European Journal of Wildlife Research

, Volume 57, Issue 5, pp 1007–1015 | Cite as

Lack of feral livestock interference with native guanaco during the dry season in a South American desert

  • Ramiro J. A. Ovejero
  • Pablo Acebes
  • Juan E. Malo
  • Juan Traba
  • Maria Eugenia Mosca Torres
  • Carlos E. Borghi
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

Analyzing coexistence of exotic and native ungulates in arid areas is important from both a theoretical and a species conservation perspective. We assess the habitat use patterns and possible interference between guanaco (Lama guanicoe) and feral livestock (donkey and cattle) in arid environments of South America. To determine habitat use and niche overlap between exotic and native ungulate species, ten sites with different habitats and six natural waterholes were selected. Plots (20 at each site, ten around each waterhole) were randomly set up and characterized by environmental variables and relative use by cattle, donkey and guanaco through faecal pellet counts. Aggregation, niche breadth and niche overlap of the three herbivores were analyzed at habitat level (mesoscale). A direct redundancy analysis was used to examine the relationships between abundance of herbivore faeces and environmental variables at microscale. Mesoscale analyses showed (i) an extensive use of the area by all three species, with guanaco having the highest niche breadth followed by donkey and cattle and (ii) a large, broad guanaco–donkey and donkey–cattle habitat overlap. However, results at a finer scale showed high spatial aggregation of feral livestock species and an independent use of territory by guanacos. This study is the first to provide information about habitat partitioning between guanacos and feral livestock in the hyper-arid Monte Desert biome and points to an apparent lack of negative effects on the native ungulate.

Keywords

Habitat use Lama guanicoe Equus asinus Bos taurus Monte Desert Niche overlap 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the comments and suggestions made by Ricardo Ojeda and Agustina Novillo in earlier versions of this ms. We thank Nelly Horak for helping with the English style. This study has been funded by the Fundación BBVA through the INTERMARG project under its Program for Conservation Biology Projects. The TEG Research group is supported by REMEDINAL-2 Research Network (S-2009/AMB/1783) from the Comunidad de Madrid and Foro Social Europeo. The park rangers and other staff of the Ischigualasto Provincial Park helped us at different stages of the work.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ramiro J. A. Ovejero
    • 1
  • Pablo Acebes
    • 2
  • Juan E. Malo
    • 2
  • Juan Traba
    • 2
  • Maria Eugenia Mosca Torres
    • 3
  • Carlos E. Borghi
    • 4
  1. 1.Biodiversity Research Group (GIB), IADIZA, CCT MENDOZACONICETMendozaArgentina
  2. 2.Terrestrial Ecology Group, Departamento de EcologíaUniversidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
  3. 3.Vertebrate Ecology and Management Group (GEMAVER), IADIZA CCT MENDOZACONICETMendozaArgentina
  4. 4.Biological Interactions in Deserts (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias NaturalesUniversidad Nacional de San Juan–CONICETSan JuanArgentina

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