Stella M. Giannoni

CIGEOBIO-Universidad Nacional de San Juan · Departamento de Biologia

Limited knowledge exists about rock outcrops in Argentina, especially in the Puna ecoregion. This study investigated small and medium-sized mammal diversity using caves and crevices in Desert Puna’s rocky areas. Three rock outcrop sites, >1 km apart at Don Carmelo Reserve, were equipped with five camera traps each. Monitoring spanned 34 days (dry s...

Roads are among the most frequent generators of anthropogenic disturbances. Due to the extensive area that is affected along them, these infrastructures represent a major conservation concern worldwide. Ants are an important component of natural ecosystems and are considered very sensitive to disturbance. The National Road 150 forms part of the Cen...

The distribution of Digitonthophagus gazella in Argentina is updated. A total of 246 individuals were captured between 2012 and 2022, through different techniques, including manual collection, light traps, and baited pitfall traps. The species is present in ten provinces, six of which are first records. In addition, D. gazella was recorded for the...

Linear infrastructures such as roads are among the most frequent generators of anthropogenic disturbances. Due to the expensive area that is affected along them, these great infrastructures represent a major conservation concern worldwide. Ants are an important component of natural ecosystems and are considered to be very sensitive to disturbance....

Linear infrastructures such as roads are among the most frequent generators of anthropogenic disturbances. Due to the expensive area that is affected along them, these great infrastructures represent a major conservation concern worldwide. Ants are an important component of natural ecosystems and are considered to be very sensitive to disturbance....

The main driver of biodiversity loss and subsequent decreases in ecosystem functionality is undeniably human interference, destruction and encroachment. The creation and establishment of protected areas serve as tools for guaranteeing biodiversity conservation. In this study, we examined the diversity of medium- and large-sized mammals and flightle...

R������. Las parcelas forestales permanentes son áreas de muestreo donde se registran periódicamente la identidad, abundancia y tamaño de los árboles, para estudiar cómo cambian los bosques en relación con el clima, los disturbios naturales y los usos y manejos. Hasta hoy, los patrones de cambio observados con parcelas permanentes en la Argentina t...

Un desierto puede parecer un vasto espacio vacío, pero hay mucha vida entre la arena y las rocas. Las plantas y animales pueden sobrevivir en este ambiente hostil, gracias a las adaptaciones que poseen para soportar el intenso calor durante el verano, el intenso frío en el invierno y la sequía. Las precipitaciones son escasas, la media anual de llu...

The mara is a large endemic rodent, which presents a marked decline in its populations, mainly because of habitat loss, hunting, and overgrazing. The Ischigualasto Provincial Park is a hyper-arid protected area at the Monte Desert of Argentina with an overall low plant cover. Our objective was to determine the influence of environmental variables a...

Leucism appears in various groups of vertebrates, although it is rare in mammals. For Argentina, we do not know of any documented registry for small rodents. The objective of our work is to report the first cases of leucism in cricetid rodents in the Puna Desert of Argentina. Field work was carried out in the Multiple Use Provincial Reserve Don Car...

The effects of roads on natural environments have been studied in many places around the world. The presence of roads can be considered for native animals as a disturbance stimulus. Besides, roads can facilitate arrival and entry of alien species, such as domestic and feral ungulates, which sometimes compete with native species. Due to this, we ass...

Although the collared peccary has a wide distribution, the species in Argentina is categorized as vulnerable due to decreasing populations. In this work, the presence of collared peccary is confirmed in Ischigualasto Provincial Park (IPP). We observed a group of seven individuals, and two separate individuals were registered using camera traps. The...

El Proceso de Categorización de los Mamíferos de Argentina 2019 se inició formalmente el 9 de octubre de 2017 con la firma de un Convenio Marco de Colaboración y Cooperación y el Acta Acuerdo Nº 1, entre el entonces MAyDS (actual SGAyDS) y la SAREM. A través de la Resolución 772/17 se aprobaron oficialmente el Convenio y Carta Acuerdo y la financia...

