Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:18:55.421Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Roadsides are key habitats for birds in the Argentine Pampas: conservation and management implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2021

Daniela María Depalma Open the ORCID record for Daniela María Depalma [Opens in a new window] ,
Mariela Verónica Lacoretz Open the ORCID record for Mariela Verónica Lacoretz [Opens in a new window] ,
Cecilia Zilli ,
Emilio Martín Charnelli  and
Myriam Emilia Mermoz
Daniela María Depalma*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1428EGA-C.A.B.A), Argentina Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, CONICET. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1428EGA-C.A.B.A), Argentina
Mariela Verónica Lacoretz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1428EGA-C.A.B.A), Argentina Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, CONICET. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1428EGA-C.A.B.A), Argentina
Cecilia Zilli
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1428EGA-C.A.B.A), Argentina
Emilio Martín Charnelli
Affiliation:
Sarmiento 1176, 7163 General Madariaga, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Myriam Emilia Mermoz
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires, CONICET. Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (C1428EGA-C.A.B.A), Argentina
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Daniela María Depalma, Email: danimdepalma@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Unexploited public areas such as roadsides could provide habitat to help preserve biodiversity in South America, as in other regions. Our objective was to determine the importance of the roadsides of the Argentine Pampas for native birds and to suggest management strategies. We surveyed birds inhabiting roadsides in all seasons and determined whether roadsides were used as habitat. We recorded a total of 95 species on roadsides, which represents 55% of those species described from the area. Species included specialists of grassland, wetland and woodland, 4 vulnerable species and 19 declining species. Bird richness decreased in winter, as well as grassland specialists’ abundances. Most individuals used roadsides for foraging and performing reproduction-related behaviours, mainly on native trees; these and tall grass were the main substrates. We conclude that many species of birds use the habitat provided by roadsides, and we recommend management strategies such as favouring seed availability in winter, restoring trees and tall grass and increasing vegetation diversity to maximize roadside conservation value.

Keywords

habitat remnantshabitat uselinear landscape elementsmarginsroad networks
Type
Report
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , March 2022 , pp. 59 - 64
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Foundation for Environmental Conservation

