Promoviendo ciudades amigables con las aves: aprendizajes tras cinco años de estudios empíricos en Santiago de Chile

Nélida R. Villaseñor; Martín A. H. Escobar

doi:10.56178/eh.v37i2.392

Points of View Published 01 December 2022 https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v37i2.392

Achieving bird-friendly cities: lessons from five years of empirical studies in Santiago de Chile

biological conservation endemic species green space natural vegetation Neotropical birds shrubs trees urban ecology

Nélida R. Villaseñor Grupo de Ecología, Naturaleza y Sociedad, Departamento de Gestión Forestal y su Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, 8820808, Chile. Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Av. Viel 1497, Santiago, Chile

Martín A. H. Escobar Grupo de Ecología, Naturaleza y Sociedad, Departamento de Gestión Forestal y su Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, 8820808, Chile.

Abstract

Urbanization causes a strong environmental impact involving habitat degradation, loss and fragmentation for multiple species. Because in Latin America urbanization commonly occurs in sites of high value for biodiversity, it is necessary to develop strategies to conserve biological communities in urban landscapes. In this paper, we summarize the main lessons learned in five years of empirical studies in the city of Santiago, capital of Chile, highlighting the main lessons to promote a city more sensitive with native birds. Our research shows that: (1) vegetation cover promotes greater species richness and abundance of native birds, and its benefits are evident at both local and landscape scales; (2) the urban forest is a key component to maintain native birds in the city which has positive effects on birds from different trophic guilds and limit the abundance of exotic birds Passer domesticus and Columba livia; (3) urban parks support more native birds than built-up areas and their benefits would spill over into neighboring areas; (4) the informal green space (vacant lots, uncultivated or abandoned land) maintains a great variety of native birds, including species that are not common in the city; and (5) it is important to preserve the natural vegetation around Santiago, since it is home to bird species endemic to Chile that are sensitive to land use change. We hope this synthesis will facilitate the implementation of our recommendations and, in the near future, we achieve more nature-friendly cities in Latin America.

PDF (Spanish)

