Alpine Mammals of South America

AGUSTINA NOVILLO; RAMIRO JOSE ANTONIO OVEJERO AGUILAR; CRISTOBAL LUCIANA; OJEDA RICARDO ALBERTO

Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences-Encyclopedia of the World?s Biomes

Elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019;

The alpine environment of the Andes encompasses a vast and continuous extension of regions above tree line, in which three main ecoregions are identified: Paramo (north), Puna and Altiplano (center) and Southern Andes (South). Along this region, 200 species of mammals are found?; these belong to 10 orders and 27 families. Greater species richness is concentrated in two different areas, one at the ecotone between the Puna and the Yungas Montane forest, and the other within the southern portion of the Paramo. Both regions share species that are endemic or have their main distribution in the alpine or are broadly distributed species that only marginally reach high elevations.Rodent species represent almost 70% of all Andean mammals, followed by bats and carnivores, which account for 8% and 5% respectively. Bats are only marginally present in the high Andes, whereas rodents encompass > 40% of their range along the high Andes.Andean mammals face several conservation threats, related mainly with habitat loss or transformation, climate change and invasive species introduction. Among Andean species, near 20% have some degree of conservation concern, while 15% are considered data deficient