CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Considered a resource, a pest or an object of conservation, coypu (Myocastor coypus) is a wild vertebrate that plays multiple roles in agroecosystems. Even when trying to utilize it as an economic resource, to keep its numbers below a damage threshold for productive activities or to ensure long-term survival of its populations, it is essential to identify key environmental components that, properly managed, can increase or reduce the density of the species to a wanted level. We studied coypu populations living in irrigation channels of small farms in southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. We found a greater relative density (measured by abundance of active burrows) associated with channels with shorter vegetation height inside the channel, higher on its border, as well as in channels adjacent to fields without productive activities and fields with both forage and livestock. Using litter size as an indicator of habitat quality, we found a positive association between this variable and vegetation height on the channel border and with fields with forages. Fields with no productive activities could be considered to be sink habitats, since they were associated with a high burrow density, but a small reproductive success. The species is hunted in the study area, but it is not subjected to an organized economic exploitation. It is also perceived as a problem because of damages to irrigation channels. In order to minimize this conflict, a regional farmers´ association has begun to cover the channels with plastic films, without any previous realistic evaluation of losses. In this study we set the basis for a habitat model that could help improve management of the species, in order to reduce losses, include it in the farmers´ economy, and promote its conservation.

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