Effect of Tourism on Hábitat Use of Dolichotis patagonum at the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, Argentina

V. BENINATO; V. CAMPOS; C. E. BORGHI; M. PÉREZ ; S. CARTA; S. M. GIANNONI

Mendoza

Congreso; The 10 th International Mammalogical Congress; 2009

CCT-MENDOZA-CONICET; International Federation of Mammalogists

The presence of tourists leads to changes on ecological processes, e.g. affecting use and habitat selection. The aim of this study was to assess the direct impact of tourism on the habitat use the Dolichotis patagonum at the Provincial Park Ischigualasto. We recorded habitat use in two situations: near the tourist circuit (30 to 150 m) and away to it (more than 1500 m) in two plant communities: Jarillal and Zampal. In each community we made a total of 40 transects (60 m long): 20 near the tourist circuit and 20 away from tourist circuit. In each one (sampling unit) we recorded the presence of D. patagonum in 10 sub-samples of 3 x 3 m separated by 3 m. The presence of D. patagonum was evaluated through clear evidence such as fresh feces and footprints. Also we registered the percentage of vegetation cover. For statistical analysis we used ANCOVA, using plant cover as covariate. Results showed that D. patagonum used more frequently the sites away from the tourist circuit compared with near ones (F (1,79) = 11.59, p = 0.0007). Thus, D. patagonum was negatively affected by the presence of tourists, reducing the use of the habitat near the tourism circuit, perhaps in order to avoid human disturbance. This information is essential in order to make a proper planning of protected areas for the tourist uses, reducing in this way, the negative impact on the species, focusing mainly on those species vulnerable, as population of D. patagonum that occur at the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, where tourism is higher each year.