Assessment of habitat quality for four small mammal species of the Monte Desert, Argentina

CORBALÁN, V.; TABENI, S; OJEDA, R. A.

MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY

Elsevier

Año: 2006 vol. 71 p. 227 - 237

1616-5047

In the temperate desert of Argentina, the combined action of climatic and anthropogenic factorshas contributed to the formation of a highly heterogeneous landscape. In the central region of theMonte desert, four small mammal species (Eligmodontia typus, Calomys musculinus, Akodon molinaeand Graomys griseoflavus) coexist and show different habitat uses in response to spatial variability.Three main habitat types are present in the region: mesquite forest, the creosotebush communityand sand dunes. These habitat types are present also in the surrounding grazing area.The objective of this study was to determine habitat quality for these species in a protected area (ReserveMaB Nacunán) and in the adjacent grazed area. For each species we estimated demographic parametersthat are highly correlated to fitness in each habitat, and for both treatments (protected and grazed).We found that the protected area offered a higher quality habitat than the grazed area for allspecies, but principally A. molinae and G. griseoflavus. At a local scale, we found that A. molinae andC. musculinus clearly showed higher fitness in the more complex habitats as the creosotebushcommunity and the mesquite forest. In contrast, for E. typus, open and simplest patches, such assand dunes, were optimal for its survival and reproduction.