Using protected areas as a long-term research platform to achieve an integrated socio-ecological understanding and conservation of endangered species: the case of southern river otter in Tierra del Fuego National Park

ALEJANDRO E. J. VALENZUELA; CHRISTOPHER B. ANDERSON

Baltimore

Congreso; 100 Meeting of the Ecological Society of America; 2015

Traditional objectives of protected areas include biodiversity conservation, scientific research, and environmental education and outreach. However, to conserve a species, it is not only necessary to preserve its physical habitat, but also generate knowledge and promote social engagement. The southern river otter (Lontra provocax) is the largest native mustelid in Patagonia and has the most restricted distribution of any South American otter, being very sensitive to hunting, human settlements, water contamination and habitat degradation. In Argentina, this endangered species is only found in two disjunct areas. The southern population occupies mainly the forested portion of marine coasts along the Beagle Channel, including Tierra del Fuego National Park(TFNP). To evaluate the ecological and social effectiveness of TFNP in conserving this species, we used an inter-disciplinary assessment of its: 1)Distribution: searching for otter signs along the Beagle Channel (2005-2009); 2) Population: monitoring abundance and habitat use in TFNP (1994-present),and registering reproductive behavior using camera traps (2013-2014); 3) Scientific research: reviewing indexed literature of this otter species that was related to TFNP (1996-present); and 4) Media representation: evaluating the region?s main newspapers to determine the species appears and relationship to TFNP (2010-2015).