Influence of environmental variables and human activities on the seasonal habitat use by guanacosin Southern Andean Precordillera (Argentina)

ROSI, MARIA I.; PUIG, SILVIA; SEITZ, VIVIANA P.; VIDELA, FERNANDO

STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2019

0165-0521

Food availability,predation risk, climatic adversity, and human disturbance are usuallyconsidered relevant factors influencing the distribution of wildungulates. Poaching and habitat degradation are threats to theguanaco, a native herbivore of South America characterized byecological and behavioral adaptations to arid environments. Guanacopresence was seasonally surveyed in mountain environments of AndeanPrecordillera, corresponding to a protected area and itssurroundings. Field surveys and satellite images processing estimatedenvironmental variables ascribed to four predictions: resourcesavailability, habitat complexity, weather conditions, and humanactivities. Generalized Linear Models estimated the probability ofguanaco presence based on each prediction, whose variables withimportant effect were included in combined models. The main naturalinfluence on the presence of guanaco was plant cover. Conservationactivities improved this natural influence, whereas disturbingactivities restricted it. The trade-off between high resourcesavailability and low predation risk, as well as the effect of extremeweather conditions were not evident, at least in the study?sspatial scale. The model validation with new seasonal surveysconfirmed a consistency over time of those environmental variablesthat explain the probability of guanaco presence in the SouthernAndean Precordillera.p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }