Search

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are efficient at controlling predation upon livestock. LGDs create a safer landscape for livestock through accompaniment and the reduction of the abundance and distribution of wild carnivores. However, the effects of LGDs on livestock behavior, group dynamics, and use of space remain understudied. To understand LGDs’ impact on sheep behavior and group dynamics, and using a natural experiment approach, we worked on two sheep farms that differed in the use of LGDs to control predation. We used the focal sampling technique to observe sheep behavior; in addition, we obtained information about group size and nearest neighbor distance. Nutritional quality and habitat selection were also assessed. For each individual, we calculated the proportion of time invested in behavioral categories (scanning, feeding, resting, and traveling), and categories between properties were contrasted with the nonparametric U-test, as well as features related to group dynamics, vegetation structure, and food quality. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of LGDs and other management and biological variables on sheep behavior and group properties. In close proximity to LGDs, sheep spent more time in scanning while time allocated to feeding decreased; however, feeding time did not change based on its presence. Moreover, LGDs’ company led to the formation of larger sheep groups and individuals closer to each other. Sheep together with LGDs selected habitats with limited plant cover, which allows animals greater visibility. Lastly, we suggest that the ability of LGDs to maintain larger and more cohesive groups in open areas, as well as with more vigilant animals, could increase livestock responsiveness to predator presence, thus helping to reduce probability of predation on sheep and, in consequence, reducing the necessity of killing wild species in retaliation.

Livestock guarding dogs are increasingly used to reduce carnivore-livestock conflicts, but no information is available to determine any adverse effects that these dogs may have on the health of wild carnivores. We assessed differences in prevalence, richness and severity of parasites in chilla fox (Lycalopex griseus) populations associated with livestock guarding dogs, which were routinely dewormed. We also evaluated whether the parasite assemblages of herding dogs, which were not dewormed, and chilla foxes were more similar in the presence of livestock guarding dogs. Scats of L. griseus and herding dogs were collected and screened for parasite eggs in areas with and without livestock guarding dogs to determine differences in prevalence, richness, intensity and parasite aggregation. We did not find any association between livestock guarding dogs and differences in parasite richness or prevalence of parasites. The intensity of parasites was higher among foxes positive to parasites when LGDs were present. A lower proportion of foxes with low parasite burdens occurred in areas with LGDs compared to areas without LGDs, but this difference was not significant at the population level. Our findings show the need to continue studying the effects of livestock guarding dogs on the health of wildlife with larger sample sizes and more locations.

Background Large woodpecker species with stable territories, specialized diets and narrow habitat choices, such as the Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), are expected to adjust their movements based on the distribution of available resources within territories. Thus, Magellanic Woodpeckers should concentrate foraging activity in areas of higher quality, a behavior consistent with the area-restricted search (ARS) behavior. Although previous studies have deepened the understanding of how Magellanic woodpeckers select habitats, the assessment of ARS behavior would contribute to the identification of feeding areas important for their conservation and habitats hindering their movement. Methods We addressed the independent effects of tree senescence, forest succession, stand composition and open habitats on the adoption of area-restricted search (ARS) behavior in Magellanic Woodpeckers in a heterogeneous landscape dominated by southern beech forest in southern South America. Using GPS relocations from 24 woodpeckers, we estimated the First-Passage Time (FPT), a measure of the time individuals remain in a given area, with longer FPT values indicating the adoption of an ARS behavior. We determined the effects of habitat variables on FPT using a methodological framework based on Linear Mixed Effect models and a randomization procedure intended to reduce spatial autocorrelation arising from consecutive circles whose areas tend to be overlapped along trajectories. Results Averaged model coefficients showed that woodpeckers spent less time in sites dominated by the Antarctic beech (Nothofagus antarctica) and partially covered by open habitats. Conversely, FPT increased in stands and home ranges where tree senescence was higher. Conclusions The adoption of the ARS behavior in Magellanic Woodpecker is explained by forest composition, avoidance of open habitats and tree senescence. Our results suggest the conservation of Magellanic Woodpeckers in heterogeneous landscapes involve retention of senescent trees and restoring open areas in order to reduce edge habitat.

We document the presence of a huemul population on Cabo León, Riesco Island, Chilean Patagonia 15 years after its first assessment, providing ecological insights for this southernmost coastal population. During Austral spring 2018 we recorded indirect signs of huemul presence and five individuals including one yearling across 35 km of trails, estimating a density of 2.3 ind/km2. Records were distributed in dense secondary forest, at low elevations and slopes. These observations suggest the presence of a breeding population, favored by the establishment of a private reserve and the reduction of livestock, along with the recently established Kawésqar National Park.

