Efeito das características do habitat e da matriz nas assembléias de aves aquáticas em áreas úmidas do Sul do Brasil

Abstract

The Lagoa do Peixe National Park (LPNP), in the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul, protect important samples of almost all wetland ecosystems and waterbird species in the region. The surrounding areas also harbor remnant natural wetlands, scattered in a matrix of drained meadows or rice fields, of which the conservation significance is unknown. The structure of waterbird assemblages in these remnants is expected to vary with their spatial attributes and with the characteristics of the surrounding matrix. The aim of this study was to describe the composition, richness and abundance of waterbird assemblages of 27 remnant wetlands; to describe the seasonal variation in the structure of these waterbird assemblages and it’s relation with pluviosity; to evaluate the effect of the remnant’s area, type of wetland, type of matrix and wetland availability in the landscape on the composition, richness and abundance of waterbirds; and to discuss the importance of the remaining wetlands nearby the Park for the conservat