Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): a rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina

• Autorzy: Galende G. I. , Raffaele E.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a rock specialist that inhabits small colonies in isolated rocky outcrops of northwestern Patagonia. This study analyzes its diet selection in relation to food availability, establishes the degree of dietary specialization, and discusses the potential competition with exotic herbivores. Diet composition and food availability were determined in summer and winter in eight rocky outcrops by microhistological analysis of fecal pellets, and food availability was estimated by the Braun Blanquet cover abundance scale. Vegetation cover differences were detected by using a random analysis of variance (ANOVA) factorial block design, and dietary preferences were determined by the confidence interval of Bonferroni. The southern vizcacha showed a specialized feeding behavior despite the consumption of a wide variety of items. Their diet was concentrated on a few types of food, mainly grasses, and the trophic niche was narrow and without seasonal variations. In winter, when food was scarce and of lower quality than summer, diet was dominated by Stipa speciosa, suggesting a selection according to the selective quality hypothesis. Our results (narrow trophic niche, restricted activity near rocky outcrops, and a diet with high proportions of low-quality grasses) showed that the vizcacha is an obligatory dietary specialist, and these characteristics made it highly vulnerable to changes in food availability. In this scenario, overgrazing caused by alien species with similar diets, as the European hare and livestock, could negatively affect their colonies.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

diet selection; southern vizcacha; vizcacha; viscacha zob.vizcacha; rodent; Chinchillidae; Lagidium viscacia; rock; small colony; trophic niche; selectivity; food quality; hypothesis; Patagonia; steppe; Argentina

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Theriologica
• Rocznik: 2012
• Tom: 57
• Numer: 4
• Opis fizyczny: p.333-341,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Galende G. I.

• Department of Zoology, Bariloche Regional University Center, National University of Comahue, Quintral 1250, (8400) Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

autor

Raffaele E.

• Laboratory Ecotono, Research Institute for Biodiversity and Environment, (INIBIOMA) National University of Comahue-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnicas (CONICET), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

