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The Yungas Biosphere Re- Serve of Argentina: a Hot Spot of South

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The Yungas Biosphere Re- Serve of Argentina: a Hot Spot of South original contribution MARIO S. DI BITETTI1, SEBASTIÁN ALBANESI2, MARÍA JOSÉ FOGUET3 GRIET AN ERICA rized by Conservation International, which CUYCKENS4 AND ALEJANDRO BROWN3 delimited small areas of the world that con- tain a high proportion of the global biodiver- The Yungas Biosphere Re- sity (Myers et al. 2000). Although Argentina is highly diverse in terms of cat species, this serve of Argentina: a hot spot does not necessarily imply that in any particu- lar area of this country many cat species can of South American wild cats be found together (i.e., syntopically). Thus, the diversity of habitats results in a high total We conducted three camera-trap surveys in a productive conservation landscape richness of cat species across Argentina, but within the Yungas Biosphere Reserve of NW Argentina. The surveyed area contains how many of these species can be found to- portions of Premontane Forest and sugar cane and citrus plantations and is intersect- gether in a small region? ed by riparian forest corridors. We recorded six of the seven wild cat species present In this article we present the results of came- in the area. These species make different use of the different environments present in ra-trap surveys conducted in a relatively small the landscape: Geoffroy’s cat Oncifelis geoffroyi was the only species recorded in the portion of the Yungas ecoregion, the subtropi- plantations, pumas Puma concolor and margays Leopardus wiedi were restricted to cal montane forests of southern Bolivia and the forests, jaguarundis Herpailurus yaguarondi were only recorded in the corridors, north-western (NW) Argentina. During these while ocelots Leopardus pardalis and oncillas Leopardus tigrinus were recorded in surveys, we recorded six of the seven cat spe- both corridors and forests. Jaguars Panthera onca were not photographed during the cies present in the area. The study site is lo- surveys but are present in the study site. The Yungas Biosphere Reserve contains cated within the Yungas Biosphere Reserve in not only these seven species, but two other felids that inhabit the highlands of the NW Argentina (Brown et al. 2007, Fig. 1). We reserve: the Pampas cat Oncifelis colocolo and the Andean cat Oreailurus jacobitus. draw attention to and discuss the importance We draw the attention to the Yungas, a small region of the Planet, shared by Argen- of this area as a felid hot spot. We also in- tina and Bolivia, which harbors ¼ of the World’s cat species. troduce the concept of Protected Productive Landscapes, a conservation scheme that may Wild felids occupy most of the terrestrial one of the countries with the highest species aid in wild cat conservation. ecosystems of the world with the exception richness in the world. This is partially the of Australasia and Antarctica (Sunquist & result of its long latitudinal extension and Study area 25 Sunquist 2002). There are important diffe- extreme altitudinal gradient, which produce The study area is located within the Yungas rences among regions of the World in terms a wide variety of climates and biomes, inclu- ecoregion of southern Bolivia and NW Argen- of species richness. In the lower end of the ding subtropical rainforests, dry forests, tem- tina (Grau & Brown 2000). This ecoregion is spectrum, the entire European continent is perate forests, subtropical savannas, grass- characterized by subtropical montane forests currently home to only three wild-cat species lands, and deserts. All the South American that expand north to south and in an altitudi- (the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx, the Iberian lynx cats are present in Argentina, with species nal gradient, along the eastern slopes of the Lynx pardinus, and the European wild cat Felis that usually inhabit tropical rain forests (the Andes. Four types of forests can be differen- silvestris). At the higher end of the spectrum, ocelot, the margay, the oncilla, and the jagu- tiated along the altitudinal gradient according single Asian countries can more than triple arundi, with the latter also using other drier to the vegetation physiognomy and species those numbers (Macdonald et al. 2010). Ho- and more open habitats), temperate forests composition (Brown et al. 2001, Fig. 1). The wever, even within tropical forest sites there (the guiña Oncifelis guigna), grasslands, sa- Premontane Forest (Selva Pedemontana), with seem to be a limit to the number of felid spe- vannas and dry forests (Geoffroy’s cat), grass- high diversity of tree species, characterizes cies found together at a single location (the lands (the Pampas cat), and high altitude the lowest altitudinal level (between 400 and alpha diversity of a felid assemblage), which deserts (the Andean cat) plus the two larger 700 m) of the Yungas. On the east side of this rarely