PERSONAL DE APOYO
PIA Monica Valeria
artículos
Título:
Occurrence of top carnivores in relation to land protection status, human settlements and rock outcrops in the high mountains of central Argentina
Autor/es:
PIA, MÓNICA V.; RENISON, DANIEL; MANGEAUD, ARNALDO; DE ANGELO, CARLOS; HARO, GUSTAVO
Revista:
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
Editorial:
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Referencias:
Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013 vol. 91 p. 31 - 37
ISSN:
0140-1963
Resumen:
We evaluated puma (Puma concolor) and culpeo fox (Pseudalopex culpaeus smithersi) occurrence in
relation to a national park where livestock was reduced and hunting banned, and in relation to human
presence and landscape features. In the high mountains of central Argentina puma signs were about 3.5
times less frequent than culpeo signs. Puma and culpeo signs were 33 and 19 times, respectively, more
abundant within than outside the park. Puma signs increased with distance to settlements within the
park but no trend was detected outside the park where signs were scarce. Culpeos were abundant all
throughout the park with no relation with distance to settlements while outside the park signs increased
with distance from settlements. Rock outcrops had a positive effect on pumas, which used this habitat
frequently, and negative effect on culpeos, whose presence decreased slightly at sites with the highest
proportion of rock outcrops inside the park and sharply at sites with presence of rock outcrops outside
the park. We conclude that top carnivores were positively affected by the park creation and encourage
the creation of more protected areas with connectivity in the region to better assure the long-term
conservation of top predators.