INVESTIGADORES
QUINTANA Ruben Dario
artículos
Título:
Diets of plains vizcacha, greater rhea and cattle in Argentina
Autor/es:
PEREIRA, JAVIER ADOLFO; QUINTANA, RUBEN DARIO; MONGE, SUSANA
Revista:
JOURNAL OF RANGE MANAGEMENT
Editorial:
The Rangeland Society
Referencias:
Año: 2003 vol. 56 p. 13 - 20
ISSN:
0022-409X
Resumen:
Food habits of plains vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus), greater
rhea (Rhea americana) and cattle (Bos taurus) in the Paraná
River Delta, Argentina, were studied over 2 years using microhistological
analysis of faeces. This was the first study of feeding
habits of these herbivores grazing in common in a wetland of
Argentina. Poaceae was the main diet component throughout the
year for all 3 herbivores, with the exception of spring and summer,
when greater rhea consumed a higher proportion of
Prosopis nigra (Griseb.) pods. Botanical composition of plains
vizcacha and cattle diets was generally similar for the same season
but different from that of greater rhea. Panicum milioides
Nees., Dichondra microcalyx (Hallier) Fabris. and P. nigra were
the most consumed species for vizcacha, while P. nigra, Plantago
myosuros Lam., Solanum sp. L., Spilanthes stolonifera (H. et A.)
Baker and D. microcalyx dominated the greater rhea diet. The
species most consumed by cattle were Luziola peruviana G m e l .
and P. milioides. Similarities between the diets of plains vizcacha
and cattle seem to support the ranchers? view that vizcachas
compete with domestic herbivores for forage. However, high
overlap in food habits would result in competition only if forage
is scarce. Greater rhea and cattle have different foraging patterns
and hunting of greater rhea is not justified solely on the
basis of forage competition with cattle.