exceeds six species. This limitation and more generalists species: the jaguar and formation transitional forests are in contact probably arises from the strong competitive the puma. with and give way to another ecoregion, the interactions exerted among carnivore species A hot spot usually refers to a rather small dry Chaco. To the west and up the mountains, (Donadio & Buskirk 2006, Davies et al. 2007). area of the world that contains relatively high the Premontane Forest gives rise to the Mon- Argentina harbors 10 species of felids and is species richness. This concept was popula- tane Humid Forest (Selva Montana), rich in tree species, which expands between 700 Table 1. Number of stations in each treatment during the three camera-trap surveys and 1500 m a.s.l. Above the Montane Humid conducted at Ledesma S.A., Jujuy, Argentina. Forest start the Upper Montane Forests and Open Woodlands (Bosque Montano), which Survey Forest Plantations Riparian forest corridors Total expand up to 2500-3000 m. Above this altitude First 30 16 0 46 the high altitude Foggy Montane Grasslands (Pastizales de Neblina) arise. To the west of Second 42 0 0 42 the Yungas, the high Andes are characterized Third 6122038by arid mountain tops and plateaus with bare ground and scarce vegetation (the High Ande- Total 78 28 20 126 an Grasslands and rocky outcrops). CATnews 54 Spring 2011 Di Bitetti et al. or next to the Yungas Biosphere Reserve walk along roads (Harmsen et al. 2010). A sta- (13,000 km2), in the department of Ledesma, tion consisted of a camera-trap baited with a Jujuy province, Argentina (Fig. 1). The area perforated tuna fish can, which was located contains extensive portions (approximately 2-3 m in front of the camera. With few excep- 1000 km2) of Premontane Forest surrounding tions, the distance between stations under and intersecting mostly sugar cane planta- the same treatment (i.e., forest, plantation, tions but also citrus plantations (totalizing ap- corridor) was greater than 1.5 km (usually, proximately 500 km2 of plantations). The area 2-3 km). Camera-traps were programmed to is intersected by rivers with riparian forest on obtain pictures on a 24 h basis with a 5 min both margins that constitute natural corridors delay between successive photos. (Fig. 2). The study area limits to the west with We conducted three surveys. The first was Calilegua National Park (763 km2, Fig. 1, 3). performed between March 16 and May 14 Most of the native forests that were surveyed 2009, the second between November 15 and are primary forests subjected to different le- December 21 2009 and the third between vels of extractive activities (hunting and fire- June 10 and July 26 2010. Due to the pauci- wood extraction). Hunting pressure in these ty of camera-traps, the first survey was split forests range from very low to moderately into two halves, and each station was active high, but tapirs, indicator species of healthy for about one month. During the second and ecosystems, are present in most forest areas. third surveys, stations were active for periods of 30-45 days each. Due to camera failure Fig. 1. Location of the Yungas Biosphere Methods (e.g., unsynchronized flash) not all camera- Reserve (YBR), in Northwestern Argenti- The camera-trap surveys were designed to traps attained the best performance and na. With different colors are depicted the survey the medium-large size mammal as- some days were lost in several stations but different ecological formations and the semblages in three different habitats: 1) con- without showing any clear bias in terms of main strictly protected areas within the tinuous forest, 2) sugar cane and citrus planta- species or habitat that could affect the main YBR. The blue dot depicts the location of tions and 3) riparian forest corridors. We used results reported here. During the first survey the only known record of the elusive An- a set of 43 digital camera-traps (Moultrie 30 stations were located in the forest, 12 sta- 26 dean cat within the YBR. M-40). Camera-trap stations were not located tions were located in sugar cane plantations along trails, roads or river banks but in the and four stations in citrus plantations. Duri- We conducted this study in a large property forest interior and within the sugar cane and ng the second survey we used the same 30 (1,500 km2) that belongs to Ledesma S.A., a citrus plantations. Thus, our surveys were not forest stations of the first survey (all located company dedicated to sugar cane and citrus optimized to obtain records of the larger felids near the edge of a road or plantation) plus 12 production. The study area is located within (jaguars, pumas and ocelots), which prefer to new forest stations located at distances of > 500 m from the edge of plantations or roads. During the third survey we investigated the sugar cane plantations (N=12 stations), the forest (N=6) and the riparian forest corridors (N=20, four stations were separated < 500 m from each other).
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