A team of researchers from the National University of the Litoral (UNL) and The National Scientific and Technical Research Council in Argentina (CONICET for its acronym in Spanish) evaluated the presence of bird species in two rice crops - one with the use of agrochemicals and the other with agroecological inputs and assessed the degree to which this variety of birds play a beneficial role in the production process.

This study represents a pioneering step in evaluating the interaction between a productive model system and associated wildlife. Besides, it analyzes the environmental impact of these practices, along with the way the production system takes further benefits from a "functional diversity" of species.

The research team found a greater number of functions that birds can fulfill through agroecological management, and this is associated with the existence of a great diversity of species that, in addition, have different characteristics.