Food Habits of Lama guanicoe in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile

Raedeke, Kenneth J.; Simonetti, Javier A.

doi:10.2307/1381777

Cited by 41 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Guanacos in Vicuña, in south central Tierra del Fuego, behaved as a generalist herbivore, as in other areas of its distribution (Raedeke and Simonetti, 1988;Puig et al, 1996;Ortega and Franklin, 1988;Baldi et al, 2001). The most consumed species of trees, shrubs and forbs are also the dominant species in lenga forests, while the most frequently consumed monocotyledoneous plants are the dominant species in open areas (Moore, 1983).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Largely a grazer, guanacos also feed upon tree and shrub foliage and even lichens, depending on availability (Raedeke and Simonetti, 1988;Puig et al, 2001;Puig et al, 2011). On Tierra del Fuego Island, at the southernmost tip of its distribution, guanacos have faced competition with sheep (Ovies aries) since the second half of the 19th century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diet of guanaco in sheep-free rangeland in Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Muñoz

Simonetti

2013

Cienc. Inv. Agr.

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A.E. Muñoz, and J.A. Simonetti. 2013. Diet of guanaco in sheep-free rangeland in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Cien. Inv. Agr. 40(1):185-191. Guanaco (Lama guanicoe), the only native ungulate of Tierra del Fuego, uses the forests more extensively after the introduction of sheep. It is presumed that the regeneration of lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) is hampered by guanaco browsing. In this context, the diet of guanaco in Tierra del Fuego was evaluated through a microhistological analysis of feces in a livestock-free area dominated by lenga forest. Guanacos behaved largely as herbivorous grazers and exhibited seasonal variations in their grazing habits. Compared to other studies in Tierra del Fuego, which were conducted in areas where sheep and guanaco grazed together, we reported that the guanacos avoided and consumed fewer trees. These results have management implications, as the proper management of livestock could reduce the potential effects of the guanacos upon the lenga forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet of guanaco in sheep-free rangeland in Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Muñoz

Simonetti

2013

Cienc. Inv. Agr.

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“…los estudios realizados por Cortés et al (2003) en los sectores cordilleranos de Chile norte-centro sobre la dieta del guanaco muestran una alta inclusión de Stipa chrysophylla (Poaceae) tanto en los periodos secos como húmedos. En el caso de los hábitos alimentarios del guanaco en la costa del Desierto de Atacama, Raedeke y Simonetti (1988) identificaron una mayor concentración de líquenes como base de la dieta durante todas las estaciones, seguido por Euphorbia lactiflua (Euphorbiaceae) y Solana sp. (Solanaceae).…”

Section: Materiales Y Métodosunclassified

Análisis De Isótopos Estables en Colágeno De Huesos De Camélidos De Quebrada Tulán, Puna De Atacama, Periodo Formativo Temprano: Ca. 3.100-2.400 A.P

2013

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Se presentan los resultados de los análisis de isótopos estables (δ 13 C y δ 15 N) realizados sobre colágeno de huesos de Lama guanicoe (guanaco) y Lama glama (llama) de los sitios Tulán-85 y Tulán-54, asignados al Formativo Temprano (ca. 3.100-2.400 a.p.) y emplazados al sureste de la Puna de Atacama (II Región-Chile). las muestras zooarqueológicas se seleccionaron mediante criterios anatómicos y morfométricos. los resultados señalan diferencias en la dietas de ambas especies, explicables por los cambios altitudinales de la vegetación relacionada a la Quebrada Tulán, que se relacionarían con los emplazamientos de caza y pastoreo.Palabras claves: Puna de Atacama, Quebrada Tulán, camélidos sudamericanos, isótopos estables. This paper presents the results of isotope analysis (δ

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“…Only Raedeke and Simonetti (1988) and Cajal (1989) studied northern populations, but at lower elevations than in this study. To fill this gap partially, we examined the diet of guanacos in the high Andes of north-central Chile.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…To fill this gap partially, we examined the diet of guanacos in the high Andes of north-central Chile. In this harsh environment, given the year-round scarcity of food resources (Raedeke and Simonetti 1988), we hypothesize that guanacos should behave as a generalist herbivore, consuming whatever plant is available, especially during years with little rain. To test this hypothesis we: (1) studied the feeding habits of adult guanacos comparing contrasting years of food availabilities resulting from different rainfall amounts, and (2) compared the diet among the three guanaco age classes as recognized by Franklin and Fritz (1991) during a dry year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding habits of guanacosLama guanicoe in the high Andes of north-central Chile

et al. 2003

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2003. Feeding habits of guanacos Lama guanicoe in the high Andes of north-central Chile. Acta Theriologica 48: 229-237.The guanaco Lama guanicoe Muller, 1776 has a wide distribution along the Andes and Patagonia. We studied the feeding behaviour of a guanaco population that lives over 4100 m altitude in the Andes of north-central Chile. By contrasting the diet of guanacos during a dry year with that of a wet year and comparing it with the plant availabilities in the field, we tested the hypothesis that the guanaco is a generalist herbivore. We predicted that under such extreme habitat conditions guanacos should consume whatever plant species are available in the environment, especially in a dry year, when vegetation is scarcer. In addition, we compared its diet at three different age classes. We estimated the diet through the microhistological analysis of plant remains found in guanaco pellets collected during January of 1997 (ie after a dry year) and 1998 (ie after a wet year; 41 vs 495 mm, respectively). Then, we computed dietary preferences, food niche-breadth, and food-niche overlap between years and among age classes. Vegetation cover and plant species richness were higher during the wet than during the dry year. The most common plants in the environment were perennial graminoids and legumes. Contrary to our prediction, the guanaco preferred a few plant species, showing a relatively narrow diet breadth that changed little between years differing in plant abundances. The diet proportions differed among the three age classes, however. Our data indicate that at least in this high-elevation population, guanacos are selective and non-opportunistic herbivores. This specialized feeding behaviour is puzzling given the energetic demands of living in a harsh environment with low availabilities of resources. The hypothesis that this is due to the lower palatability of the plants not eaten, remains to be tested.

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Food Habits of Lama guanicoe in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile

Cited by 41 publications

References 8 publications

Diet of guanaco in sheep-free rangeland in Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Diet of guanaco in sheep-free rangeland in Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Análisis De Isótopos Estables en Colágeno De Huesos De Camélidos De Quebrada Tulán, Puna De Atacama, Periodo Formativo Temprano: Ca. 3.100-2.400 A.P

Feeding habits of guanacosLama guanicoe in the high Andes of north-central Chile

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