Rolling Pampas agroecosystem: which landscape attributes are relevant for determining bird distributions?

Federico Weyland (1, 2) , Jacques Baudry (3) , Claudio Ghersa (1)

1 Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente
2 Grupo de Agroecosistemas y Paisajes Rurales, Recursos Naturales y Gestión Ambiental
3 SAD Paysage - SAD Paysage

Agricultural intensification is among the main factors affecting biodiversity. The Rolling Pampas of Argentina have undergone through a process of landscape transformation and agricultural intensification that altered avian diversity patterns. Grassland area loss is argued to be the main reason for grassland bird species declines, but there is a lack of studies that compare cropland vs. pastures including other landscape features as determinants of species richness and distribution. Also, it is needed to understand how these relations are modified at different spatial scales. In this study, we explored how species are associated to different landscape attributes and elements like land use, roadside vegetation, trees, homesteads, and water bodies. Our aim was to explore how bird species are associated to the new elements of the Pampas agroecosystem at different spatial scales to reveal which are important for avian management.

Mots clés: biodioversity; argentina; landscape planning; avian conservation

Domaines: Sciences agricoles; Biodiversité et Ecologie; Environnement et Société; Etudes de l'environnement

Federico Weyland, Jacques Baudry, Claudio Ghersa. Rolling Pampas agroecosystem: which landscape attributes are relevant for determining bird distributions?. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 2014, 1 (1), ⟨10.1186/0717-6317-87-1⟩. ⟨hal-01210090⟩