Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina

Habitat use of rodents is associated to environmental variables, species requirements and biological interactions. The aim of this study was to analyse the macro and microhabitat use and spatial variation in the abundance of small wild rodents that inhabit Otamendi Natural Reserve, Argentina. We st...

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Main Authors: Isabel Elisa Gómez Villafañe, Yanina Expósito, Álvaro San Martín, Pablo Picca, María Busch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2012-09-01
Series:Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
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Online Access:https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1008
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author Isabel Elisa Gómez Villafañe
Yanina Expósito
Álvaro San Martín
Pablo Picca
María Busch
author_facet Isabel Elisa Gómez Villafañe
Yanina Expósito
Álvaro San Martín
Pablo Picca
María Busch
author_sort Isabel Elisa Gómez Villafañe
collection DOAJ
description Habitat use of rodents is associated to environmental variables, species requirements and biological interactions. The aim of this study was to analyse the macro and microhabitat use and spatial variation in the abundance of small wild rodents that inhabit Otamendi Natural Reserve, Argentina. We studied the rodent communities in 6 habitats: riparian forest, Celtis tala forest, lowland grassland, salt marsh and 2 highland grasslands. We captured a total of 153 individual of Scapteromys aquaticus, Akodon azarae, Oxymycterus rufus, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Deltamys kempi and O. nigripes, with a trapping effort of 3636 trap-nights. The species richness is maintained by the presence of different habitats that satisfy specific requirements from specialist and generalist species, using differentially the reserve and forming communities of different specific composition in each habitat. A differential macrohabitat use was observed by all species, and a certain level of selectivity at microhabitat scale was observed in individuals of 2 species. This study shows that the diversity of environments in the Otamendi Natural Reserve, which allows the maintenance of many wild species of small rodents; confirming the high ecological and conservational value of the reserves inside an urban region.
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publisher Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
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spelling doaj-art-aa5d9dbe68094e93a1d77bfc287db24d2025-08-20T01:50:45ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Biodiversidad1870-34532007-87062012-09-0183310.7550/rmb.25126Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, ArgentinaIsabel Elisa Gómez VillafañeYanina ExpósitoÁlvaro San MartínPablo PiccaMaría Busch Habitat use of rodents is associated to environmental variables, species requirements and biological interactions. The aim of this study was to analyse the macro and microhabitat use and spatial variation in the abundance of small wild rodents that inhabit Otamendi Natural Reserve, Argentina. We studied the rodent communities in 6 habitats: riparian forest, Celtis tala forest, lowland grassland, salt marsh and 2 highland grasslands. We captured a total of 153 individual of Scapteromys aquaticus, Akodon azarae, Oxymycterus rufus, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Deltamys kempi and O. nigripes, with a trapping effort of 3636 trap-nights. The species richness is maintained by the presence of different habitats that satisfy specific requirements from specialist and generalist species, using differentially the reserve and forming communities of different specific composition in each habitat. A differential macrohabitat use was observed by all species, and a certain level of selectivity at microhabitat scale was observed in individuals of 2 species. This study shows that the diversity of environments in the Otamendi Natural Reserve, which allows the maintenance of many wild species of small rodents; confirming the high ecological and conservational value of the reserves inside an urban region. https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1008diversidadreserva naturalpequeños roedoresuso de habitatestructura florística
spellingShingle Isabel Elisa Gómez Villafañe
Yanina Expósito
Álvaro San Martín
Pablo Picca
María Busch
Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina
Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
diversidad
reserva natural
pequeños roedores
uso de habitat
estructura florística
title Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina
title_full Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina
title_fullStr Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina
title_short Rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina
title_sort rodent diversity and habitat use in a protected area of buenos aires province argentina
topic diversidad
reserva natural
pequeños roedores
uso de habitat
estructura florística
url https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/1008
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AT alvarosanmartin rodentdiversityandhabitatuseinaprotectedareaofbuenosairesprovinceargentina
AT pablopicca rodentdiversityandhabitatuseinaprotectedareaofbuenosairesprovinceargentina
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