Guanacos (Lama guanicoe), a camelid native to South America, along with pumas (Puma concolor), are the main ecological actors of Patagonian landscapes. Most of the guanaco populations are sheltered in the 700,000 km2 of grassland and shrublands of the Patagonian steppe, an ecosystem long threatened by land use change, overgrazing and hunting. These human practices have resulted in displacement and reduction of guanaco populations to near 40% of its historical distribution. Our research aims to understand the basic spatial ecology of this disrupted species in a unique protected setting.
Monte Leon National Park is a livestock-free, hunting-free, protected reserve on the Atlantic coast of south Patagonia, Argentina. The reserve has an abundant guanaco population and a migratory penguin colony. Guanaco movement outside the park boundaries is limited by a highway and intensive ranching operations, which results in high poaching risk and forage competition. We used GPS-collar data from 29 guanacos and 5 pumas to investigate guanaco movement patterns and identify the main drivers of guanaco resource selection. We characterized temporal movement patterns, influence of anthropogenic linear features, and predation pressure over time.
Results/Conclusions
Preliminary results suggest varied movement strategies in guanacos, with some individuals showing marked daily movements between day and night sites, and strong movement restrictions due to linear features. We also found differences in puma predation patterns, with marine subsidies being a key food source for some individuals. This study is one of the few studies on guanaco populations using high temporal definition GPS data. It helps to uncover the main drivers of the movement ecology of these two species, and will be key for conservation and restoration efforts in the Patagonian steppe.