References

Aizen MA, Vázquez DP y Smith-Ramírez C (2002) Historia natural y conservación de los mutualismos planta-animal del bosque templado de Sudamérica austral. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 75: 79–97
Amaya-Espinel JD y Hostetler ME (2019) The value of small forest fragments and urban tree canopy for Neotropical migrant birds during winter and migration seasons in Latin American countries: A systematic review. Landscape and Urban Planning 190: 103592
Amaya-Espinel JD, Hostetler M, Henríquez C y Bonacic C (2019) The influence of building density on Neotropical bird communities found in small urban parks. Landscape and Urban Planning 190: 103578
Aronson MFJ, La Sorte FA, Nilon CH, Katti M, Goddard MA, Lepczyk CA, Warren PS, Williams NSG, Cilliers S, Clarkson B, Dobbs C, Dolan R, Hedblom M, Klotz S, Louwe Kooijmans J, Kühn I, MacGregor-Fors I, McDonnell M, Mörtberg U, Pyšek P, Siebert S, Sushinsky J, Werner P y Winter M (2014) A global analysis of the impacts of urbanization on bird and plant diversity reveals key anthropogenic drivers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281: 20133330
Benito JF, Escobar MAH y Villaseñor NR (2019) Conservation in the city: How does habitat structure influence the abundance of individual bird species in a Latin American metropolis? Gayana 83: 114–25
Chávez-Villavicencio CL (2017) Diversidad alfa y beta de las aves terrestres en ecosistemas no urbanizado y urbanizado de la Herradura (Coquimbo - Chile). The Biologist 15: 329–336
Díaz IA y Armesto JJ (2003) La conservación de las aves silvestres en ambientes urbanos de Santiago. Revista Ambiente y Desarrollo de CIPMA 19: 31–38
Escobar-Ibáñez J y MacGregor-Fors I (2017) What’s new? An up-dated review of avian ecology in urban Latin America. Pp 11-31 en: Escobar-Ibáñez JF, MacGregor-Fors I (Eds). Avian ecology in Latin American cityscapes. Switzerland: Springer
Estades CF (1995) Aves y vegetacion urbana: el caso de las plazas. Boletín Chileno de Ornitología 2: 7–13
Figueroa JA, Saldías G, Teillier S, Carrera E y Castro SA (2020) Seed banks in urban vacant lots of a Latin American megacity are easily germinable and strongly dominated by exotic flora. Urban Ecosystems 23: 945–955
Foncea Araneda JF (2020) Relación entre la comunidad de aves y variables del hábitat local y del paisaje en Santiago, Región Metropolitana. Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Ingeniero en Recursos Naturales Renovables. Universidad de Chile.
Garizabal-Carmona JA y Mancera-Rodriguez NJ (2021) Bird species richness across a Northern Andean city: Effects of size, shape, land cover, and vegetation of urban green spaces. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 64:127243
Garreaud RD, Boisier JP, Rondanelli R, Montecinos A, Sepúlveda HH y Veloso-Aguila D (2020) The Central Chile Mega Drought (2010–2018): A climate dynamics perspective. International Journal of Climatology 40: 421–439
Hernández HJ y Villaseñor NR (2018) Twelve-year change in tree diversity and spatial segregation in the Mediterranean city of Santiago, Chile. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 29: 10–18
Ikin K, Le Roux DS, Rayner L, Villaseñor NR, Eyles K, Gibbons P, Manning AD y Lindenmayer DB (2015) Key lessons for achieving biodiversity-sensitive cities and towns. Ecological Management and Restoration 16: 206–214
IPBES (2019) Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Díaz S, Settele J, Brondizio ES, Ngo HT, Guèze M, Agard J, Arneth A, Balvanera P, Brauman KA, Butchart SHM, Chan KMA, Garibaldi LA, Ichii K, Liu J, Subramanian SM, Midgley GF, Miloslavich P, Molnár Z, Obura D, Pfaff A, Polasky S, Purvis A, Razzaque J, Reyers B, Roy Chowdhury R, Shin YJ, Visseren-Hamakers IJ, Willis KJ y Zayas CN (eds.). Bonn, Germany
Leveau LM (2013) Relaciones aves–habitat en el sector suburbano de Mar del Plata, Argentina. Ornitologia Neotropical 24: 201–212
MacGregor-Fors I, Gomez-Martinez MA, Garcia-Arroyo M y Chavez-Zichinelli CA (2020) A dead letter? Urban conservation, management, and planning strategies from the Mexican urban bird literature. Urban Ecosystems 23: 1107–1115
MacGregor-Fors I y Schondube JE (2011) Gray vs. green urbanization: Relative importance of urban features for urban bird communities. Basic and Applied Ecology 12: 372–381
Magle SB, Hunt VM, Vernon M y Crooks KR (2012) Urban wildlife research: Past, present, and future. Biological Conservation 155: 23–32
McKinney ML (2006) Urbanization as a major cause of biotic homogenization. Biological Conservation 127: 247–260
Mejías D (2021) Composición, riqueza y abundancia de aves en espacios verdes urbanos y áreas naturales de la ciudad de Santiago de Chile. Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Ingeniera en Recursos Naturales Renovables. Universidad de Chile
Mella JE y Loutit A (2007) Ecología comunitaria y reproductiva de aves en cerros islas y parques de Santiago. Boletín Chileno de Ornitología 13: 13–27
Muñoz-Pacheco CB y Villaseñor NR (2022a) Urban ecosystem services in South America: A systematic review. Sustainability 14: 10751
Muñoz-Pacheco CB y Villaseñor NR (2022b) Avian species richness in cities: A review of the Spanish-language literature from the Southern Cone of South America. Urban Ecosystems 25: 601–616
Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB y Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853–858
Pauchard A, Aguayo M, Peña E y Urrutia R (2006) Multiple effects of urbanization on the biodiversity of developing countries: The case of a fast-growing metropolitan area (Concepción, Chile). Biological Conservation 127: 272–281
Piratelli AJ, Franchin AG y Marín-Gómez OH (2017) Urban Conservation: Toward Bird-Friendly Cities in Latin America. Pp: 143-158 en: MacGregor-Fors I, Escobar-Ibáñez J (Eds). Avian Ecology in Latin American Cityscapes. Springer
Reyes Päcke S y Figueroa Aldunce IM (2010) Distribución, superficie y accesibilidad de las áreas verdes en Santiago de Chile. Revista de Estudios Urbano Regionales (EURE) 36: 89–110
Rupprecht CDD, Byrne JA, Garden JG y Hero J-M (2015) Informal urban green space: A trilingual systematic review of its role for biodiversity and trends in the literature. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 14: 883–908
Sanderson EW y Huron A (2011) Conservation in the City. Conservation Biology 25: 421–423
Silva CP, García CE, Estay SA y Barbosa O (2015) Bird richness and abundance in response to urban form in a Latin American city: Valdivia, Chile as a case study. PLoS ONE 10: e0138120
Soga M y Gaston KJ (2022) Towards a unified understanding of human–nature interactions. Nature Sustainability 5: 374-383
TEEB (2011) TEEB manual for cities: Ecosystem services in urban management. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): Geneva
Villaseñor NR, Chiang LA, Hernández HJ y Escobar MAH (2020) Vacant lands as refuges for native birds: An opportunity for biodiversity conservation in cities. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 49: 126632
Villaseñor NR, Chiang LA, Hernández HJ y Escobar MAH (2021b) Contribución del espacio verde informal a la conservación de aves en ciudades: Un estudio comparativo sobre la diversidad de la comunidad de aves en sitios baldíos, parques urbanos y áreas residenciales. Ornitología Neotropical 32: 179–187
Villaseñor NR y Escobar MAH (2019) Cemeteries and biodiversity conservation in cities: how do landscape and patch-level attributes influence bird diversity in urban park cemeteries? Urban Ecosystems 22: 1037–1046
Villaseñor NR y Escobar MAH (2022) Linking socioeconomics to biodiversity in the city: The case of a migrant keystone bird species. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10: 850065
Villaseñor NR, Escobar MAH y Hernández HJ (2021c) Can aggregated patterns of urban woody vegetation cover promote greater species diversity, richness and abundance of native birds? Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 61: 127102
Villaseñor NR, Truffello R y Reyes-Paecke S (2021a) Greening at multiple scales promote biodiverse cities: A multi-scale assessment of drivers of Neotropical birds. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 66: 127394
Wright Wendel HE, Zarger RK y Mihelcic JR (2012) Accessibility and usability: Green space preferences, perceptions, and barriers in a rapidly urbanizing city in Latin America. Landscape and Urban Planning 107: 272–282
Zuñiga-Palacios J, Zuria I, Moreno CE, Almazán-Núñez RC y González-Ledesma M (2020) Can small vacant lots become important reservoirs for birds in urban areas? A case study for a Latin American city. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 47: 126551

