Feeding ecology of Ozotoceros bezoarticus: conservation implicationsin Uruguay Ecología trófica de Ozotoceros bezoarticus: implicaciones para su conservación en Uruguay
subject: diet, dieta, habitat use, mixed feeders, niche overlap, pampas deer, rumiantes intermedios, solapamiento de nicho, uso del hábitat, venado de campo
description: The pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus Linnaeus, 1758) was in the recent past one of the most characteristic species in the Uruguayan grasslands. However, today the species is very rare, with small relict populations inhabiting in few ranches. To improve our understanding of pampas deer habitat use in modified ecosystems and propose management guidelines we analyzed the pampas deer feeding ecology at Los Ajos ranch. We performed an annual vegetation survey with the purpose to identify the main components of pampas's deer diet and the spatial overlap with livestock. Vegetation offer was characterized by predominance of monocotyledon plants; in three of the four sample periods. The preference values for the crops were positive for ryegrass in winter (0.24) and spring (0.54), the moments of greatest productivity of this pasture; while the rice crops values were negative all year round. The spatial overlap indexes with sheep show a complete exclusion, whereas with cattle the indexes gave values of 0.95 in spring to 0.14 in summer. The niche amplitude was significantly correlated with the spatial overlap levels with cattle. Pampas deer foraging behaviour is opportunistic, typical of mixed feeders. Conservation efforts should focus on implementation of management guidelines of agriculture and cattle breeding activities.El venado de campo (Ozotoceros bezoarticus Linnaeus, 1758) fue en el pasado reciente una especie focal de las pasturas uruguayas. Sin embargo, hoy día es una especie rara, con pequeñas poblaciones aisladas que ocupan establecimientos agropecuarios. En este trabajo se analizan aspectos de la ecología trófica en una población de venado de campo. El objetivo es: comprender la interacción entre esta especie y un ecosistema modificado por la actividad agrícola-ganadera. Se busca así proponer medidas de manejo de la población y del ambiente que ocupa. En este trabajo se identifican los principales componentes de la dieta y el grado de solapamiento espacial con e…
creator: Mariana Cosse, Susana González, Mariano Gimenez-Dixon
source: Iheringia: Série Zoologia
publisher: Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul
date: 2009
relation: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212009000200007
coverage: Zoology