INVESTIGADORES
RIVERA luis osvaldo
artículos
Título:
A disappearing oasis in the Semiarid Chaco: deficient palm regeneration and establishment
Autor/es:
PUECHAGUT PATRICIA; POLITI NATALIA; BELLIS LAURA; RIVERA LUIS OSVALDO
Revista:
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
Editorial:
ELSEVIER GMBH
Referencias:
Año: 2013 vol. 21 p. 31 - 36
ISSN:
1617-1381
Resumen:
Palm forests of Copernicia alba are a rare habitat in the semi-arid Chaco of Northwestern Argentina, arecentres of high species diversity, and provide key resources for many species. Our goal was to assess theconservation status of five C. alba patches in Northwestern Argentina: Reserve; Embarcación; Palma Sola;Vinalito; and, Talar. We compared patches to identify the sites with greatest conservation needs based onfour criteria: population size structure; palm density (of individuals with height >1.30 m); probability ofseedlings being browsed; and, presence of potential seed dispersers. We found that three (Embarcación,Reserve, and Talar) out of five sites had palm densities greater than 200 individuals/ha and only onesite (Embarcación) showed a reverse J-shaped size structure for height. Reserve and Embarcación hadthe greatest probability of seedlings being browsed (0.99 ± 0.01 and 0.88 ± 0.12, respectively). A total of14 potential disperser species of mammals and birds were recorded across the five sites. Only Reserveharboured all of the potential dispersers, but at least two potential disperser species were recorded at theother sites. None of the palm patches studied had an adequate conservation status. However, Embarcaciónmet three out of four criteria, and therefore it can be considered to have the best conservation status inthe semi-arid Chaco. Palma Sola and Vinalito have the greatest conservation needs. To conserve C. alba inNorthwestern Argentina, strategies are needed that ensure seedling establishment for future populationsto reach an adequate density and structure
