Landscape scale effects of primary productivity on forest bird species occurrence and abundance in Argentina.

Context: Approaches estimating landscape effects on biodiversity frequently focus on a single extent, finding one 'optimal' extent, or use narrow extents. However, species perceive the environment in different ways, select habitat hierarchically, and respond to multiple selection pressures at extents that best predict each pressure. Objective: We aimed to assess multi-scale relationships between primary productivity and species occurrences and abundances. Methods: We used a multi-scale approach, called 'scalograms', to assess landscape level effects of primary productivity, in the form of Dynamic Habitat Indices (DHIs) on the occurrences and abundances of 100 Argentinian forest bird species. We used average DHI values within multiple extents (3 Results: Average cumulative DHI values in extents 81 Conclusions: Argentinian forest bird occurrences, but not abundances, respond to high levels of primary productivity at multiple, broad extents rather than a single 'optimal' extent. Factors other than primary productivity appear to be more important for predicting abundance. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-025-02081-5.