Human footprint defining conservation strategies in Patagonian landscapes: Where we are and where we want to go?

Understanding human influence on ecosystems and their services is crucial to achieve sustainable development and ensure the conservation of biodiversity. In this context, the human footprint index (HFI) represents the anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems and the natural environment. Our objective was to characterize the HFI in Southern Patagonia (Argentina) across the landscape, qualifying the differences among the main ecological areas and especially the forested landscapes. We also assessed the potential utility of HFI to identify priority conservation areas according to their wilderness quality and potential biodiversity values. We created a HFI map (scores varied from 0 representing high wilderness quality to 1 representing maximum human impact) using variables related to direct (e.g. infrastructure) and indirect (e.g. derived from economic activities) human impacts, including settlements, accessibility, oil industry, and sheep production. HFI varied significantly across the natural landscapes, being lower (0.07−0.11) in remote ecosystems close to the Andes Mountains and higher (0.38−0.40) in southern areas close to the provincial capital city. Forested landscapes presented different impact values, which were directly related to the economical values of the different forest types. We determined that the current protected area network is not equally distributed across the different ecological areas and forest types. Priority conservation areas were also identified using the fragmentation produced by the human impact, the patch size, and the potential biodiversity values. HFI can present high compatibility with other land-use management decision making tools, acting as a complement to the existing tools for conservation planning or management.EEA SANTA CRUZFiliación: Fil: Rosas, Yamina M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC); Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA). Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina.Fil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab. Madison, WI; USA.Fil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Jujuy; Argentina.Fil: Politi, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Jujuy; Argentina.Fil: Pedrana, Julieta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Balcarce, Buenos Aires; Argentina.Fil: Díaz-Delgado, Ricardo. Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC). Laboratorio de SIG y Teledetección; Sevilla, Spain.Filiación: Fil: Martínez Pastur, Guillermo J. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego; Argentina

National parks influence habitat use of lowland tapirs in adjacent private lands in the Southern Yungas of Argentina

Protected areas are cornerstones of conservation efforts worldwide. However, protected areas do not act in isolation because they are connected with surrounding, unprotected lands. Few studies have evaluated the effects of protected areas on wildlife populations inhabiting private lands in the surrounding landscapes. The lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris is the largest terrestrial mammal of the Neotropics and is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is necessary to understand the influence of landscape characteristics on the tapir's habitat use to enable effective conservation management for this species. Our objectives were to (1) determine the potential distribution of the lowland tapir's habitat in the Southern Yungas of Argentina, and (2) evaluate the role of protected areas and other covariates on tapir habitat use in adjacent private lands. We used records of lowland tapirs to model the species' potential distribution and determined habitat use with occupancy modelling. Based on the covariates found to be significant in our models, we constructed predictive maps of probability of habitat use and assessed the area of potential habitat remaining for the species. Probability of habitat use was higher in the vicinity of two national parks and small households than further away from them. We found that in 85% of the lowland tapir's potential distribution the probability of habitat use is high (> 0.5). These areas are near the three national parks in the study area. The probability of detecting lowland tapirs increased with distance to roads. We conclude that national parks play a key role in the persistence of lowland tapir populations on adjacent private lands.Fil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy; ArgentinaFil: Martinuzzi, Sebastián. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Bardavid, Sofia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy; ArgentinaFil: De Bustos, Soledad. Secretaria de Ambiente de la Provincia de Salta; ArgentinaFil: Chalukian, Silvia. Proyecto Tapir; ArgentinaFil: Lizárraga, Leonidas. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Radeloff, Volker. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido

Informing forest conservation planning with detailed human footprint data for Argentina

