Raptor birds have widespread distributions in different environments throughout the planet. Yet, they are highly sensitive to landscape disturbances. We studied raptors in northern-central Mexico at the Highland plateau of San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas, in three landscape types that differed in proportion of agriculture. Our main goal was to determine whether small proportion of agriculture at the landscape level influences species richness, ecological diversity, and functional diversity. We conducted raptor road surveys during 1 year, from April 2015 to February 2016. We registered a total of 332 birds belonging to 14 diurnal raptor species. The most abundant species were Cathartes aura (turkey vulture), Falco sparverius (American kestrel), Caracara cheriway (crested caracara), and Buteo jamaicensis (red-tailed hawk). Three species: Aquila chrysaetos (golden eagle), Pandion haliaetus (osprey), and Falco columbarius (merlin) were exclusively recorded in the lessdegraded, scrubland landscapes. However, no significant differences on average diversity were found between landscape types. Contrastingly, scrubland landscapes had the highest average functional diversity, followed by mixed landscapes, and then by agricultural landscapes, with significant differences in functional diversity between scrubland and agricultural landscapes. Overall, observed species richness in the study area formed four functional groups. These groups change and loose species as proportion of agriculture in the landscape progressively increases. The results suggested that the contribution of species richness to functional diversity, both for scrubland landscapes, which have the greatest functional diversity, and agricultural landscapes, which hold the smallest functional diversity, is important because there is substantial functional redundancy among landscape types.
Se presenta información sobre la presencia y abundancia así como evidencias de anidación de la cotorra Argentina (Myiopsittamonachus), especie exótica en el sur de la península de Baja California. La cotorra fue registrada por primera vez en noviembre de 2012 en el poblado de Chametla, 7 km al norte de la ciudad de La Paz. Desde entonces y hasta el día de hoy, el perico ha incrementado su abundancia en 10 veces su población inicial. Reportamos actividad de anidación, entre mayo y agosto de 2013 y mayo -agosto 2014. Los nidos fueron construidos sobre la palma de abanico (Washingtonia robusta, 75%) y palma de coco (Cocos nucifera, 25%). Se les observó alimentándose de frutos de palma datilera (Phoenix dactylifera), mezquite (Prosopis sp.), tamarindo (Tamarindus indica), guamúchil (Pithecellobium dulce) y otatave (Vallesia glabra), así como de restos de comida provistos por la gente. Se discuten las posibles implicaciones de la presencia deesta especie exótica en la región.
BCS) lo tuvimos en el otoño de 2008, y a partir de entonces registramos un incremento de la presencia de esta especie en 64% de las localidades (N= 100). Presentamos los primeros 2 registros de anidación de la especie en BCS, con lo que confirmamos el establecimiento de la especie en el estado, con su expansión a otras localidades del sur de la península. Discutimos y proponemos algunas variables que han ayudado a su colonización.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.