Avifauna de un camino rural de montaña en las Yungas de Tucumán (Argentina)

Abstract

“Avifauna of a rural mountain road in Yungas of Tucumán (Argentina)”. The layout of routes and roads in natural environments causes disturbances due to vegeta- tion removal and socio-economic activities generated in the area. The aim of this work is to determine the impact of these changes in the composition and seasonal pattern of birds in an area of montane forest where a rural mountain road was opened (Department Tafi Viejo, Tucumán, Argentina). The present study was carried out during the spring (wet period) and autumn (dry period) 953 individuals belonging to 67 species and 24 families were recorded. The dominant trophic guilds were frugivorous-granivorous and insectivorous. In Autumn, a greater diversity was recorded, family and species richness. Fifteen species performed some kind of displacement (local or altitudinal), 34 were common to both seasons, and the remain- ing were affected by turnover. There was a 69% of similarity in the composition and seasonal changes in diversity were equivalent to 11.28%. Apart from the typical species, the avifauna of the montane forest presented other generalists species in the habitat use and/or associ- ated with urbanization. This would be explained by an edge effect and the new microhabitats available for colonization caused by the disturbance.