How to cite

Nélida R. Villaseñor, Martín A. H. Escobar (2022). Achieving bird-friendly cities: lessons from five years of empirical studies in Santiago de Chile. El Hornero, Vol. 37 No. 2 (2022), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v37i2.392

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License: CC BY-NC 4.0

[1] Aizen MA, Vázquez DP y Smith-Ramírez C (2002) Historia natural y conservación de los mutualismos planta-animal del bosque templado de Sudamérica austral. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 75: 79–97

[2] Amaya-Espinel JD y Hostetler ME (2019) The value of small forest fragments and urban tree canopy for Neotropical migrant birds during winter and migration seasons in Latin American countries: A systematic review. Landscape and Urban Planning 190: 103592

[3] Amaya-Espinel JD, Hostetler M, Henríquez C y Bonacic C (2019) The influence of building density on Neotropical bird communities found in small urban parks. Landscape and Urban Planning 190: 103578

[4] Aronson MFJ, La Sorte FA, Nilon CH, Katti M, Goddard MA, Lepczyk CA, Warren PS, Williams NSG, Cilliers S, Clarkson B, Dobbs C, Dolan R, Hedblom M, Klotz S, Louwe Kooijmans J, Kühn I, MacGregor-Fors I, McDonnell M, Mörtberg U, Pyšek P, Siebert S, Sushinsky J, Werner P y Winter M (2014) A global analysis of the impacts of urbanization on bird and plant diversity reveals key anthropogenic drivers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 281: 20133330

