Amphibians and waterbirds as bridges to conserve aquatic and terrestrial habitat in Patagonia

KACOLIRIS FEDERICO PABLO; VELASCO, MELINA ALICIA; ARELLANO, MARÍA LUZ; BERKUNSKY IGOR

FRESHWATERS AND WETLANDS OF PATAGONIA. ECOSYSTEMS AND SOCIOECOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Springer

Año: 2022; p. 435 - 468

Conservation planning and management strategies were historically focused on single realms (i.e., marine, terrestrial, or freshwater). However, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are linked by ecological processes related to interactions of species adapted to live in both land and water. Among vertebrates, amphibians and waterbirds are excellent examples of these ecological interactions. Argentinean Patagonia is home to several amphibians and waterbirds highly adapted to live in this region´s extreme weather and seasonal conditions. Most of these species are endangered due to human-related threats and by changing environmental conditions associated with global climate change. In this chapter, we plan to present some of these species, deepen on how they represent bridges between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and highlight their conservation significance. With some local examples, we plan to show the importance of these species in supporting ecological processes that link aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and how conservation planning should integrate both realms to conserve threatened species.