Conserving the remaining wildest forests is a top priority for conservation, and human footprint maps are a practical way to identify wild areas. However, available global assessments of wild areas are too coarse for land use decisions, especially in countries with high deforestation rates, such as Argentina. Our main goal was to map the human footprint in Argentina's forested areas to improve conservation planning at regional and country levels. Specifically, we quantified the level of human influence on the environment and mapped the wildest native forests (i) across forest regions, and (ii) in the different land-use categories of the National Forest Plan, which is a key policy instrument for conserving the nation's native forests through zoning, and (iii) identified wildest forests that are at risk due to human activities. We analyzed detailed spatial data on settlements, transportation, energy, and land use change, and estimated the areal extent to which these various human activities disrupt natural processes. We defined pixels with human footprint index of zero as wildest areas. We found that a substantial portion (43%) of Argentina's forested area remains wild, which suggests there are opportunities for conservation. However, levels of human influence varied substantially among forest regions, and Atlantic and Chaco forests have the highest levels of human influence. Further, we found that the National Forest Plan does not conserve the wildest forests of the nation, as most (78%) of the wildest native forests are located in zones that allow silvopasture, timber production, and/or forest conversion to crops, thus potentially threatening biodiversity in these areas. Our map of wildest forests is an important, but first, step in identifying wildland forests in Argentina, as available spatial data layers of human activities capture many, but not all, human influences on forests. For instance, small human features, like certain rural roads, trails, and rural settlements exist in our wildest areas. Our study provides new datasets to assist land use planners and conservationists, and identifies areas for conservation attention in Argentina. More broadly, our analyses highlight the value of detailed human footprint data to support conservation decisions in forest landscapes.Fil: Martinuzzi, Sebastián. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Radeloff, Volker. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Martínez Pastur, Guillermo José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Rosas, Yamina Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Lizarraga, Leónidas. Administración de Parques Nacionales; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Huertas Herrera, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Silveira, Eduarda. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Olah, Ashley. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido

Mapping soil organic carbon content in Patagonian forests based on climate, topography and vegetation metrics from satellite imagery

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content supports several ecosystem services. Quantifying SOC requires: (i) accurate C estimates of forest components, and (ii) soil estimates. However, SOC is difficult to measure, so predictive models are needed. Our objective was to model SOC stocks within 30 cm depth in Patagonian forests based on climatic, topographic and vegetation productivity measures from satellite images, including Dynamic Habitat Indices and Land Surface Temperature derived from Landsat-8. We used data from 1320 stands of different forest types in Patagonia, and random forest regression to map SOC. The model captured SOC variability well (R2 = 0.60, RMSE = 22.1%), considering the huge latitudinal extension (36.4◦ to 55.1◦ SL) and the great diversity of forest types. Mean SOC was 134.4 ton C ha−1 ± 25.2, totaling 404.2 million ton C across Patagonia. Overall, SOC values were highest in valleys of the Andes mountains and in southern Tierra del Fuego, ranging from 53.5 to 277.8 ton C ha−1 for the whole Patagonia region. Soil organic carbon is a metric relevant to many applications, connecting major issues such as forest management, conservation, and livestock production, and having spatially explicit estimates of SOC enables managers to fulfil the international agreements that Argentina has joined.EEA EsquelFil: Martínez Pastur, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC). Laboratorio de Recursos Agroforestales; ArgentinaFil: Aravena Acuña, Marie Claire. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC). Laboratorio de Recursos Agroforestales; ArgentinaFil: Silveira, Eduarda M. O. University of Wisconsin. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab.; Estados UnidosFil: von Müller, Axel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agroforestal Esquel; ArgentinaFil: La Manna, Ludmila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: La Manna, Ludmila. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. Facultad de Ingeniería. Centro de Estudios Ambientales Integrados; ArgentinaFil: González Polo, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: González Polo, Marina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA); ArgentinaFil: Chaves, Jimena E. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC). Laboratorio de Recursos Agroforestales; ArgentinaFil: Cellini, Juan M. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Maderas (LIMAD); ArgentinaFil: Lencinas, María V. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC). Laboratorio de Recursos Agroforestales; ArgentinaFil: Radeloff, Volker C. University of Wisconsin. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab.; Estados UnidosFil: Pidgeon, Anna M. University of Wisconsin. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab.; Estados UnidosFil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina.Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

BIOFRAG: A new database for analysing BIOdiversity responses to forest FRAGmentation

