Assessing the conservation value of nature reserves: terrestrial birds in Isla de los Estados (Staten Island) Provincial Reserve, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

BENITEZ, J.; LENCINAS, M. V.; HUERTAS HERRERA, A.; MARTÍNEZ PASTUR, G.

COMMUNITY ECOLOGY

AKADEMIAI KIADO RT

Lugar: Budapest; Año: 2019 vol. 20 p. 181 - 193

1585-8553

Existing networks of nature reserves contain a biased sample of biodiversity. In Patagonia Argentina, most naturereserves focus their protection objectives on a particular ecosystem, geoform or scenic value, and usually are located in inaccessibleareas. However, unique species or assemblages could inhabit less protected ecosystems, areas or habitats, which couldbe threatened depending of management. In this study, we assessed the conservation value of different ecosystem types andareas (fjords) in Isla de los Estados Provincial Reserve (RPIE, Argentina), using birds as study case. We chose three fjords(east, central and west) and five ecosystems types (forests at low and high elevation, open-lands at low and high elevation, andsea coasts). Bird?s assemblage richness, density, biomass, trophic level, migratory status, and use of strata per ecosystems andfjords were characterized in 75 points (3 fjords × 5 ecosystems × 5 replicates) and evaluated using ANOVA and multivariatemethods. Also, Shannon (H?) and Pielou (J) indices were estimated for fjords and ecosystems. Passerine was the most abundantgroup, being mainly residents, omnivorous and carnivorous-scavenger, and they were observed mainly flying or in the canopy.Assemblage structure and function varied with ecosystem types, with higher richness and biomass in coasts and open-lands thanin other ecosystems, but with greater density in forests. Multivariate analyses showed conspicuous groups for forests and coastsampling units, with significant differences among all ecosystem types except between low and high forests. Also, east fjordsignificantly differed in density and biomass from the others, but west fjord also differed in structure, function and bird assemblage.We conclude that greater conservation value must be assigned to ecosystem types or areas inhabited by threatened species(as open-lands at high elevation) and highest richness and variety of use of strata (as sea coasts). However, bird assemblagepatterns have particularities in less valuable ecosystems and areas, which also justify their importance for conservation, or atleast, prescriptions of low impact uses and activities in the management planning. Nature reserves are opportunities to preserveendemic species, habitats or areas of special interest, as low latitude or unique isolated landscape communities, and ecosystemsunderrepresented in the network of local, regional or world protected areas.