Bibliografia

• Adler PB, Raff DA, Lauenroth WK (2001) The effect of grazing on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation. Oecologia 128:465–469
• Baldi R, Pelliza Sbriller A, Albon SD (2004) Hight potencial for competition between guanacos and sheep in Patagonia. J Wildl Manage 68:924–938
• Baumgartner LA, Martin A (1939) Plant histology as an aid in squirrel food habit studies. J Wildl Manage 3:266–268
• Belovsky GE (1986) Optimal foraging and community structure: implications for a guild generalist grassland herbivores. Oecologia 70:35–52
• Bergeron JM, Jodoin L (1987) Defining “high quality” food resources of herbivores: the case for meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). Oecologia 71:510–517
• Bertiller M, Bisigato A (1998) Vegetation dynamics under grazing disturbance. The state and transition model for the Patagonian steppes. Ecol Austr 8:191–201
• Bonino NA (1995) Introduced mammals into Patagonia, Southern Argentina: consequences, problems and management strategies. Paper presented at the integrating people and wildlife for a sustainable future, First international wildlife management congress
• Bozinovic F (1995) Nutritional energetics and digestive responses of an herbivorous rodent (Octodon degus) to different levels of dietary fiber. J Mamm 76:627–637
• Bozinovic F, Veloso C, Rosenmann M (1988) Cambios del tracto digestivo de Abroitrix andinus (Cricetidae) efecto de la calidad de dieta y requerimientos de energia. Rev Chil Hist Nat 61:245–251
• Branch L, Sosa R (1994) Foraging behavior of the plains vizcacha Lagostomus maximus (Rodentia: Chinchillidae), in semi-arid srub of central Argentina. V Sil Neo 3:96–99
• Branch L, Villareal D, Pelliza Sbriller A, Sosa R (1994) Diet selection of the plains vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus), family (Chinchillidae) in relation to resource abundance in semi-arid scrub. Can J Zool 72:2210–2216
• Branch L, Villareal D, Fierro JL, Portier KM (1996) Effects of local extinction of the plains vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus) on vegetation patterns in semi-arid scrub. Oecologia 106:389–399
• Brown JS (1988) Patch use as an indicator of habitat preference, predation risk, and competition. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 22:37–47
• Bustos C (1996) Climodiagramas de localidades seleccionadas de la Provincia de Río Negro. Comunicación técnica, vol 16. Área Recursos Naturales Agrometeorología INTA, Bariloche
• Byers CR, Steinhorst R, Krausman PR (1984) Clarification of a technique for analysis of utilizacion-availability data. J Wildl Manage 48:1050–1053
• Caughley G, Sinclair A (1994) Wildlife ecology and management. Blackwell Scientific, Boston
• Cavagnaro F, Golluscio R, Wassner D, Ravetta D (2003) Caracterización química de los arbustos patagónicos con diferente preferencia por parte de los herbívoros. Ecol Aust 13:215–222
• Cortés A, Rau JR, Miranda E, Jimémez JE (2002) Hábitos alimentarios de Lagidium viscacia y Abrocoma cinerea: dos roedores sintópicos en ambientes altoandino del norte de Chile. Rev Chil Hist Nat 75:583–593
• Cossíos D (2004) La liebre europea, Lepus europaeus (Mammalia, Leporidae), especie invasora en el sur del Perú. Rev Per Biol 11:209–212
• Covich A (1976) Analysing shapes of foraging areas: some ecological and economics theories. Ann Rev Ecol 7:235–257
• Crawley M (1983) Herbivory. The dynamics of animal plants interactions. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford
• Crespo J (1963) Dispersión del Chinchillón Lagidium viscacia (Molina) en el Noroeste de la Patagonia y descripción de una nueva especie (Mammalia; Rodentia). Neotropica 9:61–63
• Dearing DM, Mangione AM, Karasov WH (2000) Diet breadth of mammalian herbivores: nutrient versus detoxification constraints. Oecologia 123:397–405
• Dement MW, Van Soest P (1985) A nutritional explanation for body-size patterns of ruminant and nonruminant herbivores. Am Nat 125:641–672
• Díaz GB, Ojeda RA (2000) Libro Rojo de Mamíferos Amenazados de la Argentina. Sociedad Argentina para el estudio de los Mamíferos SAREM, Mendoza
• Ellis JE, Wiens JA, Rodell CF, Anway JC (1976) A conceptual model of diet selection as an ecosystem process. J Theor Biol 60:93–108PubMed
• Farji-Brener A, Ghermandi L (2004) Seedling recruitment in a semi-arid Patagonian steppe: facilitative effects of refuse dumps of leaf-cutting ants. J Veg Sci 15:823–830
• Feinsinger P, Spears E, Poole R (1981) A simple mesure of niche breadth. Ecol Lett 62:27–33
• Galende GI (2010) Patrones de uso de recursos alimentarios y espaciales del chinchillón (Lagidium viscacia) y la liebre europea (Lepus europaeus) en roquedales del NO Patagónico. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, [PhD dissertation] La Plata
