Habitats selected by the endangered Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) – implications for conservation
F. García Erize A and I. E. Gómez Villafañe B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
B Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones, Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Instituto IEGEBA (Conicet – UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
C Corresponding author. Email: isabelgv@ege.fcen.uba.ar
Emu 116(4) 379-386 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU15124
Submitted: 3 December 2015 Accepted: 10 May 2016 Published: 12 September 2016
Abstract
The abundance and spatial distribution of species are influenced by the distribution and availability of resources. The objective of this study was to evaluate habitat selection by a wild population of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in El Palmar National Park, Entre Ríos, Argentina, and the adjacent agroecosystem. Sightings and signs (i.e. faeces, footprints) of Rheas and environmental variables were recorded every 45 days from April 2011 to March 2012 at 51 sites. The associations between the habitat selected by Rheas and landscape elements were analysed by means of generalised linear mixed models and generalised linear models. A total of 301 sightings were made, at 57% of the sampling sites. Habitat use was linked with environmental variables but differed with time of year (breeding vs non-breeding season). For much of the year, Rheas selected sites with a simple landscape structure, open and low vegetation, such as grasslands, crops and firebreaks, which facilitate movements of birds, and near waterbodies. In the breeding season, Rheas selected dense grassland sites. To manage and conserve this species, it is recommended that areas of open grassland free of shrubs are preserved and expanded and that grassland corridors are created to connect fragmented patches of grassland.
Additional keywords: GIS, national parks, spatial use, wild species, wildlife management.
References
APN (1994). Plan de manejo preliminar del Parque Nacional El Palmar. Administración de Parques Nacionales, Entre Rios, Argentina.ESRI (1999). ‘ArcView GIS.’ Version 3.2. (Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.: Redlands, CA.)
Austin, M. (2007). Species distribution models and ecological theory: a critical assessment and some possible new approaches. Ecological Modelling 200, 1–19.
| Species distribution models and ecological theory: a critical assessment and some possible new approaches.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Baldi, G., Guerschman, J. P., and Paruelo, J. M. (2006). Characterizing fragmentation in temperate South America grasslands. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 116, 197–208.
| Characterizing fragmentation in temperate South America grasslands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bates, D., Maechler, M., Bolker, B., and Walker, S. (2015). Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software 67, 1–48.
| Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Batista, W. B., Rolhauser, A. G., Biganzoli, F., Burkart, S. E., Goveto, L., Maranta, A., Pignataro, A. G., Morandeira, N. S., and Rabadán, M. (2014). Las comunidades vegetales de la sabana del Parque Nacional El Palmar (Argentina). Darwiniana 2, 5–38.
| Las comunidades vegetales de la sabana del Parque Nacional El Palmar (Argentina).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bazzano, G., Martella, M. B., Navarro, J., Bruera, N., and Corbella, C. (2002). Uso de hábitat por el ñandú (Rhea americana) en un Refugio de Vida Silvestre: implicancias para la conservación y manejo de la especie. Ornitologia Neotropical 13, 9–15.
Bellis, L. M., Martella, M. B., and Navarro, J. L. (2004a). Habitat use by wild and captive-reared Greater Rheas Rhea americana in agricultural landscapes in Argentina. Oryx 38, 304–310.
| Habitat use by wild and captive-reared Greater Rheas Rhea americana in agricultural landscapes in Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bellis, L. M., Martella, M. B., Navarro, J. L., and Vignolo, P. E. (2004b). Home range of Greater and Lesser Rhea in Argentina: relevance to conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation 13, 2589–2598.
| Home range of Greater and Lesser Rhea in Argentina: relevance to conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bilenca, D., and Miñarro, F. (2004). Identificación de áreas valiosas de pastizal en las pampas y campos de Argentina, Uruguay y sur de Brasil. Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, Buenos Aires.
Blake, E. R. (1977). ‘Manual of Neotropical Birds.’ (University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL.)
