Loss of mammalian species from the South American Gran Chaco: empty savanna syndrome?

PERIAGO, MARIA EUGENIA; CHILLO, VERÓNICA; OJEDA, RICARDO ALBERTO

MAMMAL REVIEW

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014

0305-1838

1. The Gran Chaco is one of the major savanna woodland ecosystems in the world. Accelerated changes in land use have resulted in a complex matrix with varying capabilities for sustaining wildlife. Furthermore, hunting and habitat loss increasingly threaten the functional diversity of mammals. 2. In this review, we assess the potential consequences of Chacoan mammal loss on ecosystem functioning, focusing on the role played by native large and medium sized herbivores and frugivores of the Argentine Chaco. 3. Our review shows that almost 50% of the largest frugivorous mammals present in the southern portion of the Chaco are threatened and exhibit declining population trends. This decline may cause changes in vegetation composition, since almost 53% of the Chacoan woody vegetation displays endozoochory dispersal mechanisms. Moreover, 80% of the largest herbivores are threatened, which may also lead to a compositional change in savanna vegetation. 4. There is a significant void of information regarding the population status of these native mammals in the Argentine Chaco, including the functional roles they play in the ecosystem, and a lack of studies examining the consequences of their potential loss. 5. Concerned with the major changes taking place in this subtropical region due to significant and rapid habitat transformations, we emphasize and discuss the important role of ecological functionality in restoration and conservation planning in the Gran Chaco. p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }