La conservación de los cánidos silvestres en Argentina enfrenta desafíos complejos vinculados con factores ecológicos, sanitarios y sociales. El país alberga cinco especies nativas, Lycalopex gymnocercus, Lycalopex culpaeus, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Cerdocyon thous y Speothos venaticus, distribuidas en una amplia diversidad de ecorregiones. La expansión de la actividad humana ha intensificado la transformación del paisaje y las interacciones humano-fauna, con efectos potenciales sobre las redes tróficas y la dinámica de patógenos. En este marco, durante las XXXV Jornadas Argentinas de Mastozoología (2024), se llevó a cabo la Mesa Redonda “Cánidos de Argentina: Actualización, Desafíos y Oportunidades en Investigación y Conservación”, que reunió a investigadores de siete provincias, con el objetivo de identificar vacíos de conocimiento y promover estrategias comunes. El intercambio permitió caracterizar el panorama actual de la investigación sobre cánidos en el país, que incluye estudios ecológicos, comportamentales, genéticos, sanitarios, zooarqueológicos y de coexistencia humano-fauna. Asimismo, se identificaron problemáticas transversales, incluyendo interacciones con animales domésticos, persecución directa, expansión urbana y limitaciones metodológicas o financieras,que restringen la comparabilidad de los datos y la conservación efectiva. Como resultado de este proceso colectivo, se propuso la creación de la Red de Estudio de Cánidos Argentinos (RECAN-AR) orientada a integrar investigadores, disciplinas y regiones, promover la estandarización metodológica, fomentar proyectos colaborativos y fortalecer la comunicación pública. Esta iniciativa busca consolidar un enfoque federal e interdisciplinario para la conservación de los cánidos nativos y el desarrollo de herramientas de gestión basadas en evidencia, bajo un marco de Una Salud (One Health).
Between October 11 and 16, 2019, and March 12 and 14, 2022, nine flights were made along the coast of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in meteorological conditions that allowed the sighting of several species of cetaceans. The two series of surveys (2019-2022) were carried out separately due to travel restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We report the estimates of abundance for Franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei). The number of sightings (and individuals) in 2019 and 2022 was 41 (68) and 55 (80), respectively. Abundance for FMA IVb was estimated to be 11 070, while for FMA IVc was 3309. The total abundance of Franciscana for both areas would give a figure of 14 379 dolphins. Considering this estimation obtained in 2022, plus the 5896 dolphins estimated in 2004 for the southern area, gives us a sum of 20 275 individuals without considering those in deeper waters beyond the 30 m isobath. Even though the comparisons with previous estimates (2003-2004) must be done cautiously, we did not detect a decreasing trend in the abundance of this species in the studied area. Considering an extrapolated abundance of 5894 individuals for the Bahía Samborombón (area not flown), Argentine waters would have a figure around 26169 individuals. This figure considers abundance only from the coast to the 30 m isobath. Considering this abundance, the mortality rates estimated to date for Argentine waters are less than the 2% established by the IWC as a risk to the population.
The analysis of δ13C and δ 15N values in collagen obtained from the Lama guanicoe modern and archaeological bones (N = 26) from the Sarmiento Basin area (Colhué Huapi and Musters Lakes, central Patagonia) indicates a diet based on C3 plants (Calvin–Benson photosynthetic carbon fixation cycle). Within this group of plants, a marked increase in grass consumption during the recent lapse (post–1 500 years BP) is recorded. In contrast, a strong signal of higher woody plant consumption is recorded between 3 844-1 920 years BP (i.e., shrubs) and among modern individuals (i.e., subshrubs). It is proposed that when the valley floors of the Colhué Huapi and Musters Lakes were exposed (post-1 500 years BP), there was greater availability of wetlands and grasslands.
The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is distributed throughout much of South America and is considered a keystone species because it fulfills crucial ecological roles in tropical forests. Tapirs are associated with forest ecosystems and water bodies throughout their geographic range. In the Orinoquia region of Colombia, tapirs are found in natural savannahs and in dense, gallery, and riparian forests. Although there is data available on tapir natural history, basic knowledge is still lacking across much of its distribution. This research generated a baseline of tapir distribution to assess habitat use and conservation areas across the Orinoquia. We built a database of 110 individual occurrences from camera trap sampling conducted in the departments of Arauca, Casanare, Vichada, and Meta. We built candidate models using the Wallace 2.1.3 R package and selected the best-performing models, which we then implemented in Maxent 3.4.4 to obtain the final distribution outputs. Precipitation seasonality and land cover were the most important variables for tapir distribution, and areas of dense gallery and riparian forests in good conservation state were found to be highly suitable habitats, especially in Arauca and Vichada. Tapir populations likely became locally extinct in the southern part of the department of Casanare. Our results constitute the first approximation of the distribution of the lowland tapir for the Orinoquia region of Colombia. It is necessary to generate additional regional and local data to allow for a more precise evaluation of distribution in these heterogeneous landscapes. The findings of this study provide useful information for conservation strategies and highlight the need for further research to better understand the distribution and habitat use of the lowland tapir in this region.