Roads can affect animals as well as their habits at different levels. Avoidance behavior is a common response of animals to this type of perturbation, preventing access to areas rich in resources. The effects of roads on ungulates have not been studied in South America extensively, especially in arid environments. We have studied the space use by u...

En Sudamérica los desiertos ocupan una importante extensión, llegando a cubrir en Argentina el 69% de su superficie. Si bien los micromamíferos del desierto del Monte han sido objeto de numerosos estudios, no ha ocurrido lo mismo con los micromamíferos de los desiertos de altura. Por este motivo, los objetivos de este trabajo fueron analizar la abu...

Ramorinoa girolae Speg. (chica) is an endemic tree species which belongs to the Argentinian xerophyte flora. This species constitutes an appreciated forest resource for local people due to its fruits (a substantial basis of the diet of local communities) and its timber (one of the hardest woods). Moreover, chica was pointed as a vulnerable species...

Ramorinoa girolae Speg. (chica) is an endemic tree species which belongs to the Argentinian xerophyte flora. This species constitutes an appreciated forest resource for local people due to its fruits (a substantial basis of the diet of local communities) and its timber (one of the hardest woods). Moreover, chica was pointed as a vulnerable species...

Las zonas áridas se caracterizan por poseer condiciones medioambientales particulares como escasa humedad, alta radiación solar y fluctuaciones térmicas pronunciadas. Estas condiciones imponen fuertes restricciones limitando la distribución de especies. En éstas áreas, los árboles son componentes importantes ya que generan microhábitats bajo su dos...

Los desiertos de la Patagonia, la Puna y el Monte representan ~60% de la superficie de Argentina, siendo el Monte el más diverso en especies, extendiéndose desde Salta hasta Chubut. Las hormigas son uno de los taxones de invertebrados ecológicamente más importantes en ambientes desérticos. Sin embargo muy poco se conoce sobre ellas en el desierto d...

La actividad de las hormigas varía en función de factores bióticos y abióticos a lo largo del día y del año. En los desiertos, la temperatura toma particular relevancia ya que son sistemas con amplias variaciones térmicas diarias y estacionales. Las hormigas suelen tener claras preferencias para forrajear en función de la temperatura del suelo. Las...

Integrating field-based and remotely sensed data has proven valuable for assessing on-the-ground diversity of plants across a range of spatial scales. Here we assessed whether remotely sensed data is a good indicator of vegetation composition and structure in dry, Prosopis flexuosa-dominated woodlands. Our objectives were (1) to quantify on-the-gro...

Deforestation and over-grazing mediated by the humans have caused a serious process of desertification in the Argentine Monte Desert, which threats biodiversity of this ecosystem. Forests provide important resources and refuge for animal species, such as ants. The objective of this work was to survey the ant fauna of dryland forests of Ischigualast...

Cada vez es más frecuente que las comunidades de herbívoros estén compuestas por especies nativas y exóticas. Las especies exóticas, con una historia reciente de coexistencia entre ellas y con las especies nativas, presentarían menos estrategias de reparto de recursos que las especies nativas, que co-evolucionaron juntas y establecieron relaciones...

The communities of herbivores are more frequently composed of native and exotic species. Exotic species, with a recent history of co-occurrence among them and with native species, would exhibit less resource distribution strategies than native species, which co-evolved together establishing relationships between them and their environment. Aiming t...

Animals may divert time and energy in similar ways in the presence of predators, humans or landscape infrastructures. Roads have facilitated the economic and social development of human populations. Nevertheless their presence and human use cause environmental changes, such as clearing, which increase perception of predation risk. Among the respons...

The effects of poaching on wildlife have been widely studied in conservation biology and can be heterogeneous, particularly on ungulates. These effects can be estimated through different methodologies whose use depends on several conditions such as Flight-initiation distance (FID). Our objectives were: 1- to evaluate whether poaching affects the FI...

