2013

Undaria pinnatifida is an aggressively invasive macroalgae originating from northeast Asia. It was accidentally introduced to numerous regions worldwide including, in 2011, the coast of Mar del Plata, Argentina. U. pinnatifida has been used since ancient times where it is native, and it is currently cultivated and harvested in many countries around the world. Considering that brown algae, and in… Read Project SummaryAlgal wrack textiles: Using the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida in a functional textile product

This is a continuation of a 2012 CREOi-funded project. Paraje Tres Cerros are three rocky outcrops (maximum height 180 m above sea level) found in Corrientes Province, Argentina. The outcrops constitute true geologic “islands” immersed in the vast Corrientes plains. They also represent unique ecosystems where flora and fauna have experimented with evolution, isolated in their own singular combination of… Read Project SummaryInventory and conservation of the vertebrate fauna of Paraje Tres Cerros (Corrientes, Argentina): Implications for creating a protected area and its integration with local populations (continuation)

Hundreds of species of birds in South America require tree-cavities for nesting, and many of these species are threatened by selective logging and clearing of forest for farms. Our objectives were to examine variation in cavity supply among bird species and habitats, and to encourage conservation of tree cavities for nesting birds. Our field research in the Atlantic forest of… Read Project SummaryConservation of endangered vinaceous parrots and other cavity-nesting birds in the Atlantic and Amazon forests of South America

Wildlife in human-occupied landscapes can be conserved if management is based on some understanding of mechanisms by which humans and livestock influence ecological processes. One such process critical to wildlife conservation is predator-prey dynamics. Our main management objective is geared towards maintaining diverse ungulate species populations such as hartebeest (Alcephalus busephalus jacksonii) while allowing the natural re-colonization of lions (Panthera… Read Project SummaryPredator-prey dynamics and livestock production in human-occupied savannas: Can cattle be used to conserve declining wild ungulates?

This project focused on the parasitism by Nosema ceranae on honeybees in Argentina, including an analysis of virulence and the physiological effects of different strains isolated from different regions of the country. Apiculturists have enthusiastically collaborated with the study, providing samples across wide-ranging biogeographic areas of the country. This was achieved through a “National Survey of Nosemosis” campaign aimed at… Read Project SummaryAnalysis of virulence of the honey bee entomopathogen Nosema ceranae isolated from different geographic zones of Argentina and implications for honeybee conservation

Invasive species are the second most significant driver of biodiversity loss. Islands are the most vulnerable regions to invasions because the evolutionary isolation generally results in a lack of behavioral responses to predation by the local biota. The American mink (Neovison vison) is a mustelid native to North America that was recently introduced in Navarino Island, southern Chile. American mink… Read Project SummaryPredatory impacts and variables determining the spatiotemporal occupancy of the invasive American mink (Neovison vison) on a pristine island ecosystem in Southern Chile

 The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) has been collaborating with communities on Papua New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula since 1996, working to foster wildlife and habitat protection. The program’s flagship species is the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), which is important to local communities both culturally and as a source of protein. In order to protect the survival of the… Read Project SummaryUsing locally-managed scientific research to understand the activity patterns, home range size, and habitat use of the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea

Encroachment by human activities is the primary cause of natural habitat destruction and fragmentation, which represent the largest threat to wildlife, in particular mammalian carnivores such as the puma. This alteration of the environment can cause contraction of the spatial distribution of animals, with local extinctions and a consequent decline of global populations. This process is currently happening in the… Read Project SummaryEcology of the puma in El Espinal, Argentina: Analysis of the effects of habitat fragmentation and mitigation of conflicts with ranching

This is a continuation of a 2010 CREOi-funded project. The Peruvian diving petrel (Pelecanoides garnotii) (IUCN Endangered) was once very common on coastal islands of Peru and Chile. However, guano mining and the introduction of invasive species have caused declines in breeding populations throughout their original range. In Chile, most of the population is found on Isla Choros, including 94%… Read Project SummaryEstimating effects of eradication of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on native and endemic plant communities, and on breeding density of Peruvian diving-petrels on Choros Island, Coquimbo, Chile

The Iberá wetlands of Argentina are the second largest wetlands in South America (1.3 million hectares); they are a heterogeneous landscape and home to a rich diversity of large vertebrates. They are protected by the Provincial Iberá Reserve, slated to be a national park, but urgently in need of planning and management tools. The primary objectives of this project were… Read Project SummaryThe where and the why of the biodiversity of Iberá: Monitoring macrovertebrates of the second largest wetland in South America