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Effect of habitat and landscape structure on waterbird abundance in wetlands of central Argentina

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Abstract

Determining the response of birds to local habitat characteristics and landscape structure is essential to understanding habitat selection and its consequences for the distribution of species. This study identified the influence of environmental factors as determinants of the waterbird assemblage composition in 39 wetlands in the Pampas of central Argentina. Multivariate analysis allowed the identification of environmental factors affecting the use of habitat by waterbird species, whose variable numbers were explained by local and landscape environmental factors. Interspecific variation in responses to changes in environmental factors shows that habitat selection occurs at a species-specific level, although species with similar ecological requirements tend to respond similarly to environmental heterogeneity. Plovers and flamingos were mostly associated with high salinity and the presence of a muddy shoreline and temporary ponds; ducks, herons and ibises were associated with vegetation abundance and decrease in salinity; piscivores and carnivorous species were associated with water depth. The small degree of overlap of habitat requirements between some species suggests a high level of specialization within waterbird assemblages. This knowledge can be used for the design of appropriate conservation and management strategies in central Argentina, where the alarming loss of wetlands requires management strategies that ensure the permanence of the greatest diversity of waterbirds.

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Acknowledgments

This work was possible thanks to a CONICET fellowship to Pablo Brandolin. We are grateful to the owners of private land for permission to access to the study sites. We thank Ricardo Martori for his encouragement and assistance in the development of this research. Special thanks to Miguel Avalos and Javier Márquez for their collaboration during the field work. We appreciate the improvements in English usage made by Donald Peck.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CONICET and Cátedra de Botánica Sistemática, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta Nacional 36 Km 601, X5804BYA, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Pablo G. Brandolin

  2. CONICET and Instituto de Ecología Regional, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, CC 34, 4107, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina

    Pedro G. Blendinger

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  1. Pablo G. Brandolin
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  2. Pedro G. Blendinger
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Correspondence to Pablo G. Brandolin.

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11273_2015_9454_MOESM2_ESM.tif

Plot of first two axes of the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ordination between abundance of waterbird species for summer and winter and environmental variables in the wetlands of southeastern Córdoba province, Argentina (TIFF 6340 kb)

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Brandolin, P.G., Blendinger, P.G. Effect of habitat and landscape structure on waterbird abundance in wetlands of central Argentina. Wetlands Ecol Manage 24, 93–105 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9454-y

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