Diversity and Composition of Waterbird Communities in Artificial Wetlands of Durango, Mexico: Combined Effects of Elevation, Seasonality, and Agricultural Disturbance

Artificial wetlands are a critical replacement habitat for waterbirds in arid regions, but little is known about how elevation and seasonality jointly structure these communities. The objective of this study was to assess the combined effects of elevation, seasonality, and agricultural disturbance on the richness, diversity, and composition of waterbird communities in artificial wetlands. We surveyed 36 permanent artificial wetlands across three elevational strata (low, intermediate, and high) in Poanas, Durango, Mexico, using variable-radius point counts over a complete annual cycle, and assessed richness, alpha diversity, beta diversity, indicator species, and their relationship with environmental variables. Estimated richness (Chao 1, Jackknife 1) and alpha diversity (Simpson, Shannon; Kruskal–Wallis H = 7.63, p = 0.022) decreased significantly in the high stratum relative to the low and intermediate strata, with no differences between the latter two. Beta diversity showed a similar pattern: the high stratum was significantly distinct from the other two (Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance, F = 3.225, p = 0.001). Canonical Correspondence Analysis revealed that community composition was more strongly associated with cropland areas (r = 0.6) than with elevation (r = −0.33). Seasonally, abundance was higher in winter, associated with migratory species; a two-way PERMANOVA confirmed that elevation and seasonality had comparable and largely independent effects on community composition (R2 = 7.78% and 7.11%, respectively; both p < 0.001). These results indicate that elevation and seasonality act as complementary environmental filters and that surrounding agricultural management can be as determinant as topography for the conservation of waterbirds in artificial wetlands. These findings have direct implications for the design of conservation strategies in agropastoral landscapes and open new avenues of research on the relative role of anthropogenic disturbance versus topography in artificial wetland systems in arid regions.