[5] Benito JF, Escobar MAH y Villaseñor NR (2019) Conservation in the city: How does habitat structure influence the abundance of individual bird species in a Latin American metropolis? Gayana 83: 114–25

[6] Chávez-Villavicencio CL (2017) Diversidad alfa y beta de las aves terrestres en ecosistemas no urbanizado y urbanizado de la Herradura (Coquimbo - Chile). The Biologist 15: 329–336

[7] Díaz IA y Armesto JJ (2003) La conservación de las aves silvestres en ambientes urbanos de Santiago. Revista Ambiente y Desarrollo de CIPMA 19: 31–38

[8] Escobar-Ibáñez J y MacGregor-Fors I (2017) What’s new? An up-dated review of avian ecology in urban Latin America. Pp 11-31 en: Escobar-Ibáñez JF, MacGregor-Fors I (Eds). Avian ecology in Latin American cityscapes. Switzerland: Springer

[9] Estades CF (1995) Aves y vegetacion urbana: el caso de las plazas. Boletín Chileno de Ornitología 2: 7–13

[10] Figueroa JA, Saldías G, Teillier S, Carrera E y Castro SA (2020) Seed banks in urban vacant lots of a Latin American megacity are easily germinable and strongly dominated by exotic flora. Urban Ecosystems 23: 945–955

[11] Foncea Araneda JF (2020) Relación entre la comunidad de aves y variables del hábitat local y del paisaje en Santiago, Región Metropolitana. Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Ingeniero en Recursos Naturales Renovables. Universidad de Chile.

[12] Garizabal-Carmona JA y Mancera-Rodriguez NJ (2021) Bird species richness across a Northern Andean city: Effects of size, shape, land cover, and vegetation of urban green spaces. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 64:127243

[13] Garreaud RD, Boisier JP, Rondanelli R, Montecinos A, Sepúlveda HH y Veloso-Aguila D (2020) The Central Chile Mega Drought (2010–2018): A climate dynamics perspective. International Journal of Climatology 40: 421–439

[14] Hernández HJ y Villaseñor NR (2018) Twelve-year change in tree diversity and spatial segregation in the Mediterranean city of Santiago, Chile. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 29: 10–18

[15] Ikin K, Le Roux DS, Rayner L, Villaseñor NR, Eyles K, Gibbons P, Manning AD y Lindenmayer DB (2015) Key lessons for achieving biodiversity-sensitive cities and towns. Ecological Management and Restoration 16: 206–214

[16] IPBES (2019) Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Díaz S, Settele J, Brondizio ES, Ngo HT, Guèze M, Agard J, Arneth A, Balvanera P, Brauman KA, Butchart SHM, Chan KMA, Garibaldi LA, Ichii K, Liu J, Subramanian SM, Midgley GF, Miloslavich P, Molnár Z, Obura D, Pfaff A, Polasky S, Purvis A, Razzaque J, Reyers B, Roy Chowdhury R, Shin YJ, Visseren-Hamakers IJ, Willis KJ y Zayas CN (eds.). Bonn, Germany

[17] Leveau LM (2013) Relaciones aves–habitat en el sector suburbano de Mar del Plata, Argentina. Ornitologia Neotropical 24: 201–212

[18] MacGregor-Fors I, Gomez-Martinez MA, Garcia-Arroyo M y Chavez-Zichinelli CA (2020) A dead letter? Urban conservation, management, and planning strategies from the Mexican urban bird literature. Urban Ecosystems 23: 1107–1115

[19] MacGregor-Fors I y Schondube JE (2011) Gray vs. green urbanization: Relative importance of urban features for urban bird communities. Basic and Applied Ecology 12: 372–381

[20] Magle SB, Hunt VM, Vernon M y Crooks KR (2012) Urban wildlife research: Past, present, and future. Biological Conservation 155: 23–32

[21] McKinney ML (2006) Urbanization as a major cause of biotic homogenization. Biological Conservation 127: 247–260

