2012

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

Small-scale fisheries targeting sedentary-stocks (‘S-fisheries’) are spatially structured in that the distribution of both the resource and the fishing effects are patchy and persistently heterogeneous. This close relationship between the spatial distribution of the resource and the effort allocation provides an opportunity for the use of fishery data to map the distribution of the resource and fishing mortality. Since GPS… Read Project SummarySetting up non-traditional monitoring protocols for shellfish resources: Application to an artisanal diving fishery in northern Patagonia

This is a continuation of 2010 and 2011 CREOi-funded projects. 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… Read Project SummaryFactors that affect population viability of hooded grebes

The southern right whale is a protected species, one of four to be declared a National Natural Monument in Argentina. It is a cultural icon and an opportunity for sustainable ecotourism economies. Understanding the effects of human activities on these whale populations is therefore a priority for their conservation and management. This project compared whale abundance, distribution and behavior between… Read Project SummaryEffects of anthropogenic activities on the distribution, abundance and behavior of southern right whales in Golfo Nuevo, Chubut

One third of tropical forest plants bear extrafloral nectaries to attract ants. Ants, in turn, provide protective services for plant’s young leaves by preying on herbivores. Although these diverse and abundant ant-plant associations are classically viewed as mutualisms, the paucity of data suggest that ants may not always benefit plants. This project focused on a field experiment to investigate how… Read Project SummaryFacultative ant-plant associations: Which ants provide protection?

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

The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), the largest flying bird in the New World and an emblematic animal of South America, is declining in abundance range-wide and critically endangered at the northern half of its distribution. Different human activities affect the species, but the most widespread and insidious threat faced by Andean condors involves decreasing availability and abundance of important native food… Read Project SummaryEvaluating the importance of native prey species to the diet of Andean condors in the high Andes of northwestern Argentina