Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species

The development of conservation strategies to protect viable populations of scavenging birds requires the existence of adequate and safe food supplies in the wild. Early reports on Andean condors Vultur gryphus diet recorded guanacos and rheas, the dominant herbivores since the Pleistocene, as their...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Lambertucci, Sergio A., Trejo, A., Di Martino, S., Sánchez-Zapata, José A., Donázar, José A., Hiraldo, Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2009
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/64114
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/64114
Access Level:acceso abierto
id ES_1126591df0c75eb52cf77d1be91bdbdf
oai_identifier_str oai:digital.csic.es:10261/64114
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic speciesLambertucci, Sergio A.Trejo, A.Di Martino, S.Sánchez-Zapata, José A.Donázar, José A.Hiraldo, FernandoThe development of conservation strategies to protect viable populations of scavenging birds requires the existence of adequate and safe food supplies in the wild. Early reports on Andean condors Vultur gryphus diet recorded guanacos and rheas, the dominant herbivores since the Pleistocene, as their main food in Patagonia. However, in the past century, guanaco and rhea populations have notably decreased as a consequence of introduced livestock, and other exotic mammals have colonized the region. We study the spatial and temporal variation of the condors' diet to determine which species are being consumed by condors, and to test whether native herbivores still have a role as a food source. We analysed 371 pellets (517 prey items), collected along 500km in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Our study shows that the Andean condor depends heavily (98.5%) on exotic herbivores. Their diet was made up of c. 51% sheep/goat, 24% hare/rabbit, 17% red deer and 6% cow/ horse, with only 2% other mammal species. Samples from locations surveyed after 12-15years showed a diet shift coincident with the local tendencies in the food source. The diet composition of condors using roosts within the same zone was very similar, which suggests that they may be feeding from the same area. Thus, unhealthy carcasses could impact the entire local populations. Our results show the abundance of the invasive species in northwestern Patagonia and support the idea that native mega-herbivores are ecologically extinct in this area. Exotic species management can have a decisive impact on scavenger's survival. It is necessary to apply a strategy that includes public environmental education about the problems of scavengers (e.g. use of poison, veterinary medicines and lead bullets), and a serious productive plan, including native species as a suitable source of economic development. © Journal compilation © 2009 The Zoological Society of London.Peer ReviewedCambridge University Press2013201320092013info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501http://hdl.handle.net/10261/64114reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglésinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/641142026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
title Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
spellingShingle Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
Lambertucci, Sergio A.
title_short Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
title_full Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
title_fullStr Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
title_full_unstemmed Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
title_sort Spatial and temporal patterns in the diet of the Andean condor: Ecological replacement of native fauna by exotic species
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Lambertucci, Sergio A.
Trejo, A.
Di Martino, S.
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Donázar, José A.
Hiraldo, Fernando
author Lambertucci, Sergio A.
author_facet Lambertucci, Sergio A.
Trejo, A.
Di Martino, S.
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Donázar, José A.
Hiraldo, Fernando
author_role author
author2 Trejo, A.
Di Martino, S.
Sánchez-Zapata, José A.
Donázar, José A.
Hiraldo, Fernando
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
description The development of conservation strategies to protect viable populations of scavenging birds requires the existence of adequate and safe food supplies in the wild. Early reports on Andean condors Vultur gryphus diet recorded guanacos and rheas, the dominant herbivores since the Pleistocene, as their main food in Patagonia. However, in the past century, guanaco and rhea populations have notably decreased as a consequence of introduced livestock, and other exotic mammals have colonized the region. We study the spatial and temporal variation of the condors' diet to determine which species are being consumed by condors, and to test whether native herbivores still have a role as a food source. We analysed 371 pellets (517 prey items), collected along 500km in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Our study shows that the Andean condor depends heavily (98.5%) on exotic herbivores. Their diet was made up of c. 51% sheep/goat, 24% hare/rabbit, 17% red deer and 6% cow/ horse, with only 2% other mammal species. Samples from locations surveyed after 12-15years showed a diet shift coincident with the local tendencies in the food source. The diet composition of condors using roosts within the same zone was very similar, which suggests that they may be feeding from the same area. Thus, unhealthy carcasses could impact the entire local populations. Our results show the abundance of the invasive species in northwestern Patagonia and support the idea that native mega-herbivores are ecologically extinct in this area. Exotic species management can have a decisive impact on scavenger's survival. It is necessary to apply a strategy that includes public environmental education about the problems of scavengers (e.g. use of poison, veterinary medicines and lead bullets), and a serious productive plan, including native species as a suitable source of economic development. © Journal compilation © 2009 The Zoological Society of London.
publishDate 2009
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2009
2013
2013
2013
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/64114
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/64114
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cambridge University Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cambridge University Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869403549167779840
score 15,812429

Similares en LA Referencia