Prosopis flexuosa (Fabaceae), a key species in desert environments, provides ecosystem services whereby it mitigates desertification and supports biodiversity conservation. To understand the relative importance of drivers of species diversity and structure of P. flexuosa-dominated woodland at different scales, we propose (1) to assess whether species richness is affected by predictors such as productivity, woodland structure, soil heterogeneity, mammal occurrence, and human activities; (2) to assess whether woodland structure is explained by productivity, soil heterogeneity, mammal occurrence and human activities; (3) to determine whether productivity and human activities affect mammal occurrence. We quantified drivers and indicators of composition and structure of P. flexuosa-dominated woodland in Ischigualasto Provincial Park and its area of impact, using both field- and remotely-based measurements. Plant species richness was positively explained by texture measures of the Soil-Adjusted Total Vegetation Index at 3x3 (0.81 ha) and 5x5 (2.25 ha) moving-window scales, as a surrogate for productivity, and by abundance of trees in the woodland stand (0.15 ha). The structure of P. flexuosa-dominated woodland was positively accounted for by productivity at the 5x5 moving-window scale and by occurrence of exotic species (positively -Bos taurus- and negatively -Lepus europaeus-). Soil heterogeneity and human activities did not affect woodland richness or structure. Occurrence of native species was explained by productivity at the 5x5 moving-window scale (positively for Microcavia maenas and negatively for Dolichotis patagonum), whereas occurrence of native (Lama guanicoe) and exotic (Equus asinus) species was affected by human activities (positively for distance to nearest village and negatively for distance to road, respectively). Understanding the relationships of dry woodland species richness and structure with different drivers is important to its conservation and management. We found that drivers such as productivity, abundance of trees and occurrence of exotic mammal species would affect richness and structure of P. flexuosa-dominated woodland.

牧豆flexuosa（豆科），在沙漠环境中的关键物种，提供小号生态系统服务由此减轻荒漠化和支持生物多样性保护。为了了解不同规模尺度上的以弯曲假单胞菌为主的林地物种多样性和结构驱动因素的相对重要性，我们建议（1）评估物种丰富度是否受生产力，林地结构，土壤异质性，哺乳动物发生，和人类活动；（2）评估林地结构是否由生产力，土壤异质性，哺乳动物的发生和人类活动来解释；（3）确定生产力和人类活动是否影响哺乳动物的发生。我们量化了驱动因素和指标的组成和结构伊斯基瓜拉斯托省立公园及其影响区的以体育假单胞菌为主的林地，使用基于实地和远程的测量方法。通过3x3（0.81公顷）和5x5（2.25公顷）移动窗口尺度的土壤调整后的总植被指数的质地度量，作为生产力的替代以及林地林木的丰富性，可以很好地解释植物物种的丰富度（ 0.15公顷）。的结构P. flexuosa -dominated林地呈正由生产率在5×5移动窗口规模占和由外来物种（带正的发生-普通牛-和负-兔座europaeus-）。土壤异质性和人类活动并未影响林地的丰富度或结构。本地物种的出现可以通过5x5移动窗口规模的生产率来解释（对Microcavia maenas有利，对Dolichotis patagonum不利），而本地（Lama guanicoe）和外来（Equus asinus）物种的发生受到人类活动的影响（对于到最近村庄的距离，以及到道路的距离分别为负数）。了解干旱林地物种丰富度和结构与不同驱动因素之间的关系对于其保护和管理很重要。我们发现诸如生产力，树木丰富和外来哺乳动物物种的出现等驱动因素影响的丰富性和结构P. flexuosa -dominated林地。