Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina

Autores
Galende, Gladys I.; Raffaele, Estela
Año de publicación
2012
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a rock specialist that inhabits small colonies in isolated rocky outcrops of northwestern Patagonia. This study analyzes its diet selection in relation to food availability, establishes the degree of dietary specialization, and discusses the potential competition with exotic herbivores. Diet composition and food availability were determined in summer and winter in eight rocky outcrops by microhistological analysis of fecal pellets, and food availability was estimated by the Braun Blanquet cover abundance scale. Vegetation cover differences were detected by using a random analysis of variance (ANOVA) factorial block design, and dietary preferences were determined by the confidence interval of Bonferroni. The southern vizcacha showed a specialized feeding behavior despite the consumption of a wide variety of items. Their diet was concentrated on a few types of food, mainly grasses, and the trophic niche was narrow and without seasonal variations. In winter, when food was scarce and of lower quality than summer, diet was dominated by Stipa speciosa, suggesting a selection according to the selective quality hypothesis. Our results (narrow trophic niche, restricted activity near rocky outcrops, and a diet with high proportions of low-quality grasses) showed that the vizcacha is an obligatory dietary specialist, and these characteristics made it highly vulnerable to changes in food availability. In this scenario, overgrazing caused by alien species with similar diets, as the European hare and livestock, could negatively affect their colonies.
Fil: Galende, Gladys I.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Departamento de Zoología; Argentina
Fil: Raffaele, Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentina
Materia
Food Quality Hypothesis
Rocky Outcrops
Selectivity
Trophic Niche
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/73501
Acceder
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repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, ArgentinaGalende, Gladys I.Raffaele, EstelaFood Quality HypothesisRocky OutcropsSelectivityTrophic Nichehttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1The southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a rock specialist that inhabits small colonies in isolated rocky outcrops of northwestern Patagonia. This study analyzes its diet selection in relation to food availability, establishes the degree of dietary specialization, and discusses the potential competition with exotic herbivores. Diet composition and food availability were determined in summer and winter in eight rocky outcrops by microhistological analysis of fecal pellets, and food availability was estimated by the Braun Blanquet cover abundance scale. Vegetation cover differences were detected by using a random analysis of variance (ANOVA) factorial block design, and dietary preferences were determined by the confidence interval of Bonferroni. The southern vizcacha showed a specialized feeding behavior despite the consumption of a wide variety of items. Their diet was concentrated on a few types of food, mainly grasses, and the trophic niche was narrow and without seasonal variations. In winter, when food was scarce and of lower quality than summer, diet was dominated by Stipa speciosa, suggesting a selection according to the selective quality hypothesis. Our results (narrow trophic niche, restricted activity near rocky outcrops, and a diet with high proportions of low-quality grasses) showed that the vizcacha is an obligatory dietary specialist, and these characteristics made it highly vulnerable to changes in food availability. In this scenario, overgrazing caused by alien species with similar diets, as the European hare and livestock, could negatively affect their colonies.Fil: Galende, Gladys I.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Departamento de Zoología; ArgentinaFil: Raffaele, Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; ArgentinaPolish Academy of Sciences2012-10info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/73501Galende, Gladys I.; Raffaele, Estela; Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina; Polish Academy of Sciences; Acta Theriologica; 57; 4; 10-2012; 333-3410001-70512190-3743CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1007/s13364-012-0078-9info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13364-012-0078-9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-10-22T11:45:51Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/73501instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-10-22 11:45:51.301CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
title Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
spellingShingle Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
Galende, Gladys I.
Food Quality Hypothesis
Rocky Outcrops
Selectivity
Trophic Niche
title_short Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
title_full Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
title_fullStr Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
title_sort Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Galende, Gladys I.
Raffaele, Estela
author Galende, Gladys I.
author_facet Galende, Gladys I.
Raffaele, Estela
author_role author
author2 Raffaele, Estela
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Food Quality Hypothesis
Rocky Outcrops
Selectivity
Trophic Niche
topic Food Quality Hypothesis
Rocky Outcrops
Selectivity
Trophic Niche
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a rock specialist that inhabits small colonies in isolated rocky outcrops of northwestern Patagonia. This study analyzes its diet selection in relation to food availability, establishes the degree of dietary specialization, and discusses the potential competition with exotic herbivores. Diet composition and food availability were determined in summer and winter in eight rocky outcrops by microhistological analysis of fecal pellets, and food availability was estimated by the Braun Blanquet cover abundance scale. Vegetation cover differences were detected by using a random analysis of variance (ANOVA) factorial block design, and dietary preferences were determined by the confidence interval of Bonferroni. The southern vizcacha showed a specialized feeding behavior despite the consumption of a wide variety of items. Their diet was concentrated on a few types of food, mainly grasses, and the trophic niche was narrow and without seasonal variations. In winter, when food was scarce and of lower quality than summer, diet was dominated by Stipa speciosa, suggesting a selection according to the selective quality hypothesis. Our results (narrow trophic niche, restricted activity near rocky outcrops, and a diet with high proportions of low-quality grasses) showed that the vizcacha is an obligatory dietary specialist, and these characteristics made it highly vulnerable to changes in food availability. In this scenario, overgrazing caused by alien species with similar diets, as the European hare and livestock, could negatively affect their colonies.
Fil: Galende, Gladys I.. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Departamento de Zoología; Argentina
Fil: Raffaele, Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentina
description The southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) is a rock specialist that inhabits small colonies in isolated rocky outcrops of northwestern Patagonia. This study analyzes its diet selection in relation to food availability, establishes the degree of dietary specialization, and discusses the potential competition with exotic herbivores. Diet composition and food availability were determined in summer and winter in eight rocky outcrops by microhistological analysis of fecal pellets, and food availability was estimated by the Braun Blanquet cover abundance scale. Vegetation cover differences were detected by using a random analysis of variance (ANOVA) factorial block design, and dietary preferences were determined by the confidence interval of Bonferroni. The southern vizcacha showed a specialized feeding behavior despite the consumption of a wide variety of items. Their diet was concentrated on a few types of food, mainly grasses, and the trophic niche was narrow and without seasonal variations. In winter, when food was scarce and of lower quality than summer, diet was dominated by Stipa speciosa, suggesting a selection according to the selective quality hypothesis. Our results (narrow trophic niche, restricted activity near rocky outcrops, and a diet with high proportions of low-quality grasses) showed that the vizcacha is an obligatory dietary specialist, and these characteristics made it highly vulnerable to changes in food availability. In this scenario, overgrazing caused by alien species with similar diets, as the European hare and livestock, could negatively affect their colonies.
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012-10
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/73501
Galende, Gladys I.; Raffaele, Estela; Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina; Polish Academy of Sciences; Acta Theriologica; 57; 4; 10-2012; 333-341
0001-7051
2190-3743
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/73501
identifier_str_mv Galende, Gladys I.; Raffaele, Estela; Diet selection of the southern vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia): A rock specialist in north western Patagonian steppe, Argentina; Polish Academy of Sciences; Acta Theriologica; 57; 4; 10-2012; 333-341
0001-7051
2190-3743
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1007/s13364-012-0078-9
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13364-012-0078-9
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Polish Academy of Sciences
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Polish Academy of Sciences
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 12.982451

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