Diversity and richness of small mammals at well conserved site of Las Yungas in Jujuy Province, Argentina

GAMBOA ALURRALDE S.; LOPEZ BERRIZBEITIA, MARIA FERNANDA; RUBÉN M. BARQUEZ; M. MÓNICA DÍAZ

MAMMALIA

WALTER DE GRUYTER & CO

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2016 vol. 80 p. 253 - 262

0025-1461

We present the results obtained from 12 small mammals surveys conducted between 1996 and 2013 in Finca Las Capillas, province of Jujuy, Argentina. This region has been formally recognized as an AICOM (Area of Importance for the Conservation of Bats) based on the diversity of species previously detected by our studies. This site in Yungas forests of Northwestern Argentina, still maintains an excellent conservation status, due to restrictions to human activities regarding the removal of forests and limitations to cattle raising imposed 50 years ago. Thirty-nine species of three orders, Didelphimorphia, Chiroptera and Rodentia were recorded; the species accumulation curve revealed that our studies have reached a representation of 83 to 95 percent of the community; the diversity indexes were also high. Several of the species recorded were included in the fauna of Argentina through our collects, which include also some genera, new records for the province or significant extensions to their previously known distributions. These results show that the site represents an icon for conservation in such a fragmented and exploited area as the Yungas in Argentina today.