• Galende GI, Grigera D (1998) Relaciones alimentarias de Lagidium viscacia (Rodentia, Chinchillidae) con herbívoros introducidos en el Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Argentina. Iheringia, Sér Zool 84:3–10
• Galende GI, Raffaele E (2008) Space use of a non-native species, the european hare (Lepus europaeus), in habitats of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) in Nothwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Eur J Wildl Res 54:299–304
• Galende GI, Trejo A (2003) Depredación del águila mora (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) y el búho (Bubo magellanicus) sobre el chinchillón (Lagidium viscacia) en el noroeste de la Patagonia. Mastozool Neotrop 10:143–147
• Galende GI, Grigera D, von Thüngen J (1998) Composición de la dieta del chinchillón (Lagidium viscacia, Chinchillidae) en el noroeste de la Patagonia. Mastozool Neotrop 5:123–128
• Grigera D, Rapoport E (1983) Status and distribution of the European hare in South America. J Mamm 64:163–166
• Hanley TA (1982) The nutritional basis for food selection by ungulates. J Range Manage 35:148–150
• Hoeck HN (1975) Differential feeding behaviour of the sympatric hyrax Procavia johnstoni and Heterohyrax brucei. Oecologia 22:15–47
• Holechek JL, Gross B (1982) Evaluation of different calculation procedures for microhistological analysis. J Range Manage 35:721–730
• Holmes WG (1991) Predator risk affects foraging behavior of pikas: observational and experimental evidence. Anim Behav 42:111–119
• Huntly N (1987) Influence of refuging consumers (Pikas: Ochotona princeps) on subalpine meadow vegetation. Ecology 68:274–283
• Huntly N, Smith A, Ivins B (1986) Foraging behaviour of the pika (Ochotona princeps), with comparations of grazing versus haying. J Mamm 67:139–148
• Jackson JE (1985) Ingestión voluntaria y digestibilidad en la vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus). Rev Arg Prod Anim 5:113–119
• Kitzberger T, Raffaele E, Heinemann K, Mazzarino MJ (2005) Multiple effects of fire severity on tree regeneration in northern Patagonian subalpine forests: an experimental approach. J Veg Sci 16:5–12
• Kotler BP, Brown JS (1999) Mechanisms of coexistence of optimal foragers as determinants of local abundances and distributions of deserts granivores. J Mamm 80:361–374
• Kotler BP, Brown JS, Knight MH (1999) Habitat and patch use by hyraxes: there’s no place like home? Ecol Lett 2:82–88
• Krebs C (1989) Ecological methodology. Harper & Row, New York
• Latour M, Pelliza de Sbriller A (1981) Clave para la determinación de la dieta de herbívoros en el NO de Patagonia. Rev Inv Agr INTA XV:109–157
• León RJ, Bran D, Collantes M, Paruelo JM, Soriano A (1998) Grandes unidades de vegetación de la Patagonia extra andina. Ecol Aust 8:125–144
• Mateucci S, Colma A (1982) Metodología para el estudio de la vegetación. Monografía N 22. OEA, Washington DC
• Matheson JD, Larson DW (1998) Influence of cliffs on bird community Diversity. Can J Zool 76:278–287
• Merino ML, Carpinetti BN, Abba AM (2009) Invasive mammals in the national parks system of Argentina. Nat Areas J 29:42–49
• Milton K (1979) Factors influencing leaf choice by howler monkeys: a test of some hypotheses of food selection by generalist herbivores. Am Nat 114:362–378
• Muñoz E, Garay A (1985) Régimen de precipitaciones de la Provincia de Río Negro. Comunicacion técnica. Instituto de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Bariloche
• Naya D, Bozinovic F, Karasov W (2008) Latitudinal trends in digestive flexibility: testing the climatic variability hypothesis with data on the intestinal length of Rodents. Am Nat 172:122–134
• Neu C, Byers CR, Peek J (1974) A technique for analysis of utilization availability data. J Wildl Manage 38:541–545
• Novaro AJ, Capurro AF, Travaini A, Funes MC, Ravinovich JE (1992) Pellet-count sampling based on spatial distribution: a case study of European hare in Patagonia. Ecol Aust 2:11–18
• Nutt KJ (2007) Socioecology of rock-dwelling rodents. In: Wolf JO, Sherman PW (eds) Rodent societies: an ecological and evolutionary perspective. Chicago University Press, Chicago, pp 35–48
• Paruelo J, Bertiller MB, Schlichter TM, Coronato F (1993) Secuencias de deterioro en distintos ambientes Patagónicos. Su caracterización mediante el modelo de Estados y Transiciones. Informe Técnico INTA-GTZ. Intituto de Tecnología Agropecuaria INTA, Bariloche
• Pearson O (1995) Annotated keys for identifying small mammals living in or near Nahuel Huapi National Park or Lanin National Park, Southern Argentina. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
• Pelliza A, Willems P, Nakamatsu V, Manero A (eds) (1997) Atlas dietario de Herbívoros patagónicos. PRODESAR-INTA-GTZ. Bariloche, Argentina
