Density but not climate affects the population growth rate of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) (Artiodactyla, Camelidae)

We analyzed the effects of population density and climatic variables on the rate of population growth in the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), a wild camelid species in South America. We used a time series of 36 years (1977-2012) of population sampling in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Individuals were grouped in...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Zubillaga, María, Skewes, Oscar, Nicolas Soto, Rabinovich, Jorge Eduardo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/10190
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/10190
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:GUANACO
WEATHER
POPULATION REGULATION
DEMOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:We analyzed the effects of population density and climatic variables on the rate of population growth in the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), a wild camelid species in South America. We used a time series of 36 years (1977-2012) of population sampling in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Individuals were grouped in three age-classes: newborns, juveniles, and adults; for each year a female population transition matrix was constructed, and the population growth rate (λ) was estimated for each year as the matrix highest positive eigenvalue. We applied a regression analysis with finite population growth rate (λ) as dependent variable, and total guanaco population, sheep population, annual mean precipitation, and winter mean temperature as independent variables, with and without time lags. The effect of guanaco population size was statistically significant, but the effects of the sheep population and the climatic variables on guanaco population growth rate were not statistically significant.