Dominant woody vegetation in arid ecosystems support different species of plants and animals largely dependent on the continued existence of these habitats for their survival. The chica (Ramorinoa girolae) is a woody leguminous tree endemic to central-western Argentina and categorized as vulnerable. We evaluated 1) richness of plants, birds and mam...

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1442-9993/earlyview

El Parque Provincial Ischigualasto (PPI) es un área protegida ubicada al nordeste de la Provincia de San Juan, Argentina (30º 05’S - 67º 55’O). Tiene una superficie aproximada de 63.000 ha abarcando las ecoregiones del Monte de Sierras y Bolsones y del Chaco Seco. Sus características climáticas (altas temperaturas y bajas precipitaciones) y las con...

Desert areas represent heterogeneous environments where animals must reproduce under extreme conditions, and where a combination of environmental factors may contribute to trigger or inhibit reproduction. Microcavia australis is a caviomorph rodent that occurs in arid and semiarid habitats of Argentina. We examined how reproductive activity in male...

En este tomo II se presentan los contenidos de la fase propositiva del Plan de Manejo, es decir los vinculados al ordenamiento del territorio y la gestión del área. Este tomo II se enfoca básicamente en la definición de tres contenidos neurálgicos para la gobernanza del PNPI: 1. La zonificación; 2. Los programas de gestión y 3. El estatuto jurídico...

Rocky habitats have a particular microclimate and a highly complex structure, providing sites that mammals can use as dens or as nesting sites to raise their young. The complex topography of these habitats also favors water retention, thereby promoting growth of plants. The viscacha rat (Octomys mimax; Rodentia, Octodontidae) is a rock-dwelling hys...

PLAN DE MANEJO DEL PARQUE NATURAL PROVINCIAL ISCHIGUALASTO, Patrimonio Natural de la Humanidad – Provincia de San Juan, ARGENTINA. TOMO I, Caracterización y Diagnóstico. Actualización 2015. El presente Plan de Manejo (PM) del Parque Natural Provincial Ischigualasto (PNPI) surge como parte del proceso de actualización del PM, que fuera elaborado en...

QuestionsCan the species–environment relationship be understood using current remote sensing techniques? Can the derived indicators of remotely sensed data serve as a proxy for variables that affect habitat suitability of plant species? Which remote sensing predictors are best associated with woody species occurrence in a desert environment? How we...

COURTSHIP AND COPULATION OF ANANDEANCONDOR(VULTUR GRYPHUS) PAIR IN A FEEDING AREA.— Courtship and copulation behaviour of the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) has been described mainly based on observations of captive individuals. This work contributes to the knowledge of this behaviour in the wild, providing the first record for Argentina of copulat...

Courtship and copulation behaviour of the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) has been described mainly based on observations of captive individuals. This work contributes to the knowledge of this behaviour in the wild, providing the first record for Argentina of copulation in a feeding area. © 2014 Association Ornitologica del Plata. All rights reserve...

A rocky habitat, in its broadest sense, may be described as any locality that contains boulders, rocks, scree, pebbles, outcrops, cliffs, or caves. In these habitats, mammals find shelter sites that they use as nesting sites or dens to raise their young in a stable microclimate that is relatively secure from predators. The aim of this study was to...

In the framework of the National Law on Minimum Budgets for the Environmental Protection of Native Forests (2009), projects are being implemented in Argentina that point to native forest enrichment, restoration, conservation and sustainable use and management. The present project, entitled “Chica, retamo and algarrobo: umbrella species for conserva...

2009), se llevan a cabo en Argentina proyectos que apuntan al enriquecimiento, restauración, conservación, aprovechamiento y manejo sostenible de los bosques nativos. El presente trabajo se enmarca en el proyecto " La chica, el retamo y el algarrobo: especies paraguas para la conservación del Bosque Nativo del Parque Provincial Ischigualasto. Inter...

