Spatial arrangement of the environmental suitability for the maned wolf in a central province of Argentina

ANDRES ULIBARRIE; ANDRES PAUTASSO; MARCELA OROZCO; MAXIMILIANO CRISTALDI

Virtual

Congreso; 100TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS; 2021

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS

The interaction between species and natural andanthropic environmental features contribute to explain its spatial distributionand are essential to define conservation strategies. The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest canid in South America, and in Argentina, it is currentlyclassified as “Vulnerable”. Ouraim was to determine the spatial arrangement of the environmental suitabilityfor the maned wolf in the province of Santa Fe where changes in its range aretaking place. We identify association patterns between environmentalvariables and maned wolf records in Santa Fe during the period 1996-2019. Theenvironmental suitability was positive related to average annual temperaturesand negative related to precipitation. Environmental suitability scores were higher in areas with low or mediumproportions of grassland, forests, temporarily flooded soils and proximity topermanent water bodies. Areas where crops predominated showed lowerenvironmental suitability scores than those where other environmentalcomponents predominated. Wealso found association patterns between the suitability and variables ofdistance to cities and length of routes and paths. This may imply biases in thedatabase. The greatest environmental suitability scores for the manedwolf in Santa Fe were mainly in the center-east and north of the province wherea large percentage of the historical releases were carried out. These results can contribute for management protocolsof the maned wolf at both provincial and national levels.