Abstract

HAAG, Laura M et al. Effect of habitat alteration in the bird community of Cariló seaside locality, Argentina. Hornero [online]. 2020, vol.35, n.1, pp.36-46. ISSN 0073-3407.

Urbanization processes alter natural habitats and birds respond differently depending on the degree of disturbance in the environment. In this contribution we analyze the effect of habitat alteration on the diversity and evenness of bird communities in Cariló, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Like many seaside localities on the sea coast of Buenos Aires, natural habitats of Cariló have been almost completely replaced by the replacement of natural habitats of dunes with several species of pine trees. We counted birds seasonally in transect located in relics of peripherical natural environments of Cariló and in urban areas with different degrees of alteration. We found out that in the natural environment the diversity and evenness indexes were higher in relation to the altered environments and that, within this environment replaced by pine trees, the diversity of birds was lower in the environments with less disturbance. We attribute this last result to the largest area of parks and ornate gardens that characterize the downtown area of the city, that allows a greater environment heterogeneity that would be favoring birds. Faced with this scenario of replacement of natural habitat with pine plantations, we highlight the local inhabitants’ efforts to maintain extensive large area of parks and ornate gardens. However, our results show a negative effect of this habitat replacement; therefore, we recommend the authorities to come up with strategic urbanization designs that do not harm the complex structure of natural ecosystems and the birds that inhabit them.

Keywords : Bird diversity; Pampean ecoregion; Bird assembly; Habitat replacement; Urbanization.

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