Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert

Most studies of ecological guilds consider guild membership as a fixed attribute of species, and the guild structure as a fixed attribute of a community. Consequently, almost no study tackled the examination of temporal changes in the guild structure of a particular assemblage. We used data on forag...

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Autores principales: Lopez de Casenave, J., Cueto, V., Marone, L.
Formato: JOUR
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_14391791_v9_n1_p78_LopezdeCasenave
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spelling todo:paper_14391791_v9_n1_p78_LopezdeCasenave2023-10-03T16:16:14Z Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert Lopez de Casenave, J. Cueto, V. Marone, L. Argentina Community ecology Feeding ecology Foraging patterns Guild membership Migration Opportunism Aves Most studies of ecological guilds consider guild membership as a fixed attribute of species, and the guild structure as a fixed attribute of a community. Consequently, almost no study tackled the examination of temporal changes in the guild structure of a particular assemblage. We used data on foraging patterns of central Monte desert birds to assess seasonal differences in resource use by resident species, and to examine seasonal changes in the guild structure of the assemblage. From 1993 until 1999, we quantified the use of foraging substrates, manoeuvres, and height strata, and the utilisation of plants by 18 bird species. Resident species showed different kinds of seasonal dynamics, from no noticeable to drastic changes in their foraging patterns. Seasonal changes in guild structure were remarkable. Only two guilds were present all year round (ground foragers and foliage foragers), although they suffered important species turnover. Three other guilds had a seasonal occurrence: graminivores (during the non-breeding season), arboreal herbivores, and aerial feeders (during the breeding season). Two species changed from one guild to another between seasons. Both presence-absence of migrant species, and changes in the feeding ecology of resident species had an influence on the temporal dynamics of guild structure. These factors appeared to be related with changing resource availability, especially with the birds' ability for facing lean conditions through migration and with the opportunistic use of seasonally superabundant resources. Our results undermine the trust in studies in which guild structure was assessed irrespective of temporal variations. We show also that guild membership is not a fixed attribute of a species: we should rather evaluate the individuals' resource use in a given moment to assign them to a guild, instead of obtaining a single measure purporting to represent a species' fixed attribute. © 2007 Gesellschaft für Ökologie. Fil:Lopez de Casenave, J. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Cueto, V. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. JOUR info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_14391791_v9_n1_p78_LopezdeCasenave
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Argentina
Community ecology
Feeding ecology
Foraging patterns
Guild membership
Migration
Opportunism
Aves
spellingShingle Argentina
Community ecology
Feeding ecology
Foraging patterns
Guild membership
Migration
Opportunism
Aves
Lopez de Casenave, J.
Cueto, V.
Marone, L.
Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert
topic_facet Argentina
Community ecology
Feeding ecology
Foraging patterns
Guild membership
Migration
Opportunism
Aves
description Most studies of ecological guilds consider guild membership as a fixed attribute of species, and the guild structure as a fixed attribute of a community. Consequently, almost no study tackled the examination of temporal changes in the guild structure of a particular assemblage. We used data on foraging patterns of central Monte desert birds to assess seasonal differences in resource use by resident species, and to examine seasonal changes in the guild structure of the assemblage. From 1993 until 1999, we quantified the use of foraging substrates, manoeuvres, and height strata, and the utilisation of plants by 18 bird species. Resident species showed different kinds of seasonal dynamics, from no noticeable to drastic changes in their foraging patterns. Seasonal changes in guild structure were remarkable. Only two guilds were present all year round (ground foragers and foliage foragers), although they suffered important species turnover. Three other guilds had a seasonal occurrence: graminivores (during the non-breeding season), arboreal herbivores, and aerial feeders (during the breeding season). Two species changed from one guild to another between seasons. Both presence-absence of migrant species, and changes in the feeding ecology of resident species had an influence on the temporal dynamics of guild structure. These factors appeared to be related with changing resource availability, especially with the birds' ability for facing lean conditions through migration and with the opportunistic use of seasonally superabundant resources. Our results undermine the trust in studies in which guild structure was assessed irrespective of temporal variations. We show also that guild membership is not a fixed attribute of a species: we should rather evaluate the individuals' resource use in a given moment to assign them to a guild, instead of obtaining a single measure purporting to represent a species' fixed attribute. © 2007 Gesellschaft für Ökologie.
format JOUR
author Lopez de Casenave, J.
Cueto, V.
Marone, L.
author_facet Lopez de Casenave, J.
Cueto, V.
Marone, L.
author_sort Lopez de Casenave, J.
title Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert
title_short Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert
title_full Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert
title_fullStr Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert
title_full_unstemmed Seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central Monte desert
title_sort seasonal dynamics of guild structure in a bird assemblage of the central monte desert
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_14391791_v9_n1_p78_LopezdeCasenave
work_keys_str_mv AT lopezdecasenavej seasonaldynamicsofguildstructureinabirdassemblageofthecentralmontedesert
AT cuetov seasonaldynamicsofguildstructureinabirdassemblageofthecentralmontedesert
AT maronel seasonaldynamicsofguildstructureinabirdassemblageofthecentralmontedesert
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