Habitat fragmentation studies are producing inconsistent and complex results across which it is nearly impossible to synthesise. Consistent analytical techniques can be applied to primary datasets, if stored in a flexible database that allows simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. Method: We developed a relational database linking data collected in the field to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes and further environmental variables (e.g. information on biogeographic region. Typical field assessments include measures of biological variables (e.g. presence, abundance, ground cover) of one species or a set of species linked to a set of plots in fragments of a forested landscape. Conclusion: The database currently holds records of 5792 unique species sampled in 52 landscapes in six of eight biogeographic regions: mammals 173, birds 1101, herpetofauna 284, insects 2317, other arthropods: 48, plants 1804, snails 65. Most species are found in one or two landscapes, but some are found in four. Using the huge amount of primary data on biodiversity response to fragmentation becomes increasingly important as anthropogenic pressures from high population growth and land demands are increasing. This database can be queried to extract data for subsequent analyses of the biological response to forest fragmentation with new metrics that can integrate across the components of fragmented landscapes. Meta-analyses of findings based on consistent methods and metrics will be able to generalise over studies allowing inter-comparisons for unified answers. The database can thus help researchers in providing findings for analyses of trade-offs between land use benefits and impacts on biodiversity and to track performance of management for biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes.Fil: Pfeifer, Marion. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Lefebvre, Veronique. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Gardner, Toby A.. Stockholm Environment Institute; SueciaFil: Arroyo Rodríguez, Víctor. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Baeten, Lander. University of Ghent; BélgicaFil: Banks Leite, Cristina. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Barlow, Jos. Lancaster University; Reino UnidoFil: Betts, Matthew G.. State University of Oregon; Estados UnidosFil: Brunet, Joerg. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; SueciaFil: Cerezo Blandón, Alexis Mauricio. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información; ArgentinaFil: Cisneros, Laura M.. University of Connecticut; Estados UnidosFil: Collard, Stuart. Nature Conservation Society of South Australia; AustraliaFil: D´Cruze, Neil. The World Society for the Protection of Animals; Reino UnidoFil: Da Silva Motta, Catarina. Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia; BrasilFil: Duguay, Stephanie. Carleton University; CanadáFil: Eggermont, Hilde. University of Ghent; BélgicaFil: Eigenbrod, Félix. University of Southampton; Reino UnidoFil: Hadley, Adam S.. State University of Oregon; Estados UnidosFil: Hanson, Thor R.. No especifíca;Fil: Hawes, Joseph E.. University of East Anglia; Reino UnidoFil: Heartsill Scalley, Tamara. United State Department of Agriculture. Forestry Service; Puerto RicoFil: Klingbeil, Brian T.. University of Connecticut; Estados UnidosFil: Kolb, Annette. Universitat Bremen; AlemaniaFil: Kormann, Urs. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Kumar, Sunil. State University of Colorado - Fort Collins; Estados UnidosFil: Lachat, Thibault. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest; SuizaFil: Lakeman Fraser, Poppy. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Lantschner, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Laurance, William F.. James Cook University; AustraliaFil: Leal, Inara R.. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Lens, Luc. University of Ghent; BélgicaFil: Marsh, Charles J.. University of Leeds; Reino UnidoFil: Medina Rangel, Guido F.. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Melles, Stephanie. University of Toronto; CanadáFil: Mezger, Dirk. Field Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Oldekop, Johan A.. University of Sheffield; Reino UnidoFil: Overal , Williams L.. Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. Departamento de Entomologia; BrasilFil: Owen, Charlotte. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Peres, Carlos A.. University of East Anglia; Reino UnidoFil: Phalan, Ben. University of Southampton; Reino UnidoFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Pilia, Oriana. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Possingham, Hugh P.. Imperial College London; Reino Unido. The University Of Queensland; AustraliaFil: Possingham, Max L.. No especifíca;Fil: Raheem, Dinarzarde C.. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Bélgica. Natural History Museum; Reino UnidoFil: Ribeiro, Danilo B.. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; BrasilFil: Ribeiro Neto, Jose D.. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Robinson, Douglas W.. State University of Oregon; Estados UnidosFil: Robinson, Richard. Manjimup Research Centre; AustraliaFil: Rytwinski, Trina. Carleton University; CanadáFil: Scherber, Christoph. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Slade, Eleanor M.. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Somarriba, Eduardo. Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza; Costa RicaFil: Stouffer, Philip C.. State University of Louisiana; Estados UnidosFil: Struebig, Matthew J.. University of Kent; Reino UnidoFil: Tylianakis, Jason M.. University College London; Estados Unidos. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Teja, Tscharntke. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Tyre, Andrew J.. Universidad de Nebraska - Lincoln; Estados UnidosFil: Urbina Cardona, Jose N.. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; ColombiaFil: Vasconcelos, Heraldo L.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Wearn, Oliver. Imperial College London; Reino Unido. The Zoological Society of London; Reino UnidoFil: Wells, Konstans. University of Adelaide; AustraliaFil: Willig, Michael R.. University of Connecticut; Estados UnidosFil: Wood, Eric. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Young, Richard P.. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust; Reino UnidoFil: Bradley, Andrew V.. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Ewers, Robert M.. Imperial College London; Reino Unid