Bouzat, J. L. (2001). The population genetic structure of the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in an agricultural landscape. Biological Conservation 99, 277–284.
| The population genetic structure of the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in an agricultural landscape.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Carro, M. E., and Fernández, G. J. (2008). Seasonal variation in social organisation and diurnal activity budget of the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in the Argentinean Pampas. Emu 108, 167–173.
| Seasonal variation in social organisation and diurnal activity budget of the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in the Argentinean Pampas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Codesido, M., González-Fischer, C., and Bilenca, D. (2011). Distributional changes of landbird species in agroecosystems of central Argentina. Condor 113, 266–273.
| Distributional changes of landbird species in agroecosystems of central Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Codesido, M., González-Fischer, C. M., and Bilenca, D. N. (2012). Agricultural land-use, avian nesting and rarity in the Pampas of central Argentina. Emu 112, 46–54.
| Agricultural land-use, avian nesting and rarity in the Pampas of central Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Comparatore, V., and Yagueddú, C. (2007). Diet of the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in an agroecosystem of the Flooding Pampa, Argentina. Ornitologia Neotropical 18, 187–194.
Crawley, M. J. (1993). ‘GLIM for Ecologists.’ (Blackwell Scientific Publications: Oxford, UK.)
de Azevedo, C. S., Ferraz, J. B., Tinoco, H. P., Young, R. J., and Rodrigues, M. (2010). Time–activity budget of Greater Rheas (Rhea americana, Aves) on a human-disturbed area: the role of habitat, time of the day, season and group size. Acta Ethologica 13, 109–117.
| Time–activity budget of Greater Rheas (Rhea americana, Aves) on a human-disturbed area: the role of habitat, time of the day, season and group size.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
De María, M. (1994). Efecto de las actividades agropecuarias sobre las poblaciones del Ñandú. Evaluaciones y pautas de manejo. Master’s Thesis, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.
del Hoyo, J., and Elliot, A. (1992). In ‘Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks’. (Eds J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott and J. Sargatal.) (Lynx Edicions: Barcelona.)
Di Giacomo, A. S., and Abril, M. S. (2005). Áreas importantes para la conservación de las aves en la Argentina: sitios prioritarios para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Aves Argentinas and Asociación Ornitológica del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Elkie, P. C., Rempel, R. S., Carr, A. P., Kushneriuk, R., and Elliot, J. (1999). ‘Patch Analyst 2.2.’ (Sustainable Forest Management Network, and Center for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, University of Alberta: Alberta, Canada.) Available at http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~rrempel/patch/ [Verified 29 February 2016].
Filloy, J., and Bellocq, M. I. (2007). Respuesta de las aves rapaces al uso de la tierra: un enfoque regional. El hornero 22, 131–140.
Giordano, P. F., Bellis, L. M., Navarro, J. L., and Martella, M. B. (2008). Abundance and spatial distribution of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in two sites on the pampas grasslands with different land use Bird Conservation International 18, 63–70.
| Abundance and spatial distribution of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in two sites on the pampas grasslands with different land useCrossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Giordano, P. F., Navarro, J. L., and Martella, M. B. (2010). Building large-scale spatially explicit models to predict the distribution of suitable habitat patches for the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), a near-threatened species. Biological Conservation 143, 357–365.
| Building large-scale spatially explicit models to predict the distribution of suitable habitat patches for the Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), a near-threatened species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Goveto, L., Batista, W. B., and Aguiar, M. R. (2005). Ocurrencia histórica de fuegos en la sabana del Parque Nacional El Palmar: evidencias climáticas y florísticas. Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Herrera, L., Comparatore, V., and Laterra, P. (2004). Habitat relations of Rhea americana in an agroecosystem of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Biological Conservation 119, 363–369.
| Habitat relations of Rhea americana in an agroecosystem of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
IUCN (2016). ‘The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.’ Available at www.iucnredlist.org (IUCN Global Species Programme Red List Unit: Cambridge, UK) [Verified 5 July 2016].
Juan, E. E., Bazzano, G., Navarro, J. L., and Martella, M. B. (2013). Space use by wild Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) in a relict grassland of central Argentina during the non-breeding season El Hornero 28, 1–6.
Legendre, P., and Legendre, L. (1998). ‘Numerical Ecology.’ 2nd edn. (Elsevier Science: Amsterdam.)
López, L. (2006). Áreas de importancia para la conservación de aves en Argentina. Ecosistemas 15, 121–125.
López-Lanús, B., Grilli, P., Coconier, E., Di Giacomo, A., and Banchs, R. (2008). Categorización de las aves de la Argentina según su estado de conservación. Informe de Aves Argentinas and AOP y Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Maitz, W. E., and Dickman, C. R. (2001). Competition and habitat use in native Australian Rattus: is competition intense, or important? Oecologia 128, 526–538.
| Competition and habitat use in native Australian Rattus: is competition intense, or important?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Martella, M. B., and Navarro, J. L. (2006). Proyecto ñandu. Manejo de Rhea americana y R. pennata en la Argentina. In ‘Manejo de Fauna Silvestre enla Argentina. Programas de uso Sustentable’. (Eds M. L. Bolkovic and D. Ramadori.) pp. 39–50. (Dirección de Fauna Silvestre, Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable: Buenos Aires.)
Martella, M. B., Navarro, J. L., Gonnet, J. M., and Monge, S. A. (1996). Diet of Greater Rheas in an agroecosystem of central Argentina. Journal of Wildlife Management 60, 586–592.
| Diet of Greater Rheas in an agroecosystem of central Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McCullagh, P., and Nelder, J. A. (1989). ‘Generalized Linear Models.’ (Chapman and Hall: Washington, DC.)
Morris, D. W. (1996). Coexistence of specialist and generalist rodents via habitat selection. Ecology 77, 2352–2364.
| Coexistence of specialist and generalist rodents via habitat selection.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nicholls, A. (1991). Examples of the use of generalised linear models in analysis of survey data for conservation evaluation. In ‘Nature Conservation: Cost Effective Biological Surveys and Data Analysis’. (Eds C.R. Margules and M. P. Austin.) pp. 54–63. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
R Core Team. (2013). ‘R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing:Vienna, Austria.) Available at http://www.R-project.org [Verified 1 June 2016].
Reboreda, J. C., and Fernández, G. J. (2005). Estudios sobre ecología del comportamiento del ñandú, Rhea americana. (Fundación para la Conservación de las Especies y Medio Ambiente (FUCEMA): Buenos Aires, Argentina.) Available at http://www.fucema.org.ar/pdf/fyf_comportamiento_nadu.pdf [Verified 7 June 2016].
Roldán, V. A., Rossi Fraire, H., Navarro, J. L., Gardenal, C. N., and Martella, M. B. (2009). Genetic structure of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) populations in two regions with different land-uses in central Argentina. Emu 109, 214–221.
| Genetic structure of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) populations in two regions with different land-uses in central Argentina.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ruiz Selmo, F. E., Minotti, P. G., Scopel, A., and Parimbelli, M. (2007). Análisis de la heterogeneidad fisonómico-funcional de la vegetación del Parque Nacional El Palmar y su relación con la invasión por leñosas exóticas. In ‘Teledetección – Hacia un mejor entendimiento de la dinámica global y regional’. (Eds R. Rivas, A. Grisotto, M. Sacido) pp. 257–263. (Martin: Buenos Aires) Available at http://www.aet.org.es/congresos/xii/arg34.pdf [Verified 11 July 2016].
Turner, M. G., and Gardner, R. H. (Eds). (1991). ‘Quantitative Methods in Landscape Ecology.’ (Springer: New York.)
Venables, W. N., and Ripley, B. D. (2002). ‘Modern Applied Statistics with S.’ (Springer: New York.)
Zar, J. H. (1996). ‘Biostatistical Analysis.’ 3rd edn. (Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.)
Zuur, A.F., Ieno, E. N., Walker, N., Saveliev, A. A., and Smith, G. M. (2009). ‘Mixed Effects Models and Extensions in Ecology with R.’ (Springer: New York.)