Spatio-temporal interactions of carnivore species in a coastal ecosystem in Argentina. (1st December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Caruso, N.C.; Luengos Vidal, E.M.; Manfredi, M.C.; Araujo, M.S.; Lucherini, M.; Casanave, E.B.
• Is Part Of: Ocean & coastal management. Volume 198(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12-01
• Subjects: Daily activity -- Interspecific competition -- Geoffroy's cat -- Maritime mammals -- Occupancy models -- Pampas fox; Marine resources -- Management -- Periodicals; Coastal zone management -- Periodicals; Coastal ecology -- Periodicals; Ressources marines -- Périodiques; Littoral -- Aménagement -- Périodiques; Écologie littorale -- Périodiques; Coastal ecology; Coastal zone management; Marine resources -- Management; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 551.46
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105311
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-5691

Abstract

Abstract: Land-sea interface is an ecotone where the intersection of marine and terrestrial ecosystems create unique ecological conditions for terrestrial mobile species and freshwater-adapted organisms to exploit marine-derived food resources. Mammalian carnivores play an important role in almost any ecosystem where they live due to their top-down (or trophic cascade) effects on prey species and primary producers, thus structuring ecosystems along varied food-web pathways. We use camera trapping to study the patterns of coexistence, habitat use and activity pattern of carnivores species in a coastal area in southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. We were able to detect five of the seven species of Mammalian carnivores being the Pampas fox Lycalopex gymnocercus and Geoffroy's cat Leopardus geoffroyi the two most common. Geoffroy's cat seems to use more intensively those areas close to the shoreline, while we found little support of it for Pampas fox; which seems to use more inland areas. Congruently, we found evidence of a lack of spatial and, to a lower extent, temporal avoidance between the two most common carnivore species of our study area. Our findings support those previous studies indicating that the coastal dunes have an important role in the conservation of the biodiversity of Buenos Aires province. Wildlife conservation is compatible with carefully-designed ecotourism and limited infrastructure development and this may be a unique chance for the areas of Buenos Aires coast that have not been affected yet by poorly planned, conservation-unfriendly urbanization. Highlights: Five of seven species of Mammalian carnivores were detected in this coastal area. Lycalopex gymnocercus and Leopardus geoffroyi the two most common. L. geoffroyi get closer to the shoreline and L. gymnocercus uses more inland areas. No spatial and temporal avoidance between the two most common species. Coastal dunes are important for biodiversity conservation in Buenos Aires province.