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Azpiroz, AB (2012) Aves de las Pampas y Campos de Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay: una guía de identificación. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Pressur.Google Scholar
Azpiroz, AB, Isacch, JP, Dias, RA, Di Giacomo, AS, Fontana, CS, Palarea, CM (2012) Ecology and conservation of grassland birds in southeastern South America: a review. Journal of Field Ornithology 83: 217–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bibby, CJ, Burgess, ND, Hill, DA, Mustoe, SH (2000) Bird Census Techniques. London, UK: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Codesido, M., González-Fischer, CM, Bilenca, DN (2013) Landbird assemblages in different agricultural landscapes: a case study in the Pampas of central Argentina. The Condor 115: 8–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conover, RR, Burger, LW, Linder, ET (2007) Winter avian community and sparrow response to field border width. Journal of Wildlife Management 71: 1917–1923.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de la Peña, MR (2015) Aves Argentinas. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Eudeba-Ediciones UNL.Google Scholar
Depalma, DM (2020) Bordes de caminos en un pastizal modificado de la Pampa Deprimida como hábitat para aves: disponibilidad de recursos y éxito de nidificación. PhD thesis. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Universidad de Buenos Aires.Google Scholar
Depalma, DM, Mermoz, ME (2019) Ground nesting birds in roadside borders of the Argentine Pampas: habitat use and predation risk of artificial nests. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 27: 261–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeVault, TL, Blackwell, BF, Seamans, TW, Lima, SL, Fernández-Juricic, E (2015) Speed kills: ineffective avian escape responses to oncoming vehicles. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282: 20142188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Douglas, DJ, Vickery, JA, Benton, TG (2009) Improving the value of field margins as foraging habitat for farmland birds. Journal of Applied Ecology 46: 353–362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fahrig, L, Baudry, J, Brotons, L, Burel, FG, Crist, TO, Fuller, RJ et al. (2011) Functional landscape heterogeneity and animal biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Ecology Letters 14: 101–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fulton, GR, Smith, M, Na, CM, Takahashi, S (2008) Road ecology from a road-side assemblage of forest birds in south-western Australia. Ornithological Science 7: 47–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardiner, MM, Riley, CB, Bonnarco, R, Ockinger, E (2018) Rights-of-way: a potential conservation resource. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 16: 129–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, TA, Barlow, J, Araujo, IS, Ávila-Pires, TC, Bonaldo, AB, Costa, JE et al. (2008) The cost-effectiveness of biodiversity surveys in tropical forests. Ecology Letters 11: 139–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herrera, LP, Jaimes, FR, Garavano, ME, Delgado, SG, Ispizúa, V (2020) Vegetation in rural roadsides of the Pampa region (Argentina): an opportunity for grassland conservation?. Ecoscience 27: 127–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herrera, LP, Sabatino, MC, Jaimes, FR, Poggio, SL (2017) Una propuesta para valorar el estado de conservación de los bordes de caminos rurales en el sudeste bonaerense. Ecología Austral 27: 404–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huijser, MP, Clevenger, AP (2006) Habitat and corridor function of rights-of-way. In: Davenport, J, Davenport, JL (eds), The Ecology of Transportation: Managing Mobility for the Environment (pp. 233–254). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurlbert, AH, Haskell, JP (2002) The effect of energy and seasonality on avian species richness and community composition. American Naturalist 161: 83–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Isacch, JP, Maceira, NO, Bo, MS, Demaría, MR, Peluc, S (2005) Bird habitat relationship in semi-natural grassland and exotic pastures in west pampas of Argentina. Journal of Arid Environments 62: 267–283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IUCN-RLTS (2021) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species [www document]. URL http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Google Scholar
Lacoretz, MV, Depalma, DM, Torrella, SA, Zilli, C, Ferretti, V, Fernández, G (2021) Can exotic tree plantations preserve the bird community of an endangered native forest in the Argentine Pampas? Canadian Journal of Forest Research (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lara, B, Gandini, M (2014) Análisis de la fragmentación de pastizales de la Pampa Deprimida (Argentina). Semiárida 24: 21–30.Google Scholar
Leveau, LM, Leveau, CM (2011) Uso de bordes de cultivo por aves durante invierno y primavera en la Pampa Austral. Hornero 26: 149–157.Google Scholar
MADS (2017) Categorización de las Aves de la Argentina (2015). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Informe del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable de la Nación y de Aves Argentinas.Google Scholar
Marshall, EJ, Moonen, AC (2002) Field margins in northern Europe: their functions and interactions with agriculture. Agriculture, Ecosystystems and Environment 89: 5–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, JR, Cale, P (2000) Behavioral mechanisms and habitat use by birds in a fragmented agricultural landscape. Ecological Applications 10: 1732–1748.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Monasterolo, M, Poggio, SL, Medan, D, Devoto, M (2020) Wider road verges sustain higher plant species richness and pollinator abundance in intensively managed agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 302: 107084.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
OECD-FAO (2019) Agricultural Outlook 2019–2028. OECD Publishing/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [www document]. URL https://doi.org/10.1787/agr_outlook-2019-en CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oyarzabal, M, Clavijo, JR., Oakley, LJ, Biganzoli, F, Tognetti, PM, Barberis, IM Leon, RJC (2018) Unidades de vegetación de la Argentina. Ecología Austral 28: 40–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pretelli, MG, Isacch, JP, Cardoni, DA (2013) Year-round abundance, richness and nesting of the bird assemblage of tall grasslands in the south-east pampas region, Argentina. Ardeola 60: 327–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ricklefs, RE (1969) An analysis of nesting mortality in birds. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 9: 1–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segura, LN, Dosil-Hiriart, FD, González-García, LN (2020) Exotic trees fail as a support for red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata) nests in a native forest of east-central Argentina. Hornero 35: 29–35.Google Scholar
Seiler, A (2001) Ecological Effects of Roads: A Review. Introductory Research Essay. Uppsala, Sweden: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.Google Scholar
Tscharntke, T, Tylianakis, JM, Rand, TA, Didham, RK, Fahrig, L, Batary, P, Ewers, RM (2012) Landscape moderation of biodiversity patterns and processes – eight hypotheses. Biological Reviews 87: 661–685.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vervoorst, FB (1967) La vegetación de la República Argentina: VII. Las comunidades vegetales de la depresión del Salado (Provincia de Buenos Aires). Buenos Aires, Argentina: INTA.Google Scholar
Vierling, KT (2000) Source and sink habitats of red-winged blackbirds in a rural/suburban landscape. Ecological Applications 10: 1211–1218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Depalma et al. supplementary material

Depalma et al. supplementary material

Download Depalma et al. supplementary material(File)
File 431.2 KB