Will representation targets based on area protect critical resources for the conservation of the Tucuman Parrot?

The Tucuman Parrot (Amazona tucumana), which is restricted to Southern Yungas forest of Argentina and Bolivia, has not recovered from severe population declines in the 1980s. We assessed habitat conservation targets for this species and asked, “What constitutes the right target?” For species with small ranges, maximizing the proportion of the range under protection is an established strategy to safeguard against threats. However, designating an amount for protection based on range alone (i.e. a ‘representation target') may set a misguided conservation target if critical resources are not considered. We used an ensemble model (‘biomod2’) to map suitable breeding and nonbreeding habitat of the Tucuman Parrot based on environmental variables and key resources (breeding) or the species' occurrence (nonbreeding). Pino blanco (Podocarpus parlatorei) seeds are critical food for Tucuman Parrot nestlings, so we modeled the distribution of this tree as a proxy for potential breeding habitat. We then examined the adequacy of current habitat protection relative to representation targets and in light of known threats, including forest degradation and loss, and poaching. Overall, 17% of the 110,122 km2 Southern Yungas is protected, which is close to the proportion recommended (the target; 22%), based on the ecoregion's size, for inclusion in a conservation network. Similarly, 26% of the 46,263 km2 of nonbreeding habitat is protected, also relatively successful at 71% of the target (36%). However, of the scant ~21,000 km2 of breeding habitat, only 15% is protected, much less than the representation target (49%) recommended for maximizing the probability of population persistence. Poaching of nestlings further undermines the value of some nesting habitat in Bolivia. For Tucuman Parrots, increased enforcement of protection in Bolivia and protection of additional nesting habitat in Argentina are the most efficient ways to enhance persistence. Our results illustrate how habitat conservation targets based on area alone may be inadequate if important biological information is overlooked.El Amazona tucumana es una especie restringida a las Yungas australes de Argentina y Bolivia que no se ha recuperado de la severa declinación de sus poblaciones durante la década de los 80s. Evaluamos los objetivos de conservación del hábitat del Amazona tucumana y nos preguntamos, ¿cual constituye el objetivo adecuado? Maximizar la proporción del área bajo protección de especies con rangos pequeños es una estrategia común para resguardarlas de eventos estocásticos y de otras amenazas. Sin embargo, basar la designación de la cantidad de área a proteger sólo en su rango (es decir, en un objetivo de representación) puede ser un objetivo de conservación erróneo si no se consideran los recursos críticos para la especie. En este trabajo utilizamos un modelo conjunto (‘biomod2’) para mapear el hábitat reproductivo y no reproductivo adecuado para el Amazona tucumana basado en variables ambientales y recursos clave (durante la época reproductiva) o en la ocurrencia de la especie (en la época no reproductiva). Las semillas de Podocarpus parlatorei constituyen un alimento crítico para los pichones de Amazona tucumana, por lo que modelamos la distribución de esta especie de árbol como una representación del hábitat reproductivo potencial. Luego examinamos si es adecuada la protección actual de su hábitat en relación a objetivos de representación y a la luz de las amenazas conocidas, incluyendo la degradación y pérdida de bosque y la extracción de pichones. En total, el 17% de los 110,122 km2 de Yungas australes están protegidos, lo cual está cerca de la proporción recomendada (22%) para ser incluido en un sistema de áreas de conservación, basado en el tamaño de la ecorregión. De igual manera, el 26% de los 46,263 km2 de hábitat no reproductivo está protegido, siendo relativamente exitoso al alcanzar el 71% del objetivo de conservación (36%). Sin embargo, de los escasos ~21,000 km2 de hábitat reproductivo, solamente el 15% está protegido, mucho menos que el objetivo de representación (49%) recomendable para una probabilidad máxima de persistencia de la población. La extracción de pichones además, disminuye el valor de algunos hábitats de nidificación de la especie en Bolivia. Para el Amazona tucumana, un mayor cumplimiento de su protección en Bolivia y la protección de hábitat de nidificación adicional en Argentina sería la forma más eficiente de mejorar sus posibilidades de persistencia. Nuestros resultados muestran como los objetivos de conservación de hábitat basados solamente en área pueden ser inadecuados si la información biológica importante es soslayada.Fil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Martinuzzi, Sebastián. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Politi, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Bateman, Brooke. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido

Effect of forest logging on food availability, suitable nesting habitat, nest density and spatial pattern of a Neotropical parrot

Secondary cavity nesters, bird species that rely on the presence of existing cavities, are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and stochastic processes that reduce the availability of cavity bearing trees. The most common logging practice in Neotropical forests is selective logging, where a few valuable tree species are logged, primarily old, large trees that are the most prone to develop cavities and produce larger amounts of fruits and seeds. Tucuman Amazon, Amazona tucumana, is a threatened parrot that relies on the tree-cavities and food provided by large, old trees. Our objective was to evaluate how logging affects 1) stand and nest plot forest structure, 2) nesting site selection, 3) food availability, 4) density of suitable cavities, 5) nest density, and 6) nest spatial pattern of Tucuman Amazon by comparing a mature undisturbed forest in a National Park (NP) vs a logged forest (LF). We determined the availability of suitable cavities and food resources consumed by Tucuman Amazon, and we compared nest density and spatial pattern of nests between NP vs LF. The Index of food availability for all tree species consumed by Tucuman Amazon and for P. parlatorei were significantly higher in NP than in LF (34.5 ± 13.3 m ha−1 vs. 3.5 ± 1.0 m ha−1 and 5.6 ± 2.3 m ha−1 vs. 1.2 ± 1.0 m ha−1, respectively). Density of suitable cavities for nesting in the NP was significantly higher than in the LF: 4.6 cavities ha−1 [C.I. 95 %: 3.07 – 7.04 cavities ha−1] vs. 1.1 cavities ha−1 [C.I. 95 %: 0.73 – 1.66 cavities ha−1], respectively. Mean density of Tucuman Amazon nests was significantly higher in the NP than in LF (0.25 ± 0.04 vs. 0.06 ± 0.04 nest ha−1, respectively). Food availability is an important factor that affects Tucuman Amazon populations and when food is not limiting, the availability of suitable cavities and territorial behavior could play a role in regulating nest density. When evaluating the limiting factors for secondary cavity-nesting species of conservation concern it is important to evaluate the interplay of a set of potential limiting factors to propose sound forest management recommendations.Fil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Bucher, Enrique Hugo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido

Conservation prioritization when species distribution data are scarce

Prioritizing candidate areas to achieve species richness representation is relatively straightforward when distributions are known for many taxa; however, it may be challenging in data-poor regions. One approach is to focus on the distribution of a few charismatic species in areas that overlap with areas with little human influence, and another is to expand protection in the vicinity of existing protected areas. We assessed the effectiveness of these two approaches for protecting the potential distribution of 21 bird species affiliated with the piedmont dry forest in Argentina. We assessed the degree to which current protected areas met the representation target for each bird species. We found that 8% of the piedmont dry forest and 11% of the extent of occurrence of the bird species within piedmont dry forest were protected, indicating a shortfall. Areas with little human influence that overlap with the distribution of charismatic species had a higher number of bird species than areas with high human influence. Areas within the vicinity of protected areas performed similarly to priority areas, but included high human influence areas. We suggest that a prioritization scheme based on areas of charismatic species distribution that overlap with areas of low human influence can function as an effective surrogate for bird species affiliated with the piedmont dry forest in Argentina. Our results have operational implications for conservation planning in those regions of the world where biodiversity data are poor, but where decisions and actions to sustain biodiversity are urgently needed.Fil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Martinuzzi, Sebastián. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Radeloff, Volker. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados Unido