[22] Mejías D (2021) Composición, riqueza y abundancia de aves en espacios verdes urbanos y áreas naturales de la ciudad de Santiago de Chile. Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Ingeniera en Recursos Naturales Renovables. Universidad de Chile

[23] Mella JE y Loutit A (2007) Ecología comunitaria y reproductiva de aves en cerros islas y parques de Santiago. Boletín Chileno de Ornitología 13: 13–27

[24] Muñoz-Pacheco CB y Villaseñor NR (2022a) Urban ecosystem services in South America: A systematic review. Sustainability 14: 10751

[25] Muñoz-Pacheco CB y Villaseñor NR (2022b) Avian species richness in cities: A review of the Spanish-language literature from the Southern Cone of South America. Urban Ecosystems 25: 601–616

[26] Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB y Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853–858

[27] Pauchard A, Aguayo M, Peña E y Urrutia R (2006) Multiple effects of urbanization on the biodiversity of developing countries: The case of a fast-growing metropolitan area (Concepción, Chile). Biological Conservation 127: 272–281

[28] Piratelli AJ, Franchin AG y Marín-Gómez OH (2017) Urban Conservation: Toward Bird-Friendly Cities in Latin America. Pp: 143-158 en: MacGregor-Fors I, Escobar-Ibáñez J (Eds). Avian Ecology in Latin American Cityscapes. Springer

[29] Reyes Päcke S y Figueroa Aldunce IM (2010) Distribución, superficie y accesibilidad de las áreas verdes en Santiago de Chile. Revista de Estudios Urbano Regionales (EURE) 36: 89–110

[30] Rupprecht CDD, Byrne JA, Garden JG y Hero J-M (2015) Informal urban green space: A trilingual systematic review of its role for biodiversity and trends in the literature. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 14: 883–908

[31] Sanderson EW y Huron A (2011) Conservation in the City. Conservation Biology 25: 421–423

[32] Silva CP, García CE, Estay SA y Barbosa O (2015) Bird richness and abundance in response to urban form in a Latin American city: Valdivia, Chile as a case study. PLoS ONE 10: e0138120

[33] Soga M y Gaston KJ (2022) Towards a unified understanding of human–nature interactions. Nature Sustainability 5: 374-383

[34] TEEB (2011) TEEB manual for cities: Ecosystem services in urban management. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): Geneva

[35] Villaseñor NR, Chiang LA, Hernández HJ y Escobar MAH (2020) Vacant lands as refuges for native birds: An opportunity for biodiversity conservation in cities. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 49: 126632

[36] Villaseñor NR, Chiang LA, Hernández HJ y Escobar MAH (2021b) Contribución del espacio verde informal a la conservación de aves en ciudades: Un estudio comparativo sobre la diversidad de la comunidad de aves en sitios baldíos, parques urbanos y áreas residenciales. Ornitología Neotropical 32: 179–187

[37] Villaseñor NR y Escobar MAH (2019) Cemeteries and biodiversity conservation in cities: how do landscape and patch-level attributes influence bird diversity in urban park cemeteries? Urban Ecosystems 22: 1037–1046

[38] Villaseñor NR y Escobar MAH (2022) Linking socioeconomics to biodiversity in the city: The case of a migrant keystone bird species. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 10: 850065

[39] Villaseñor NR, Escobar MAH y Hernández HJ (2021c) Can aggregated patterns of urban woody vegetation cover promote greater species diversity, richness and abundance of native birds? Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 61: 127102

[40] Villaseñor NR, Truffello R y Reyes-Paecke S (2021a) Greening at multiple scales promote biodiverse cities: A multi-scale assessment of drivers of Neotropical birds. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 66: 127394

[41] Wright Wendel HE, Zarger RK y Mihelcic JR (2012) Accessibility and usability: Green space preferences, perceptions, and barriers in a rapidly urbanizing city in Latin America. Landscape and Urban Planning 107: 272–282

[42] Zuñiga-Palacios J, Zuria I, Moreno CE, Almazán-Núñez RC y González-Ledesma M (2020) Can small vacant lots become important reservoirs for birds in urban areas? A case study for a Latin American city. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 47: 126551