The viscacha rat Octomys mimax is endemic to western Argentina; it inhabits lowland deserts and uses rocky crevices as resting sites. The aim of this study was to assess macrohabitat selection relative to the occurrence of rocky crevices and to evaluate seasonal variations in macrohabitats selected by this rodent in Ischigualasto Provincial Park,...

The viscacha rat (Octomys mimax; Rodentia, Octodontidae) belongs to a monotypic genus endemic to western Argentina and inhabits lowland deserts with abundant rocks and ravines. Our objectives were 1) to determine the attributes of crevices (depth, height, width, entrance orientation, and rock color) that influence selection by the viscacha rat; 2)...

The viscacha rat (Octomys mimax; Rodentia, Octodontidae) belongs to a monotypic genus endemic to western Argentina and inhabits lowland deserts with abundant rocks and ravines. Our objectives were 1) to determine the attributes of crevices (depth, height, width, entrance orientation, and rock color) that infl uence selection by the viscacha rat; 2)...

The present study aims at improving the characterization of the dietary status of four sigmodontine rodents (Graomys griseoflavus, Akodon molinae, Calomys musculinus and Eligmodontia typus) by quantifying the major food categories (leaves, stems, seeds, Prosopis flexuosa pods, and arthopods) with a modified microhistological technique. The use of t...

Hoarding food is an important strategy of rodents in desert environments characterized by unpredict- able and poor food resource availability. In the Monte Desert, Prosopis produces abundant food, unevenly in time and space, in the form of pods and seeds. Sigmodontine rodents (Graomys griseoflavus,Akodon molinae, Eligmodontia typus and Calomys musc...

As medium-sized herbivores, the exotic Lepus europaeus (European hare) and the native Dolichotis pata- gonum (mara) have been considered ecological equivalents. These species coexist in Ischigualasto Provincial Park, a hyper-arid ecosystem with scarce food resources. Our ob- jective was to evaluate diet composition, relationship be- tween diets and...

Las especies de Prosopis son consideradas claves en los ecosistemas áridos y semiáridos por las numerosas interacciones que mantienen con el resto de los seres vivos y el ambiente físico. En el presente trabajo se hizo una revisión del papel de los animales en el consumo de propágulos de algarrobo y las consecuencias de esta relación en el ciclo de...

The Central Bioceanic Corridor is a road that will link ports on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. In Argentina, the road traverses the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, an arid ecosystem inhabited by endangered species. The Corridor will have effects owing to increased and new vehicle traffic along road sections within the Park and to higher use of th...

The distribution and ecology of the pink fairy armadillo Chlamyphorus truncatus, the world's smallest armadillo, are poorly understood due largely to the strictly subterranean habits of this species. We compiled records from the literature, museum and private collections, information from rural people, and researchers to update the species' current...

Naturalized herbivores can cause the extinction of native plant through their effect on plant reproduction, and can compete for the use of resources with native herbivores. In Ischigualasto Provincial Park, we assessed the effect of feral donkey's herbivory on columnar cacti Echinpsis terscheckii and the potential overlapping in the use of food res...

In group‐living species, the development of agonistic interactions among conspecifics may be affected by socio‐ecological factors, such as size and composition of social group, and availability of nests and food. We analysed the importance of size and composition of social groups on agonistic interactions among males in the Southern mountain cavy (...

The fate of Prosopis flexuosa seeds dispersed by cattle is dependant on the spatial pattern of dung deposition and foraging movements. We hypothesised that cattle-use site classes explain the response variables related to seed input and fate of seeds, seedlings and saplings (small plants more than one year old). We defined sites with heavy cattle t...

Defining plant communities in desert zones is difficult due to large scale homogeneity and small scale heterogeneity, thus making provision of systematic information for conservation decisions problematic. We analysed plant communities of the most arid sector of Monte Desert for structure, plant composition and environmental variables. Small-scale...

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare vigilance behavior and intermittent locomotion at two sites (El Leoncito and Ñacuñán, Argentina) that differ in predation risk, plant structure, and plant resource availability. Subjects were lesser cavies (Microcavia australis), a social species that is semi-fossorial, diurnal, and native to South A...