• Penry DL (1993) Digestive constrains on diet selection. In: Hughes RN (ed) Diet selection. An interdisciplinary approach to foraging behaviour. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, UK, pp 32–55
• Puig S, Videla F, Cona MI (1997) Diet and abundance of the guanaco (Lama guanicoe Müller 1776) in four habitats of northern Patagonia, Argentina. J Arid Environ 47:291–308
• Puig S, Videla E, Cona M, Monge S, Roig V (1998) Diet of the mountain vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia Molina, 1782) and food availability in the northern Patagonia, Argentina. Mamm Biol 63:228–238
• Puig S, Videla F, Cona MI, Monge SA (2007) Diet of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and food availability in northern Patagonia (Mendoza, Argentina). Mamm Biol 72:240–250
• Puig S, M C, Videla F, Mendez E (2009) Diet of the mara (Dolichotis patagonum), food availability and effects of an extended drought in Northern Patagonia (Mendoza, Argentina). doi:101016/jmambio200912003
• Quirici V, Castro R, Ortiz-Tolhuysen L, Chesh A, Burger J, Miranda E, Cortés S, Hayes L, Ebensperger L (2010) Seasonal variation in the range areas of the diurnal rodent Octodon degus. J Mamm 91:458–466
• Reus Ruiz ML (2006) Caracterización del habitat y composición de la dieta de Lagidium viscacia (Chinchillidae), en la Puna-San Juan-Argentina. Lic. thesis, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
• Rodriguez MD, Dacar M (2008) Composisción de la dieta de la mara (Dolichotis patagonum) en el sudeste del monte pampeano (La Pampa, Argentina). Mast Neotr 15:215–220
• Rosi M, Cona M, Videla F, Puig S, Monge S, Roig V (2003) Diet selection by the fossorial Rodent Ctenomys mendocinus inhabiting an environment with low food availability. Stud Neotropical Fauna Environ 38:159–166
• Sassi P, Borghi C, Bozinovic F (2007) Spatial and seasonal plasticity in digestive morphology of cavies (Microcavia australis) inhabiting habitats with different plant qualities. J Mamm 88:165–172
• Senft RL, Coughenour MB, Bailey DW, Ritttenhouse LR, Sala OE, Swift DM (1987) Large herbivore foraging and ecological hierarchies. BioScience 37:789–799
• Shipley L, Forbey J, Moore B (2009) Revising the dietary niche: when is a mammalian herbivore a specialist? Integr Comp Biol 49:274–290PubMed
• Sih A (1993) Effects of ecological interactions on forager diets: competition, predation risk, parasitism and prey behaviour. In: Hughes RN (ed) Diet selection. An interdisciplinary approach to foraging behaviour. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford (UK), pp 182–211
• Sombra M, Mangione A (2005) Obsessed with grasses? The case of mara Dolichotis patagonun (Caviidae: Rodentia). Rev Chil Hist Nat 78:401–408
• Somlo R, Durañona C, Ortiz R (1985) Valor nutritivo de las principales especies forrajeras patagónicas. Rev Arg Prod Anim 5:589–605
• Somlo R, Bonvissuto G, Sbriller A, Bonino N, Motriz E (1994) La influencia de la condición del pastizal sobre la dieta estacional de los herbívoros y el pastoreo múltiple, en sierras y mesetas occidentales de Patagonia. Rev Erg Prod Anim 14:187–207
• Sparks DR, Malechek JC (1968) Estimating percentage of dry weits in diets using a microscopic technique. J Range Manage 21:264–265
• Stephens DW, Krebs JR (1986) Foraging theory. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA
• Stuth JW (1991) Foraging behaviour. An ecological perspective. In: Stuth JM (ed) Grazing management. Timber Press, Portland, OR, USA, pp 65–83
• Vázquez DP (2002) Multiple effects of introduced mammalian herbivores in a temperate forest. Biol Invasions 4:175–191
• Veloso C, Bozinovic F (1993) Dietary and digestive constraints on basal energy metabolism in a small herbivorous rodent. Ecol Lett 74:2003–2010
• Walker SR (2001) Effects of landscape structure on the distribution of mountain vizcachas (Lagidium viscacia) in the Patagonian Steppe. PhD dissertation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
• Walker SR, Ackerman G, Schachter-Broide J, Pancotto V, Novaro AJ (2000a) Habitat use by mountain vizcachas (Lagidium viscacia Molina, 1782) in the Patagonia steppe. Mamm Biol 65:293–300
• Walker SR, Pancotto V, Schachter-Broide J, Ackerman G, Novaro AJ (2000b) Evaluation of a fecal-pellet index of abundance for mountain vizcachas (Lagidium viscacia). Mastozool Neotr 7:89–94
• Weckerly FW, Kenedy ML (1992) Examining hypotheses about feeding strategies of white–tailed deer. Can J Zool 70:432–439
• Weir BJ (1971) Some notes on reproduction in the Patagonia Mountain viscachas Lagidium boxi (Mammalia; Rodentia). J Zool Lond 164:463–467
• Willig M, Mares T (1991) Food selection of a tropical Mammalian folivore in relation to leaf-nutrient content. J Mamm 72:314–321
• Zar JH (1999) Biostatistical analysis, 6th edn. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA