Volcanic ash from Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruptions affects running performance and body condition of Phymaturus lizards in Patagonia, Argentina

NORA R. IBARGÜENGOYTÍA; FACUNDO CABEZAS-CARTES; JORGELINA M. BORETTO; CARLA PIANTONI; ERIKA L. KUBISCH; MARIELA S. FERNÁNDEZ; RAFAEL A. LARA-RESENDIZ; FAUSTO R. M
ENDEZ-DE LA CRUZ; ALEJANDRO SCOLARO; BARRY SINERVO

BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016

0024-4066

Volcanic eruptions are infrequent and unpredictable disturbance events, followed by natural catastrophic disturbance to ecological communities. The Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption, occurred on June 4th 2011, dispersed about 100 M tons of pyroclastic materials on the Patagonia steppe of Argentina and covered with more than 30 cm of ash the environment of several lizards? species. Herein we studied the effects of ash fall on body condition and running performance uphill, and on a level surface, of two endemic and vulnerable species that live restricted to volcanic outcrops in Patagonia, Phymaturus excelsus and Phymaturus sinervoi. The genus Phymaturus is entirely viviparous and herbivorous and is composed by several microendemisms in the Patagonian steppe. Phymaturus excelsus and Phymaturus sinervoi ran faster on the level than uphill and ash restrained the running performance in sprint and long runs especially in P. excelsus. Unexpectedly P. sinervoi ran faster than P. excelsus in all trials and ash enhanced the running performance when lizards ran on a level surface. The two species morphologies are very well adapted to live in complex rock microhabitats they inhabit from early Miocene, and the presence of more dispersed rocks separated by sandy soil in P. sinervoi habitat explains its high locomotor performance on ash, while P. excelsus and P. spectabilis are better adapted to run over flat rocks. The effects of ash on the Phymaturus studied are diverse and relate with their evolutionary history, the different ash impact on the population´s environment and the adaptation to rocky versus ash soil habitats of each species.