Habitat selection in deserts is mainly modulated by the availability of resources. The basic hypotheses regarding coexistence of species in arid environments offer two possibilities: 1) coexisting species partition available resources (each species acting as a specialist) and 2) generalists coexist with specialists because the former use habitats w...

Octomys mimax O. Thomas, 1920, the viscacha rat, is a surface-dwelling rodent, endemic to the Monte biome of western Argentina. The genus Octomys is monotypic and represents a basal clade within the family Octodontidae. O. mimax is strictly herbivorous and is found in low-elevation arid environments characterized by galleries or rock formations. In...

Defining plant communities in desert zones is difficult due to large scale homogeneity and small scale heterogeneity, thus making provision of systematic information for conservation decisions problematic. We analysed plant communities of the most arid sector of Monte Desert for structure, plant composition and environmental variables. Small-scale...

aim of this study is to describe the environment within the Monte where we located the species. This study was conduce in the Monte Desert of San Juan (Argentina) in four sites: -Matagusanos: mesquite woods (Prosopis flexuosa) and slimy clay soil;- El Leoncito: creosote bush scrub (Larrea nitida) and sandy silt soil; -La Cienaga: mesquite bush (P....

Burrows provide a stable microclimate and give small mammals protection from extreme temperatures and from predators on the ground surface. The objective was to determine the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the structure of burrows used by the cavy Microcavia australis. The study was conducted on two sites with different climate conditio...

Burrows provide a stable microclimate and give small mammals protection from extreme temperatures and from predators on the ground surface. The objective was to determine the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the structure of burrows used by the cavy Microcavia australis. The study was conducted on two sites with different climate conditio...

Several rodent species engage in group living, meaning that individuals share nests, resting places, and range areas. Establishing how group living varies across species is critical for comparative studies to examine the origin and the adaptive value of this behavior. Comparative approaches are more powerful when a diverse array of taxonomic groups...

Mammalian herbivores can play a role in the endozoochorous dispersal of Prosopis seeds in the arid zones of Argentina, and the introduction of exotic mammals can change relevant parameters of the plant's reproductive ecology. Our specific goals were to quantify the seeds of Prosopis flexuosa, P. chilensis and P. torquata contained in the faeces of...

The antipredator response of rodents may depend on the species of predator and the structure of the vegetation. To investigate these effects, we compared the antipredator response of Microcavia australis to two predator models. We used two populations occurring at sites of the Monte desert that differ in plant structure and availability, and in pre...

Rodents from arid and semi-arid deserts are faced with the problem of water conservation. The physiological responses of small rodents to such conditions have been intensively investigated over broad geographically disjunct areas. Despite the presence of xeric habitats in South America since the late Tertiary, some studies suggest that sigmodontine...

Toda la información disponible sobre la historia de vida de Microcavia australis corresponde a zonas de transición Espinal-Monte y al Monte templado de Mendoza, y no existen referencias para otras zonas del Monte ni de la Puna. En este trabajo se presentan evidencias de la presencia de M. australis a alturas superiores a los 2500 m, altura límite c...

We examined the removal of Prosopis flexuosa pods by small rodents, and addressed four specific questions: (1) do Monte Desert small rodents remove mesquite pods? (2) if they do, do they store them above-ground? (3) how far are pods carried? and (4) what condition are removed pods and seeds in? We carried out the experiments in March 2000 and June...

En San Guillermo se ha confirmado la presencia de 18 mamíferos autóctonos y 3 mamíferos exóticos. Entre los mamíferos autóctonos se ha confirmado que la especie de Ctenomys tradicionalmente asignada al Parque Nacional San Guillermo: Ctenomys fulvus, no se encuentra distribuida en el área de San Guillermo, siendo la especie de Ctenomys relacionada c...

We examined the spatial and social structure of a high-altitude population of the scarcely known southern mountain cavy (Microcavia australis) in Argentina. We used radiotelemetry techniques to monitor nest use at night and daily home ranges and examine whether southern mountain cavies form nesting associations that are socially cohesive groups. We...

