Piospheres in the dry Chaco. Contrasting effects of livestock puestos on forest vegetation and bird communities

► We studied “piospheres” in the puestos system of the semiarid Chaco of Argentina. ► We found contrasting effects on plant and avian communities along a gradient. ► Vegetation biomass, structure and diversity; and avian rare species decreased near the puestos. ► In contrast the abundance of most bird's guilds was higher near the puestos. ► Piospheres represent complex gradient with varying responses among ecological groups.