ESTRUCTURA ESPACIO-TEMPORAL DE LOS ENSAMBLES DE MICROMAMÍFEROS EN GRADIENTES ALTITUDINALES DE LOS ANDES SECOS EN EL NOROESTE ARGENTINO

URQUIZO JOSÉ HUMBERTO; FERRO IGNACIO; BARQUEZ RUBEN MARCOS

MASTOZOOLOGí­A NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2021 vol. 28

0327-9383

Spatial and temporal structure of terrestrial smallmammal assemblages on elevation gradients of the dry Andes in northwesternArgentina. We describe the pattern of compositionand temporal variation of terrestrial small mammal species along an altitudinalgradient in the arid slopes of the Andes in northwestern Argentina. We sampled two elevation transects, from 2700 to 4700 meters above sealevel, in Jujuy and Salta provinces. Five sampling sites wereestablished every 500 mof altitude on each transect. We established grids of 36 (6x6) Sherman type traps inevery site and visited 10 times. We identified the pattern of richness andabundance along the gradient using LOWESS, linear and polynomial regressionsand the influence of explanatory climatic variables using multiple regressions(GLM´s). We captured 235 individuals of nine species with a sampling effort of4248 traps/night. The richness and abundance peaked at intermediate elevations(3700 m).Precipitation was the factor that best explained the variation both therichness and the abundance. The small mammal?s abundance was significantlyhigher during the dry season (April-September). It is possible that highelevation environments, above 3500 m, should be considered as priority areas for speciesconservation of. This implies that the management of suchenvironments in northwestern Argentina,considered desert and poor, must be reviewed.Palabras clave: biodiversidad,Jujuy y Salta, micromamíferos no voladores, Puna, Zona de TransiciónSudamericana.