scholarly journals Puma (Puma concolor) in the Neighborhood? Records Near Human Settlements and Insights into Human-Carnivore Coexistence in Central Chile

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 965
Author(s):  
Diego Ramírez-Álvarez ◽  
Constanza Napolitano ◽  
Iván Salgado
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Human Settlement ◽  
Human Settlements ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Global Context ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Management And Conservation

The wildland–urban interface lies at the confluence of human-dominated and wild landscapes—creating a number of management and conservation challenges. Wildlife sightings near human settlements have appeared to increase in the last years. This article reports 51 records of presences, sightings, and livestock attacks of Puma concolor, a large-sized felid, collected from 2012 to 2020 across the O’Higgins region in central Chile. Puma records were concentrated in the east of the region in the Andes Range and foothills (90%). The number of puma records is higher in the last four to six years than in previously studied years. Of the 51 records, 23.5% are between 0 and 999 m from the nearest human settlement (classified as very close), 25.5% are between 1000 and 4999 m (moderately close), and 51% are over 5000 m (distant). Most of the sightings are recorded in the summer (35%) and spring (29%). We identify an area of approximately 9000 km2 of suitable habitat as the most probable corridor effectively connecting pumas moving between eastern and western areas, encompassing the Angostura de Paine mountain range. Our results contribute to the understanding of the presence and movements of P. concolor near urban areas and human settlements, confirming their persistence in and adaptation to human-dominated landscapes. We also provide insights into human–carnivore coexistence in the current global context in the densely populated central Chile.

scholarly journals Exotic Prey Facilitate Coexistence between Pumas and Culpeo Foxes in the Andes of Central Chile

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Christian Osorio ◽  
Ana Muñoz ◽  
Nicolás Guarda ◽  
Cristian Bonacic ◽  
Marcella Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Dietary Overlap ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Trophic Resources ◽  
Principal Axes ◽  
Temporal Overlap

Coexistence between species with similar ecological niches implies species must segregate along one or more niche axes to survive. Space, time, and trophic resources are regarded as the principal axes upon which species segregate. We examined segregation along these niche axes to determine mechanisms underlying coexistence between the two main predators, puma (Puma concolor) and culpeo foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus) in the Andes of Central Chile. We used occupancy modeling to examine space use and overlap, Kernel Density Estimation to determine temporal activity patterns and overlap, and analysis of prey remains in feces to assess diet breadth and similarity. We found high spatial overlap and positive associations between detection of the carnivores lending little support for spatial segregation. Similarly, we found high nocturnal, temporal overlap between pumas and foxes that matched peaks in activity of prey. In contrast, we found relatively low dietary overlap indicating niche segregation likely occurs along the dietary axis. The Puma diet was dominated by introduced, exotic hares and foxes appeared to shift away from hares to rabbits, small mammals, and seeds. Given that lagomorphs are the main dietary resource for pumas in particular, management decisions regarding the control or eradication of such exotic species could negatively affected puma survival.

Genetic and morphological evidence for a new cryptic species of Ectinogonia (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) from central Chile

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4303 (2) ◽  
pp. 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
SIMÓN ANGUITA-SALINAS ◽  
RODRIGO M. BARAHONA-SEGOVIA ◽  
ELIE POULIN ◽  
ALVARO ZÚÑIGA-REINOSO
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Cryptic Species ◽  
Distance Matrix ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Genetic Distance Matrix ◽  
Coi Sequences

The genus Ectinogonia Spinola, 1837 is a genus mainly found in Chile; it currently contains 17 species. Recent exploration in the Andes Mountain Range of the Bio Bio Region in Chile have resulted in the collection of specimens slightly different morphologically from all previously described species. The aim of this paper is to describe this new species of Ectinogonia using morphological and genetic evidence. To establish differences between species we described the external morphology and compared it to species that are morphologically similar (i.e. E. buqueti Spinola 1837 and E. intermedia Kerremans 1903). We also measured the genetic differences in COI sequences, constructing a distance matrix in which we compared it to species that are morphologically similar (E. buqueti and E. intermedia) and other species found in the same region (E. speciosa oscuripennis Moore 1994). We found that E. cryptica sp. n. differs from E. buqueti (which previously contained E. cryptica sp. n.) in pronotum and elytral patterns. The genetic distance matrix shows that E. cryptica sp. n. differs by 4.6% from all other Ectinogonia species compared, supporting the morphological evidence. 

Effect of the Andes Cordillera on Precipitation from a Midlatitude Cold Front

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (9) ◽  
pp. 3092-3109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradford S. Barrett ◽  
RenéD. Garreaud ◽  
Mark Falvey
Keyword(s):  
Cold Front ◽  
Orographic Precipitation ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Frontal Surface ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Southeast Pacific ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
High Topography ◽  
Andes Cordillera

Abstract The effects of the Andes Cordillera, the major mountain range in South America, on precipitation patterns of baroclinic systems approaching from the southeast Pacific remain largely unstudied. This study focuses on a case in late May 2008 when an upper-level trough and surface cold front produced widespread precipitation in central Chile. The primary goal was to analyze the physical mechanisms responsible for the structure and evolution of the precipitation. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations indicate that as an upper-level trough approached central Chile, midtropospheric flow below 700 hPa was blocked by the high topography and deflected poleward in the form of a barrier jet. This northerly jet had wind maxima in excess of 15 m s−1, was centered around 925 hPa, and extended westward 200 km from the mountains. It intersected the cold front, which approached from the south near the coast, thereby increasing convergence along the frontal surface, slowing its equatorward progress, and enhancing rainfall over central Chile. Another separate region of heavy precipitation formed over the upwind slopes of the cordillera. A trajectory analysis confirmed that the barrier jet moved low-level parcels from their origin in the moist southeast Pacific boundary layer to the coast. When model topography was reduced to twenty percent of its original height, the cold front advanced more rapidly to the northeast, generated less precipitation in central Chile between 33° and 36°S, and produced minimal orographic precipitation on the upwind Andean slopes. Based on these findings, the high topography appears responsible for not only orographic precipitation but also for substantially increasing precipitation totals over the central coast and valley.

scholarly journals Using Mountain Lion Habitat Selection in Management

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Dellinger ◽  
B Cristescu ◽  
J Ewanyk ◽  
DJ Gammons ◽  
D Garcelon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Mountain Lions ◽  
Mountain Lion ◽  
Management And Conservation

© 2019 The Wildlife Society Wildlife agencies are generally tasked with managing and conserving species at state and local levels simultaneously. Thus, it is necessary for wildlife agencies to understand basic ecological processes of a given species at multiple scales to aid decision making at commensurately varied spatial and behavioral scales. Mountain lions (Puma concolor) occur throughout California, USA, and are at the center of a variety of management and conservation issues. For example, they are genetically and demographically at risk in 1 region yet apparently stable and negatively affecting endangered species in another. Currently, no formal plan exists for mountain lions in California to deal with these diverse scenarios involving issues of local mountain lion population viability and problems related to predation of endangered species. To facilitate development of a state-wide management and conservation plan, we quantified habitat selection by mountain lions at 2 spatial scales across the range of environmental conditions in which the species is found in California. Our analyses used location data from individuals (n = 263) collared across the state from 2001–2019. At the home range scale, mountain lions selected habitat to prioritize meeting energetic demands. At the within home range scale, mountain lions avoided areas of human activity. Further, our analyses revealed 165,350–170,085 km2, depending on season, of suitable mountain lion habitat in California. Fifty percent of the suitable habitat was on unprotected lands and thus vulnerable to development. These habitat selection models will help in the development of a state-wide conservation and management plan for mountain lions in California by guiding mountain lion population monitoring through time, prioritization of habitat to be conserved for maintaining demographic connectivity and gene flow, and efforts to mediate mountain lion-prey interactions. Our work and application area will help with wildlife policy and management decisions related to depredation problems at the local scale and issues of habitat connectivity at the statewide scale. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

scholarly journals Characterization of an Alsodes pehuenche breeding site in the Andes of central Chile

Herpetozoa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Alejandro Piñeiro ◽  
Pablo Fibla ◽  
Carlos López ◽  
Nelson Velásquez ◽  
Luis Pastenes
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
History Of ◽  
First Time

Alsodes pehuenche, an endemic anuran that inhabits the Andes of Argentina and Chile, is considered “Critically Endangered” due to its restricted geographical distribution and multiple potential threats that affect it. This study is about the natural history of A. pehuenche and the physicochemical characteristics of a breeding site located in the Maule mountain range of central Chile. Moreover, the finding of its clutches in Chilean territory is reported here for the first time. Finally, a description of the number and morphology of these eggs is provided.

scholarly journals Soil Quality Changes within a (Nothofagus obliqua) Forest Under Silvopastoral Management in the Andes Mountain Range, South Central Chile

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6815
Author(s):  
Juan Ortiz ◽  
Francis Dube ◽  
Pablo Neira ◽  
Marcelo Panichini ◽  
Neal B. Stolpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
South Central ◽  
Nothofagus Obliqua ◽  
Physical And Chemical

In Chile, 49.1% of the national territory is affected by soil degradation (including erosion and loss of soil organic matter), whereby of the 51.7 Mha that have been historically associated with agricultural-livestock and forestry activities, only 35.5 Mha are being used at the present. Consequently, soil degradation has resulted in the release of about 11.8 Gg yr−1 of carbon (C) equivalent (CO2eq) to the atmosphere. Silvopastoral systems (SPS), however, can increase soil organic C (SOC) through sequestration (C→SOC), improve ecosystem services, and have been internationally recommended for sustainable land use. Therefore, it was proposed to determine the effects of SPS on soils, over five years, in degraded sites that were located in the Ranchillo Alto (SPS-RA) (37°04′52″ S, 71°39′14″ W), Ñuble region. The sites were rated according to previous canopy disturbance levels (+) as follows: open (Op)+++, semi open (SOp)++, and semi closed (SC)+. The analysis was performed on different physical and chemical soil properties (0–5 and 5–20 cm depths), that were expressed as soil indicators (SIND) for chemical and physical properties, which were used to calculate a soil quality (SQ) index (SQI). The results indicated overall SQI values of 37.6 (SC) > 29.8 (Op) > 28.8 (SOp), but there were no significant variations (p < 0.05) in physical SQ, whereas chemical SQ varied in all conditions, mostly at 0–5 cm in Op and SOp. Increases of SOC were also observed (2015–2018 period) of 22.5, 14.5, and 4.8 Mg ha−1 for SOp, Op, and SC, respectively, showing that SPS promote the reclamation of Ranchillo Alto soils.

scholarly journals Using Mountain Lion Habitat Selection in Management

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Dellinger ◽  
B Cristescu ◽  
J Ewanyk ◽  
DJ Gammons ◽  
D Garcelon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Mountain Lions ◽  
Mountain Lion ◽  
Management And Conservation

© 2019 The Wildlife Society Wildlife agencies are generally tasked with managing and conserving species at state and local levels simultaneously. Thus, it is necessary for wildlife agencies to understand basic ecological processes of a given species at multiple scales to aid decision making at commensurately varied spatial and behavioral scales. Mountain lions (Puma concolor) occur throughout California, USA, and are at the center of a variety of management and conservation issues. For example, they are genetically and demographically at risk in 1 region yet apparently stable and negatively affecting endangered species in another. Currently, no formal plan exists for mountain lions in California to deal with these diverse scenarios involving issues of local mountain lion population viability and problems related to predation of endangered species. To facilitate development of a state-wide management and conservation plan, we quantified habitat selection by mountain lions at 2 spatial scales across the range of environmental conditions in which the species is found in California. Our analyses used location data from individuals (n = 263) collared across the state from 2001–2019. At the home range scale, mountain lions selected habitat to prioritize meeting energetic demands. At the within home range scale, mountain lions avoided areas of human activity. Further, our analyses revealed 165,350–170,085 km2, depending on season, of suitable mountain lion habitat in California. Fifty percent of the suitable habitat was on unprotected lands and thus vulnerable to development. These habitat selection models will help in the development of a state-wide conservation and management plan for mountain lions in California by guiding mountain lion population monitoring through time, prioritization of habitat to be conserved for maintaining demographic connectivity and gene flow, and efforts to mediate mountain lion-prey interactions. Our work and application area will help with wildlife policy and management decisions related to depredation problems at the local scale and issues of habitat connectivity at the statewide scale. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

scholarly journals Wintertime Precipitation Episodes in Central Chile: Associated Meteorological Conditions and Orographic Influences

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Falvey ◽  
René Garreaud
Keyword(s):  
Microwave Radiometer ◽  
Moisture Flux ◽  
Heavy Precipitation ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
Radiosonde Data ◽  
Precipitation Pattern ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Precipitation Gauge

Abstract Central Chile (32°–35°S) is a mountainous and densely populated strip of land between the South American Pacific coast and the main divide of the Andes, 5000 m in height. In this study, wintertime precipitation episodes in central Chile are characterized using precipitation gauge, river discharge, radiosonde, and Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) passive microwave radiometer observations over a 10-yr period (1993–2002). Precipitation episodes that typically occur as cold frontal rainstorms move over the region from west to east, within which the cross-mountain flow is blocked at lower levels. The influence of the Andes on the climatological precipitation pattern extends several hundred kilometers upstream of the coast. Over the mainland, the wintertime precipitation is most strongly related to the height of the mean topography surrounding the rain gauge sites, rather than the actual altitudes of the instruments, although higher-elevation locations are not well sampled by available rainfall observations. Between the coast and foothills of the Andes, the precipitation pattern is relatively uniform despite the complex coastal topography. On the western face of the Andes climatological enhancement factors of between 1 and 3 are inferred. Regression analysis against radiosonde data at a coastal site reveals that the precipitation is strongly related to the zonal (cross mountain) moisture flux. The strongest relationship is found when the moisture flux is multiplied by the relative humidity. This variable explains 50% of the variance in daily area average precipitation in central Chile and up to 60% of the variance in the daily precipitation recorded at individual stations. The factors contributing to events of heavy precipitation enhancement in the Andes were examined. Events of heavy, but isolated, precipitation in the Andes tend to occur in the warmer, prefrontal sector of approaching storms and are associated with unusually high moisture fluxes near to and above the crest of the mountain range. Strongly frontal episodes, characterized by widespread rainfall throughout central Chile, lead to variable, but on average rather weak, enhancement in the Andes.

Documentation et gestion du patrimoine archéologique de la chaîne montagneuse tuniso-libyenne via l'utilisation des nouvelles technologies : résultats préliminaires

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Héla Mekki
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Direct Evaluation ◽  
Nouvelles Technologies ◽  
Data Assessment ◽  
Conservation Plan ◽  
Indirect Evaluation ◽  
Management And Conservation

Abstract The mountain range formed by Jebels Matmata, Demmer and Nefoussa which links the two countries, Tunisia and Libya, is strewn with archaeological remains that are little known today, due in part to the rugged terrain which makes it difficult to see them. This issue has been helped by the use of new technologies, in this case remote sensing and QGIS software. Archaeological evidence has been uncovered and more than 3,900 sites and monuments have been detected on the sides of these mountains. In addition to the inventory of unknown archaeological sites, the main aim of the work was to draw up a management and conservation plan to provide, with an order of priority, a strategy for the safeguard and conservation of the mountain heritage. This management plan was only possible through a correlation of three data: assessment of values, identification of threats, and study of the state of conservation. These components were studied using an indirect evaluation based on satellite imagery and direct evaluation through field visits.

scholarly journals Quaternary Glaciations in the Andes of North-Central Chile

1975 ◽  
Vol 14 (70) ◽  
pp. 155-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesar N. Caviedes ◽  
Roland Paskoff
Keyword(s):  
Polar Front ◽  
Southern Andes ◽  
North Central ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Quaternary Glaciations ◽  
Chilean Andes

The extension of the Quaternary glaciations has been studied in the semi-arid Andes of north-central Chile, where the glacial modelling is striking. In the Elqui valley (lat. 30°S.), two glacial advances were identified reaching down to 3 100 m (Laguna glaciation) and 2 500 m (Tapado glaciation). In the Aconcagua valley (lat. 33°S.), moraines from three major glacial advances were found, at 2 800 m (Portillo glaciation), 1 600 m (Guardia Vieja glaciation) and 1 300 m (Salto del Soldado glaciation).The Quaternary glaciations were linked with a decrease of temperature, but more significantly with a marked increase of precipitation probably related to an equatorward shift of 5–6 degrees of the austral polar front. The results obtained in the semi-arid Chilean Andes are correlated with those recently reported from other sectors of the southern Andes.

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