Environmental drivers of long-term variations in the abundance of the red hocicudo mouse (Oxymycterus rufus Fischer, 1814) in Pampas agroecosystems

CALFAYAN, LAURA; CAVIA, REGINO; FRASCHINA, JIMENA; GUIDOBONO, JUAN SANTIAGO; GOROSITO, IRENE LAURA; BUSCH, MARÍA

Integrative Zoology

Wiley & Sons

Año: 2023

1749-4877

During the 20th century, there has been an ongoing agricultural expansion and global warming, two of6 the main determinants influencing biodiversity changes in Argentina. The red hocicudo mouse7 (Oxymycterus rufus Fischer 1814) inhabits subtropical grasslands and riparian habitats and has increased8 its abundance in recent years in central Argentina agroecosystems. This paper describes the long-term9 temporal changes in O. rufus abundance in Exaltación de la Cruz department, Buenos Aires province,10 Argentina, in relation to weather fluctuations and landscape features, as well analyzes the spatio-11 temporal structure of captures of animals.12 We used Generalized Liner Models, semivariograms, the Mantel test and Autocorrelation functions13 for the analysis of rodent data obtained from trappings conducted between 1984 and 2014.14 O. rufus showed an increase in abundance across the years of study, with its distribution depending15 on landscape features, such as habitat types and the distance to floodplains. Capture rates showed a16 spatio-temporal aggregation, suggesting expansion from previously occupied sites. O. rufus was more17 abundant at lower minimum temperatures in summer, higher precipitation in spring and summer, and18 lower precipitations in winter. Weather conditions affected O. rufus abundance but there was local19 variation that differed from global patterns of climate change.