2012

The Somuncura Plateau is a priority conservation area given its unique biology, geology and anthropology. This area is home to three species that are internationally recognized as high conservation priorities: the Somuncura frog (Pleurodema somuncurensis), the Laguna Raimunda frog (Atelognathus reverberii) and the naked characin (Gymnocharacinus bergii). The objective of this project was to improve conservation of these three endemic… Read Project SummaryConservation of threatened species on the Somuncura Plateau (Patagonia, Argentina): Implications for land management and engagement of the local community

Paraje Tres Cerros is comprised of three outcrops that rise above the Corrientes plains and constitute true rocky “islands”. Until this project, the herpetofauna of the site were unknown. The primary objectives of this project were to survey the herpetofauna and use the results as a tool for educating the regional population and contributing to the effort to create a… Read Project SummaryConservation of herpetofauna of Paraje Tres Cerros, Corrientes, Argentina: Implications for creation of a provincial nature reserve and engagement of the rural community

Puma populations of Argentina, and in particular those of La Pampa Province, are not immune to the conservation threats affecting the species worldwide. Along with loss and modification of habitat within the Caldén Forest region, puma populations have been affected by both sport hunting and management culling. In 2007, amid suspicions of illegal trade and movement of cats from rural… Read Project SummaryEcology and population status of wild cats in Caldén Forest: Implications for conservation and management

It is widely recognized that predatory interactions involving large carnivores play significant ecological roles on terrestrial communities. However, in the neotropics, these interactions have scarcely been studied. Particularly, there is a lack of information regarding ungulate neonatal predation and its consequence on prey population dynamics. Guanacos were the main puma prey in South America until they suffered a >90% population… Read Project SummaryPuma-guanaco interactions: Evaluating the impact of predation on newborn guanacos

Diet studies of migratory birds have been a necessary tool for analyzing processes associated with overwintering site selection, interactions with primary prey species, detection of potential conflicts with anthropogenic activities and evaluation of habitat quality. The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a neotropical migratory marine bird that breeds in North America and migrates to southern South America during the non-reproductive… Read Project SummaryImportance of Punta Rasa Natural Reserve (Argentina) for the conservation of migratory marine birds: trophic resources that sustain overwintering common terns (Sterna hirundo) and the role of supplemental feeding from fishing activity

For many years, stocks of sedentary invertebrates were assessed and managed using a finfish-oriented framework. However, most of these sedentary stocks are small-scale, spatially structured and data poor, yielding inappropriate management approaches when finfish models are applied. This project aims to develop non-traditional monitoring protocols for artisanal diving fisheries that target scallops, which are extremely vulnerable and difficult to assess… Read Project SummarySetting up non-traditional monitoring protocols for shellfish resources: Application to an artisanal diving fishery in northern Patagonia

The hooded grebe (Podiceps gallardoi) is a globally listed critically endangered bird species that inhabits the plateaus of western Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The conservation threats affecting the species have been recently identified and management actions have been considered a priority for their conservation. Since 2009, a team from universities and conservation NGOs has been committed to protecting the species,… Read Project SummaryFactors that affect population viability of hooded grebes

One of the primary processes that affect marine coastal areas is urban development, and the anthropogenic activities it brings such as industry and tourism. The Argentine Pampean coastal region is characterized by a concentration of such activities and consequently is an area of high user conflict. This region is also used by a large number of threatened vertebrate species such… Read Project SummaryHabitat use by threatened vertebrates of the South Atlantic Coast: Olrog’s gull and the meadow lizard