Puma (Puma concolor) relative density and diet in central Argentina

PIA, MÓNICA VALERIA; MANGEAUD, ARNALDO; RENISON, DANIEL; HARO, GUSTAVO

Mendoza

Congreso; The 10 th International Mammalogical Congress; 2009

The creation of protected areas does not always satisfy the area requirements of large carnivores, and often do not even possess a complete assemblage of native preys, bringing large carnivores in conflict with humans due to livestock predation. In the mountains of Central Argentina, for over 4 centuries, the puma coexists with livestock ranching activities that deeply altered the landscape and caused the local extinction of large native prey, affecting the puma food habits. Our question is, if the Quebrada del Condorito National Park creation in 1997 and the consequent livestock reduction has augmented puma density and changed the diet incorporating more native species. From 2002 to 2008 we performed 64 transects (1-20 km) and colected 140 feces in sites with high and low livestock abundance inside the park. We analyze the information using Chi-squared, clusters and ANOVA tests. Our results show that the relative density of pumas, measured by the presence of signs, was higher in sites with less livestock (p<0.001), and no differences were detected between years (p=0.06). Native small preys dominated the diet according to the frequency of occurrence (2002: 58 %, 2004: 89 %, 2007: 80 %, 2008: 90 %). Also, as for the biomass consumed except for the year 2002, where the native consumption was lower (2002: 44 %, 2004: 74 %, 2007: 68 %, 2008: 84 %; p=0.05). The clusters analysis mark a 40 % of similarity in the cavid and cricetine consumption, with regard to other preys. Our information suggests that the protected area creation positively influences puma density, and diet now contains less livestock that in the year 2002 when the park only had a few years of creation. We suppose the pumas adapt easily to a change in the prey base and use the park to avoid the contact with humans.