes were associated with landscape dynamics. We found that after 14 years, the bird community differed greatly. In general, species richness decreased, especially in wet years. We found fewer wetland species in recent surveys; in particular we did not register saffron‐cowled blackbird (Xanthopsar flavus), a species listed as globally vulnerable. Changes in bird composition were associated with an increase in bare soil due to land‐use changes. Even though inter‐annual differences in precipitation and river stage have great effects on the species present in the surveys, the absence of many wetland species in recent wet years, that is when habitat is suitable for them, is most likely due to changes in land cover. Globally, agricultural land use makes inroads into many wetlands, eroding their quality and extent. Maintenance of wetland species requires that conservation efforts focus on these vulnerable ecosystems before full‐scale land conversion occurs. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos Fil: Sica, Yanina Vanesa. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina Fil: Pidgeon, Anna M. University of Wisconsin‐Madison. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab; Estados Unidos Fil: Travaini, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Unidad Académica Caleta Olivia. Centro de Investigaciones Puerto Deseado; Argentina. Fil: Bustamante, Javier. CSIC. Estación Biológica de Doñana. Department of Wetland Ecology; España Fil: Radeloff, Volker C. University of Wisconsin‐Madison. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab; Estados Unidos Fil: Quintana, Rubén D. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; Argentina 2018-08-03T14:17:33Z 2018-08-03T14:17:33Z 2018-05 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.12621 1442-9985 1442-9993 https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12621 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Austral Ecology Online Version (May 2018)
spellingShingle Tierras Húmedas
Ecosistema
Pájaros
Ganado Bovino
Sistemas de Explotación
Wetlands
Ecosystems
Birds
Cattle
Farming Systems
Sica, Yanina Vanesa
Gavier Pizarro, Gregorio Ignacio
Pidgeon, Anna Michle
Travaini, Alejandro
Bustamante, Javier
Radeloff, Volker C.
Quintana, Rubén D.
Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
title Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
title_full Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
title_fullStr Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
title_full_unstemmed Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
title_short Changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
title_sort changes in bird assemblages in a wetland ecosystem after 14 years of intensified cattle farming
topic Tierras Húmedas
Ecosistema
Pájaros
Ganado Bovino
Sistemas de Explotación
Wetlands
Ecosystems
Birds
Cattle
Farming Systems
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2971
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.12621
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12621
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