Abstract

GATTO, Alejandro; QUINTANA, Flavio; YORIO, Pablo  and  LISNIZER, Nora. Abundance and diversity of waterbirds in a marine wetland of Golfo San Jorge, Argentina. Hornero [online]. 2005, vol.20, n.2, pp.141-152. ISSN 0073-3407.

We studied the diversity and abundance of waterbirds using the intertidals and shallow waters of Malaspina inlet, San Jorge Gulf, Chubut, by means of weekly counts during the spring of 2000. We selected seven survey stations along the coastline of the inlet, representing the habitat heterogeneity of the whole wetland. The waterbird assemblage showed a total of 31 species and exhibited high species diversity, with a core of dominant species and several others that showed low abundance. The composition of the assemblage varied throughout the study, mainly due to the decrease in the number of Kelp Gull (Larus dominacus) and the increase in numbers of the migratory White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis). The northern sector of San Jorge Gulf, including the Malaspina inlet, has been included in a proposal for a new marine protected area. The information obtained in this study will contribute to the development of management guidelines aimed at the conservation of this and other marine wetlands of Patagonia.

Keywords : Argentina; Diversity; Intertidal areas; Patagonia; Waterbirds.

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