EVALUACIÓN DEL INTERÉS DE PRODUCTORES GANADEROS EN EL CONTROL SELECTIVO Y EFICIENTE DE PREDADORES EN LA PATAGONIA AUSTRAL

ARANXA GARCÍA BREA; SONIA CRISTINA ZAPATA; DIEGO PROCOPIO; ROLANDO MARTÍNEZ-PECK; ALEJANDRO TRAVAINI

ACTA ZOOLOGICA MEXICANA

Instituto de Ecología A.C.

Lugar: Mexico DF; Año: 2010

0065-1737

Sheep ranchers (n = 90) were surveyed to evaluate their interest in the incorporation of  predator selective control methods. We based our survey on the characterization of the sheep ranching system of Santa Cruz province and its relationship with culpeo fox predation. For a large percentage of producers (73%), the carrying capacity at present is under the optimal, which is consistent with the fact that sheep ranching represent only a part of their income. Lamb losses due to culpeo foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus) predation vary between 5% and 50% of the annual lamb production, and these percentages did not vary during the last years in spite of 53% of ranchers perceived an increment in foxes abundances. Ranchers tend to exaggerate real losses of their lambs due to predation, although they recognize that there are other causes that could facilitate it. Nevertheless, fox control, including poisoning as a method, is still a current practice even in those ranches without sheep. The 90% of the sheep ranchers showed a good predisposition to replace their current practices by selective and efficient control methods. This is an important point to incentive the use of selective control methods, like toxic baits delivered in a selective way, which would allow the abandonment of the traditional practices so dangerous to biodiversity conservation.