Small mammals in agroecosystems: responses to land use intensity and farming management

GOMEZ, MA. DANIELA; CODA, JOSÉ A.; SERAFINI, VANESA NATALIA; STEINMANN, ANDREA R.; PRIOTTO, JOSÉ W.

MASTOZOOLOGí­A NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2017

0327-9383

The Province of Córdoba, Argentina, has undergone a marked transformation due to the expansion and intensification of agriculture. With almost 9 Mha under crop production in years 2014/2015, is one of the main agricultural regions of the country. This agricultural intensification implies increase of agrochemical use, removal of border habitats, replacement of a crop-grazing by a double cropping system and landscape homogenization. These factors produce alterations in habitat quality and suitability, and consequently have negative effects on biodiversity. The effects of agriculture intensification and farming management could vary with the degree of habitat specialization of different species. The objective of this work was to describe a state-of-art about the response of small mammals with different habitat specialization degree to land-use intensification and farming management, using data obtained by our research group in agroecosystems of Córdoba Province. This group was used as model organisms due to its important contribution to the maintenance of complex food webs and the sustainability of agroecosystems. The maintenance of undisturbed linear habitat networks and implementation of organic farming in intensively managed agricultural landscapes can attenuate the effects of agricultural intensification by providing suitable habitats for small mammal populations, contributing to the maintenance of biodiversity. Besides, organic farming has a positive effect on female reproductive activity and abundance of small mammals. This knowledge would contribute to the development of a theoretical framework of Argentinean agroecosystems that combines efficient agricultural land use with biodiversity conservation.