Abstract

HERRERA, Lorena P; SABATINO, Malena C; JAIMES, Florencia R  and  POGGIO, Santiago L. A proposal to assess the conservation status of roadsides in southeastern Buenos Aires. Ecol. austral [online]. 2017, vol.27, n.3, pp.404-414. ISSN 1667-782X.

Rural roadsides (RRS) are key elements for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. Their restoration and management require simple protocols to assess (diagnose) their conservation status and ecological functionality. We elaborated a conservation value index (CVI) of RRS by constructing a decision tree based on the experts' opinion. The index, which can range between 4 and 30, evaluates the conservation status and ecological functionality of RRS according to 11 attributes related to vegetation structure. The CVI was applied to 30 RRS in southeastern Buenos Aires (Argentina). Values ranged from 4 to 29, being the cropped RRS those with the lowest value. The RRS with the highest CVI (>21) were those characterized by higher richness of native, entomophily and cultural value species, higher coverage of native species and perennial grasses, lower coverage of weeds and invasive species, and presence of at least a vulnerable and/or phytotelmata species. This index represents a first contribution applicable to the diagnosis of the conservation status of RRS through the identification of key a􀄴ributes of vegetation structure suggested by experts. In addition, the index provides relatively synthetic information about the status of RRS, which in spite of their multiple ecological functions are seldom taken into account for their conservation within territorial planning.

Keywords : Biodiversity; Corridors; Linear landscape elements; Remnant grasslands; Consulting expert; Decision tree.