Bird records in urban environments and protected natural areas: Differences in diversity in the Central Andes of Perú

Cano D.; Cámara F.; Lenhard J.C.; Pastrana J.; Sandoval H.; Beraún-Barrantes J.G.; Chanamé F. · Ecologia Austral (2026) · DOI: 10.25260/ea.26.36.1.0.2619

Resumen

1. Protected natural areas (PNA) typically show high diversity indices in bird communities, whereas urban centers (UC) concentrate more records and greater bird abundance due to the accessibility and proximity of observers, which could bias diversity estimates. 2. This study compares bird diversity indices between PNA and UC in the Central Andes of Perú, evaluating whether urban records overestimate and affect the representativeness of these populations. To achieve this, records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) were utilized, along with a comparison of diversity indices using the Wilcoxon test and principal component analysis (PCA). 3. The results indicate that PNA has significantly greater diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) and species richness (Chao1 index). In contrast, evenness (Pielou J’) was higher in UC, while the dominance index (Simpson) showed no differences. 4. However, specific UC (Tingo María, Puerto Inca and Hermilio Valdizán) presented diversity values similar to or higher than those of PNA. 5. It was determined that records in urban environments do not overestimate diversity but rather complement the representativeness of the regional avifauna. 6. Implications. These findings may be influenced by the complex Andean-Amazonian orography of the Huánuco region, which restricts extensive urban expansion and favors the persistence of biodiversity even in transformed environments. Urban bird records, in this context, serve as a complement to, rather than a bias in, regional diversity estimates.

Instituciones: Universidad de Huánuco; Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú