Conservation of palm forests in Northwestern Argentina: prioritization criteria

PATRICIA PUECHAGUT; NATALIA POLITI; LAURA BELLIS; LUIS RIVERA

Bonito

Congreso; 49 th Annual Meeting Bonito - MS, Brasil; 2012

Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation

Palm forests of Copernicia alba in Northwestern Argentina (NWA) are ecologically important since they are centers of high species diversity, supply food resource for frugivores during the dry season, and provide shelter and nesting sites. Our objective was to assess the conservation status of five palm patches in NWA: Reserve, Embarcación, Palma Sola, Vinalito, and Talar, and prioritize them according to their conservation status. We compared palm patches characteristics (i.e., adult palm density, population size structure, seedling density, and presence of potential dispersers) to determine patches with greatest conservation needs. We randomly established 57 plots of 0.05 ha to survey adult palms and 59 plots of 0.01 ha to survey seedlings. We collected feces and identified species that consume palm seeds. We analyzed the data through Generalized Linear Mixed Models and Kolmogorov maximum likelihood test to determine if population size structures fitted a bell-shape distribution or a reversed J-shaped distribution. Our results show that three palm patches do not have an adequate conservation status. Talar and Embarcación patches have a better conservation status based on their population structure (reversed J-shaped) and palm density (> 200 individuals/ha). Therefore these two palm patches should be prioritized in conservation strategies and given adequate protection. Reserve and Palma Sola patches have the highest number of species that consume seeds, but palm density and structure are not adequate to ensure C. alba viability. Vinalito is the palm patch in worst conservation status because of its low palm density, bell-shaped population structure, lack of seedlings and no species that consume palm seeds. Given the high rate of forest transformation in the Dry Chaco it is necessary to prioritize the protection of palm patches to ensure the conservation of many species that depend on this habitat type.