Bird responses to different intensity of cattle production at Spartina densiflora 4 marshes from southeastern South America

CARDONI, D. A; ISACCH, J.P; IRIBARNE O

EMU

CSIRO PUBLISHING

Lugar: Collingwood; Año: 2015 vol. 115 p. 12 - 19

0158-4197

Saltmarshes of Spartina densiflora from South eastern 1 South America havebeen modified by anthropogenic activities, mainly by livestock production. Wedetermined the effects of different intensities of cattle production on the structure ofsaltmarshes vegetation, and how these changes affected the richness and composition ofbird populations and the abundance of bird nests. The study was developed insaltmarshes of S. densiflora with different levels of cattle production determined bydifferent intensity of prescribed burning and cattle grazing: (1) High grazing - Highburning (HH),(2) Low grazing - Low burning (LL) (3) No grazing - No burning (NN).Cattle production changed vegetation structure and indirectly modified richness,abundance, composition and nest abundance of birds. LL and NN S. densiflora marsheswere inhabited by tall grassland specialists and generalists and by species specialized tolive in a mosaic of short and tall grassland patches. Conversely, HH S. densifloramarshes were inhabited by bird species of specialist of short grasslands. The fact thatavian species diversity does not differ in areas of S. densiflora subject to either low orno human impact has a number of potential interpretations, which are discussed. Thesefindings have implications for grassland management under a perspective of birddiversity sustainability.