Scenarios for the management of aquatic bird communities and wetland restoration after intensive agricultural land use and extensive land use cover changes in semi-arid territories

Abstract

Loss of wetlands is common in territories extensively used for agricultural purposes (MONTES & BIFANI 1991, MOSER et al. 1999, MITSCH & GOSSELINK 2007). This loss negatively impacts wetland birds but can also negatively affect human welfare (JOHNSON 2001, FLETCHER 2003). Recovery of bird communities requires availability of habitats, both in quantity and quality adequate to the established objectives (FLETCHER & KOFORD 2002). Several factors are important for successful bird community recovery, ranging from local to watershed scales (WHITED et al. 2000). We analysed birds communities related to habitat characteristics in a territory extensively used for irrigated agriculture and discuss recommended changes in wetland management for different land use changes at the landscape scale.