Wetlands modification and wildlife habitat suitability: can capybaras survive in a matrix of poplar and willow afforestations?

QUINTANA, RUBÉN DARÍO; KALESNIK, FABIO ALBERTO

INSUGEO, Miscelánea

Universidad Nacional de Tucumán

Lugar: San Miguel de Tucumán; Año: 2008 vol. 17 p. 161 - 168

1514-4836

The lower delta of the Paraná River region has been highly modified since the beginning of the twentieth century, mainly due to forestry. In this paper we review the ways in which forestry has modified the lower delta landscape, resulting in changes in the hydrological regime, and we explain how the latter affects capybara conservation in terms of changes in habitat suitability. Forestry practices in the study region are of two types. The first involves afforestationwith water management consisting of drainage canals to eliminate excess water and channel it rapidly to the main water courses. This has led to positive alterations to the islands’ original landscape, improving habitat suitability for capybaras in terms of larger grazing areas, increased percentage of land-water interfaces and the presence of patches of freshwater marsh. The second consists of afforestation in which the plantation is totally surrounded by a dam to protect trees from floodwater. The complete drainage of the area behind the dam and systematic elimination of the original marshes drastically affect habitat suitability for capybara, basically due to the lack of water bodies. This indicates that successful compatible management of wildlife and traditional productive activities requires a clear idea of which landscape elements must be reserved or improved in order to guarantee habitat for any particular species.