Locally, mammalian herbivores may have significant effects on the abundance and fitness of plant species. This study focuses on the interaction between cuises (Microcavia australis -Rodentia-) and creosote bush (Larrea cuneifolia -Zygophyllacea-), which is a widespread and ecologically dominant evergreen shrub in the Monte Desert of Argentina. Spec...

The present study aims at improving the characterization of the dietary status of four sigmodontine rodents (Graomys griseoflavus, Akodon molinae, Calomys musculinus and Eligmodontia typus) by quantifying the major food categories (leaves, stems, seeds, Prosopis flexuosa pods, and arthopods) with a modified microhistological technique. The use of t...

The relationships between a geophyte (Merendera montana (L.) Lange – Liliaceae) and a mole-vole (Microtus duodecimcostatus de Slys-Longchamps) in the Spanish Pyrenees were investigated by analysing plant density, asexual reproductive strategies, and chemical composition of M. montana, and by observing the feeding behavior of M. duodecimcostatus in...

Abstract In desert areas, predation risk is one of the highest costs of foraging and is a major influence on animal behaviour. Several strategies are used by foragers for surviving and reproducing in desert areas. The foraging strategies of the small mammals of South American deserts are still poorly known. In this study, we investigated the foragi...

Modes of locomotion and escape tactics are attributes that affect the structure of animal communities, promoting exploitation of different microhabitats and the coexistence of different species. Bipedal locomotion is considered to be more effective than a quadrupedal gait in escaping attacks by predators because it allows for higher speed, a faster...

The red viscacha rat, Tympanoctomys barrerae, is an octodontid rodent endemic to the Monte and Patagonian deserts of Argentina. It lives in burrows with numerous portals facing different directions. We studied climatic factors as possible determinants of burrow architecture and portal orientation, in 2 populations. Climatic factors examined were su...

The variation in eye size in subterranean mammals reflects the effect of differ-ent selection pressures: A strong selection pressure for smaller eyes in some groups, and the absence of factors favoring selection toward a visual system, or the net effects of the costs of retaining large eyes versus the benefits of maintaining visual acuity in others...

Food storage is an important adaptation of several animal species to the temporally variable or unpredictable food supplies that are typical of desert environments. In the present study, whether Eligmodontia typus and Graomys griseoflavus inhabiting sand dunes in the Monte desert displayed scatter-hoarding was investigated. Both rodent species prep...

Herbivory by medium-sized rodents is of great importance in Monte Desert communities. In this paper we study changes in the plant cover, plant composition and diversity in two creosotebush communities of the Monte Desert induced by the herbivorous subterranean rodent Ctenomys sp. (tuco-tuco). We studied two sites: a community where only Larrea diva...

Microhistological analysis has become the most commonly used and successful method for determining micromammal diets. However, this technique has a number of limitations, particularly when used on fecal samples where identification of some items is difficult. This method underestimates those nearly unrecognizable plant parts in the diet, such as se...

We studied the swimming ability of the fossorial rodent Microtus (Terricola) gerbei. This rodent was not as proficient in swimming as the other two sympatric species in the Spanish Pyrenees (M. lusitanicus and M. duodecimcostatus). However, swimming time of M. gerbei was within the range expected for other fossorial and subterranean species. Sex wa...

Microhistological analysis has become the most commonly used and successful method for determining micromammal diets. However, this technique has a number of limitations, particularly when used on fecal samples where identification of some items is difficult. This method underestimates those nearly unrecognizable plant parts in the diet, such as se...

Tympanoctomys barrerae is a monotypic octodontid. This species is endemic to the desert area of central-western Argentina where it is restricted to salt basins and sand dunes. T. barrerae shaves off the epidermis ofAtriplex leaves before consuming them. This reduces electrolyte intake. Like two other unrelated salt-flat dwelling rodents, Dipodomys...