Bird diversity and its relationship with habitat characteristic in high Andean peatbogs

MARTÍN, EDUARDO; OSINAGA ACOSTA, ORIANA; IZQUIERDO, ANDREA ELISA; GRAU, HECTOR RICARDO; JOSENS, MARIA LAURA

Puerto Iguazú

Congreso; Congreso de Ornitología de las Américas; 2017

Association of Field Ornithologists, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia y Aves Argentinas

High Andean peatbogs are key functional wetlands in the dry Punaregion and essential in conserving local biodiversity, including bird communities. We surveyed the bird communities of 18 peatbogs in the Argentinean Puna (Salta and Catamarca Provinces) to describe their species composition, their patterns of species richness and diversity; and their relationship to landscape features and local environmental variables. In total, we registered 60 species belonging to 21 families during summer 2014?2015. Species richness ranged from six to 20 species per peatbog. The Bright-rumped Yellow-finch Sicalis uropygialis, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch Phrygilus plebejus, Golden-spotted Ground Dove Metriopelia aymara and Puna Miner Geositta punensis were themost abundant representative species. The change in bird species compositionamong peatbogs showed a nested structure. The present study is the first onemade for the avifauna of peatbogs of the Argentinean Puna and shows that thepeatbogs with more irregular forms and more interconnected with otherwetlands support more abundance and diversity of birds.