Ecological consistence across space: a review of the ecological aspects of Dromiciops gliroides Thomas in Argentina and Chile.

FRANCISCO E FONTURBEL; MARCELA FRANCO; MARIANO A. RODRIGUEZ CABAL; M. DANIELA RIVAROLA; GUILLERMO C. AMICO

NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2012 vol. 99 p. 873 - 881

0028-1042

Dromiciops gliroides is an arboreal marsupial found in the temperate forests of South America (36? 43 °S). This species is the sole extant representative of the order Microbiotheria, and is a key seed disperser of many native plant species, including the keystone mis- tletoe Tristerix corymbosus. Here, we synthesized the current knowledge on the ecological aspects of this species, and compared the available information from Argentina and Chile. Population density (23 ± 2 (mean ± SE) individual/ha) and home range (1.6 ± 0.6 ha) appear to be relatively similar across a marked ecological gradient in the mainland, but lower densities (7 ± 2 individual/ha) and smaller home ranges (0.26±0.04 ha) were detected at island sites. We detected regional variation in body condition in Chile, but there were no significant differences across a wider E-W gradient. Movement patterns fit a random walk model; such behavior might have important consequences in shaping plant?s spatial patterns. Although our data suggest that D. gliroides is more tolerant to habitat disturbance than previ- ously thought, its incapability to disperse across non-forested areas suggests that the rapid rate of habitat loss and fragmen- tation that characterizes southern temperate forests likely poses a serious threat to this species. These ecological sim- ilarities are surprising given that forests studied receive dra- matically different rainfall and correspond to distinct forest types. The evidence synthetized here dispels some of the myths about this species but also stresses the need for more comprehensive ecological studies across its distribution range.