Livestock grazing constraints bird abundance and species richness: a global meta-analysis

• Autores: Barzan, Flavia Romina; Bellis, Laura Marisa; Dardanelli, Sebastian
• Año de publicación: 2021
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Fuente: Basic and Applied Ecology (Available online 14 August 2021)
• Materia: Ganado Bovino; Pastoreo; Aves; Medio Ambiente; Cattle; Grazing; Environment
• Institución: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria

Balancing food production and biodiversity conservation is a global challenge today. Livestock grazing is one of the main activities triggering habitat degradation and land-use change around the world. Its effects on biodiversity have been widely explored, with birds being the most studied vertebrates. However, its impact seems to be contradictory given the disparity of the results. To understand the influence of livestock grazing on birds, we conducted a meta-analysis exploring the effects of several grazing characteristics on bird abundance and species richness. Our results showed that livestock grazing has a significant negative effect on bird abundance (mean effect size -0.422 ± 0.140), and species richness (mean effect size -0.391 ± 0.141). Livestock grazing affected negatively the bird abundance in riparian habitats in contrast to the other habitat types. Species richness was negatively affected by grazing in woody habitats and Afrotropical and Neotropical regions. Grazing by cattle was more detrimental for both bird richness and abundance than sheep or a mixture of domestic livestock grazing. Moreover, intermediate grazing intensity seems appropriate to maintain bird abundance and richness, as high grazing intensity dropped both bird abundance and species richness substantially, and low grazing intensity reduced bird species richness. This pattern supposes a non-linear effect of grazing intensity on birds. Therefore, the management of grazing intensity and type of livestock could help to reduce the negative effect on bird abundance and richness, as moderate grazing intensities and mix of livestock types appear to have a minor or null impact on bird abundance and richness. Future studies should explore in-depth the effect of moderate grazing intensities on bird diversity and composition to provide better management recommendations to enhance avian conservation in rangelands.
EEA Paraná
Fil: Barzan, Flavia R. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Barzan, Flavia R. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina
Fil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Instituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales “Mario Gulich”; Argentina.
Fil: Bellis, Laura Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales “Mario Gulich”; Argentina.
Fil: Dardanelli, Sebastian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Paraná; Argentina