Abstract

FERRER-SANCHEZ, Yarelys et al. Pertinence of the use of habitat spectral characteristics as a predictor of the structure in bird communities in a wetland of Cuba. Huitzil [online]. 2017, vol.18, n.1, pp.141-156. ISSN 1870-7459.

Remote sensing is an emerging tool in ecology, but of limited use in Neotropical countries. In this study, we tested the relationship between both bird communities and spectral variables in a wetland of Cuba. We determined the composition and structure of the birdlife in three locations in the Gran Humedal del Norte de Ciego de Ávila and its relationship with the spectral variables. We performed 78 transects and determined the relative abundance, richness, Brillouin index, Simpson index, and guilds composition. On a Landsat 7 satellite image, we measured humidity levels, greenery, living bushes diversity, normalized difference water index and NDVI. We performed multivariate analysis to estimate similarity between vegetation classes from community and spectral variables. To test whether there was correlation between variables we performed a Mantel test and a correlation between the values of the first component of both Principal Component Analysis, from the community and spectral variables. We counted 1,298 birds belonging to 73 species, 14 orders and 33 families. Each plant formation had its own combination of spectral indices. The coastal vegetation differed from the rest of the vegetation and other vegetation had overlap. We found no significant relationship between the community and spectral variables. This may be due to a selection of uninformative indices. Still, the method could be efficient as a complement for biodiversity monitoring and valid as a methodological resource for conservation purposes.

Keywords : Waterbirds; Landsat; artificial satellites; remote sensing; conservation; Neotropics.