Can small vacant lots become important reservoirs for birds in urban areas? A case study for a Latin American city

Abstract Vacant lots are considered unmanaged and informal greenspaces that can have high ecological value in urbanized landscapes. They are very common in many cities and have been widely studied in North America and Europe. However, few studies exist in other areas such as in Latin America, a megadiverse region but also one of the most urbanized places in the World. In this study, we compare habitat structure and bird communities in control sites (large expanses covered by native vegetation) with those found in small (