A study conducted in vineyards in São Miguel Arcanjo, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, concluded that greater vegetation diversity leads to an increase in bird species in agricultural landscapes.
This could mean, in addition to greater soil conservation, an increase in production capacity.
Birds fulfill ecosystem functions in the environment
The region of São Miguel Arcanjo is among the largest producers of grapes, cultivated mainly by small farmers, and is close to the largest massif of Atlantic Forest in the country. Areas of continuous forests like this can be home to several species of birds, which have distinct ecological characteristics, enabling a greater variety of ecosystem functions in the environment. This means that when a species is lost, the functions performed by it are also lost. With deforestation, the impacts end up being more pronounced. The results of the study were published in the journal Biotropica. The information is from Agência FAPESP.
Sustainable land use also benefits agriculture
To conduct the research, 19 sites were chosen in agricultural landscapes with vineyards in the municipality of São Miguel Arcanjo, near Sorocaba. The sites were carefully chosen to ensure that there was a variation of environments with natural landscapes and also those modified by humans.
The researchers then analyzed the percentage of forest within each study site as a way to assess the degree of conservation. This information allows for the adoption of much more efficient conservation and management strategies.
Understanding which birds are found in vineyards and also what functions they perform in these agricultural systems is very important, according to the study. Each species performs different roles in agricultural crops and, most likely, landscapes with more forests and greater diversity of environments should maintain more functions.
The authors of the paper also highlight the importance of preserving native forests in these agricultural areas to maintain biodiversity around vineyards. This allows the promotion of sustainable land use practices that benefit farmers and the environment.