Influences of succession and erosion on bird communities in a South American highland wooded landscape

In South American highland forests, domestic grazing can cause major changes in forest structure and soil quality thereby altering resources available to avian communities. However, the consequences of changes in variability in plant growth forms after disturbance are little known. Understanding forest succession effects on avifauna is critical though, given that area in secondary forests is expected to increase in the future. We sampled bird communities at 172 sample points in Polylepis shrublands and forests patches in Argentina. For each of these points, we calculated vegetation variables (NDVI, NDVI texture indices), landscape pattern variables (patch area and connectivity), and human disturbance variables (erosion, distances to settlements and roads), based on a Landsat 5 TM image, a local land cover map, and topography (slope and altitude) from a Digital Elevation Model. Bird communities in Polylepis forests included approximately twice as many species and double the abundance than those in shrublands. Species composition strongly differed between the two growth forms as well, birds that use the ground vegetation to nest and forage were less abundant in shrubland patches, air foragers were also less abundant in shrubland patches. Soil erosion, proximity to human settlements and forest isolation were the best predictors of bird richness and abundance in Polylepis vegetation patches. Abundance of birds that use the ground for nesting and foraging were negatively related to soil erosion. We concluded that Polylepis avifauna communities are primarily influenced by human impact on soils rather than by vegetation structural characteristics. Polylepis vegetation restoration and reduction of livestock grazing would likely reduce soil erosion rates, promote natural regeneration, increase patch connectivity and enhance microhabitat conditions for avifauna in high-altitude Polylepis forests and shrublands.EEA ParanáFil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin‐Madison. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab; Estados UnidosFil: Alcántara, Camilo. University of Wisconsin‐Madison. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Guadalajara. Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario Costa Sur; MexicoFil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Radeloff, Volker C. University of Wisconsin‐Madison. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. SILVIS Lab; Estados Unido

Distribution and habitat use of the endemic Yungas Guan Penelope bridgesi in the Southern Yungas of Argentina

Identifying the factors that determine the spatial distribution and habitat use of species of conservation importance is essential to developing effective conservation and management strategies. As seed dispersers, guans play a key role in the regeneration of forests in South America and are threatened mainly by habitat loss and hunting pressure. The Yungas Guan Penelope bridgesi, an endemic species restricted to the Southern Yungas of Argentina and Bolivia, has been recently recognized as a separate species. To determine the conservation status of Yungas Guan, information on its distribution and habitat use is urgently needed. The objectives of our work were to 1) determine the potential distribution of the Yungas Guan in the Southern Yungas of Argentina and 2) assess the influence of environmental and anthropogenic covariables on habitat use of the species. We used records of Yungas Guan to model the potential distribution of the species with MaxEnt software and developed occupancy models to determine habitat use and influential elements of the landscape (puestos, urban areas, roads, rivers, and elevation). We obtained data on the presence of Yungas Guan with camera traps, with an effort of 6,990 camera trap-days. The total potential distribution of the species was 21,256 km2. We found that the habitat use by Yungas Guan increased with proximity to rivers and streams. The probability of habitat use was 0.27, with a range of 0.02-0.42. Of the total potential distribution area, 15,781 km2 (81%) had a probability of habitat use greater than 0.2. This study is the first in determining the potential distribution of Yungas Guan in the Southern Yungas of Salta and Jujuy provinces in Argentina and highlights the importance of conducting analyses with occupancy models to assess the influence of environmental and anthropogenic variables and threats to cracid species.Fil: Tejerina, Silvana Yanina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Bardavid, Sofia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Politi, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Bernardos, Jaime. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Pidgeon, Anna Michle. University of Wisconsin; Estados UnidosFil: Rivera, Luis Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentin