Respuesta de la diversidad y estructura gremial de aves depredadoras a cambios en variables urbanas de una megaciudad neotropical

Abstract

Negative effects of urbanization on bird diversity are widely known, however, recently there has been discussed about what is the best way of urbanizing to reduce such impacts and improve ecosystem services. Within this scope, the present research evaluated the response of the predatory bird community to changes in urban variables along the urban-forest gradient in the City of Bogotá D.C, in order to provide parameters that contribute to this discussion. For this purpose, characteristics of urban forest gradient were described according to urban planning variables of compact cities and green areas, such as composition and structure of plant cover, percentages of impervious surfaces, bare, and leaf litter cover, construction indices , compactness, density, to later evaluate their response on the diversity and guild structure of predatory birds along the gradient, through the realization of linear models. Variables such as the construction index showed a negative affect on the richness and equity of predatory birds, while its influence was positive on abundance of generalist trophic guilds, which proves negative effect of compact cities. However, the results show that management of green areas variables such as a reduced impervious surfaces cover, an increase in leaf litter cover, as well as a complex plant structure, with a predominance of native plant species, can contribute to favoring the diversity and guild structure of predatory birds, even in compact cities.