Are novel ecosystems suitable habitats for native birds? Birds’ association with spontaneous vegetation patches in the argentinean pampas

Abstract

Novel ecosystems are characterized by species compositions and relative abundances that differ from those that occurred previously and have the potential for introducing ecological change. In this study, we evaluated bird species that are able to dwell in novel ecosystems in a representative area of the Pampas region. We compared bird assemblages and vegetation structure of different types of novel ecosystems with native and exotic vegetation by using the point-count method of variable radios. We found that even when many bird species dwell in novel ecosystems (e.g., some native generalist species, most of the exotic bird species), species with narrower habitat requirements avoid them. Our study suggests that although a large number of native species closely associated with native vegetation may avoid these novel ecosystems, they could represent alternative habitats for habitat generalist native fauna in the context of declining native ecosystems.