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Birders' Exchange | |
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BIRDERS' EXCHANGE RECIPIENTSThe Conservation of Pampas Grasslands in Argentina by Natalia Cozzani Our team (Gekko - Study Group on Conservation and Management) brings together nearly 40 people, with 28 volunteer coordinators under the leadership of Dr. Sergio Zalba. The project takes place in the Provincial Park E. Tornquist, in the Sierra de la Ventana, about 100 km from the city of Bahia Blanca southwest of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This nature reserve is being invaded by exotic species of trees and animals endangering the continuity of native grassland areas and the fauna associated with this grassland vegetation. Degradation of Pampas grasslands could have serious results for biodiversity, and in particular for pasture birds (Krapovickas & Di Giacomo 1998, Filloy & Bellocq 2007). The selection of sites suitable for nesting is particularly critical in these environments and problems are compounded by a reduction in food availability, the presence of competitors and an increase in the impact of opportunistic predators (Chase 2002). Grassland birds are defined as those species that spend part or all of their life cycle in these environments. Most of these are species that nest in the soil beneath, or in the center of clumps of grasses (Vickery et al. 1999). In the Northern americas are the group which is most affected (Peterjohn and Sauer, 1993) so their decline has been studied, reaching the general conclusion that the cause of the large decline in their populations is loss of habitat available for reproduction (Vickery et al. 1999, Herkert et al. 2003). Studies were established in 2003 at the Botanic Garden in Pillahuinco where educational efforts are made in kindergartens, schools and to the general public in order to educate them to become familiar with and appreciate the environment that surrounds them. In the Botanical Garden native plant species are grown, including some endemic plants, and research is conducted about their cultivation requirements by providing valuable information about their conservation. The Provincial Park E. Tornquist is among the last relics of pampas grass, being the only natural reserve of the country that protects the pasture ecosystem. Because of the great plant diversity and high concentration of endemic species, this reserve is among the areas identified as Valuable grassland (AVPs) identified for Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil (Bilenca and Miñarro 2004). Its high value from the standpoint of bird communities has also earned its designation as areas of importance for Bird Conservation (AIC) (Di Giacomo 2005). In studies conducted in the area of Provincial Park E. Tornquist significant changes have been detected in the communities of wild birds by grazing horses. Our findings indicate that there is a gradation of bird species according to their response to grazing. The presence of exotic herbivores also had significant effects on the rate of predation of bird nests. The loss of grassland native birds and as well as resident birds have been impacted. The volunteers working on this project are students who hold bachelor's degrees in biology from the Universidad Nacional del Sur. They are continually conducting various tasks within the project, either caring for the Botanical Garden, or in the monitoring studies of birds and amphibians.
Birders' Exchange |
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