The conversion of native forest to forestry plantations is a worldwide practice, affecting biodiversity and host-parasite interactions. One of the most common timber plantations in the world are monocultures of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). Using occupancy models, we analyzed the occurrence and prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and Giardia spp. cysts in fecal samples of wild rodents from a landscape dominated by extensive Monterey pine plantations in central Chile. We aimed to assess drivers of parasite infection such as habitat type, abundance of rodent hosts, species richness, and season. Small mammals were sampled seasonally for two years in three habitat types: native forests, adult pine plantations and young pine plantations. A total of 1091 fecal samples from seven small mammal species were analyzed by coprological analysis. Occurrence probability of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. was similar for the most abundant rodent species (Abrothrix longipilis, A. olivacea, and Oligoryzomys longicaudatus) and for all habitat types. For Cryptosporidium spp., variation in prevalence was mostly explained by season with higher prevalence during winter season and lower during spring. For Giardia spp., the prevalence was significantly higher in young pine plantations, followed by adult pine plantations and native forests. In addition, higher prevalence of Giardia spp. was associated with lower host richness, suggesting a possible dilution effect. Our findings reveal that Monterey pine plantations increase Giardia spp. transmission among rodents, but has no clear effect on Cryptosporidium spp., providing evidence that the impact of land use on parasitism can be idiosyncratic. Since both parasites have zoonotic potential, our findings may be useful for land use planning and management considering health issues.

Livestock guarding dogs reduce livestock predation by excluding carnivores and altering herbivore behavior through their presence. In Patagonia, invasive European hares compete with livestock for forage but change their behavior when exposed to native predator odors. In this experiment, we aimed to test if livestock guarding dog odor triggers fear in this herbivore and reduces hare presence in different habitats of sheep grazing lands of Chilean Patagonia, where these lagomorphs are an invasive species. The results showed that European hares reduce their visits to scented places with and without horizontal vegetation. We also discovered that this invasive species reduced foraging time when the odor was present in places with dense horizontal vegetation. These results suggested that livestock guarding dogs could also serve as a European hare deterrent and decrease competition with livestock, allowing greater production and supporting sustainable livestock farming.

Gomortega keule is an endangered tree species, the single extant species of a monotypic family. It is safeguarded only in one protected area. Its recruitment and germination are low, possibly in pa...

5 Pág. Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Screening of serum and fecal samples from huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) and pudu (Pudu puda) from southern Chile for Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) found all but four samples Mycobacterium-negative. The positive sequences showed only 92-93% similarity with MAP and were from remote Isla Riesco populations., This work was supported by Asociacion Kauyeken through Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Regional Project 5961 and the J. M. Kaplan Fund, Buin Zoo, NGO Chiloe Silvestre, Universidad San Sebastian-Sede Puerto Mont and ANID/CONICYT Fondecyt 3160056 and 11181180 (to D.M.-A.), and Estancia Anita Beatriz

In Chile, promotion of activities in the silvoagricultural sector has been made through the implementation of Instruments of Productive Promotion, which are governmental interventions oriented to increase productive systems by applying economic incentives. However, its use has not been exempted of criticism due to the poor articulation and coordination between the programs and because their implementation has lacked a coordinated territorial approach. Chile has committed to different international frameworks to protect biodiversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity that, through the Aichi targets, aimed to either eliminate or reform incentives, including subsidies, to minimize negative impacts and to manage agriculture in a sustainable manner. Allocation of IPPs used to finance field work (IPP-FFWs) at the silvoagricultural sector was analyzed, including amounts granted, use of the funds, and geographical distribution; they explored eventual links with biodiversity trends, including identified drivers of biodiversity loss. We found that, in the last two decades, IPP-FFWs have more than quintupled; the activities funded relate to main anthropogenic factors associated with ecosystems deterioration, including land use change and plantations with exotic species; the funding mostly occurs where most relevant Chilean terrestrial biodiversity features concentrate and where most ecosystems that have been classified under risk are located.

Livestock is regarded as a source of parasites to wildlife populations, but no assessment of the nature and magnitude of parasite transmission from livestock to South American canids is available.Here we systematically reviewed articles that evaluate protozoa, helminths and arthropods in wild canids living in areas with and without the presence of livestock.There is an unbalanced study effort which precludes proper testing of the assumption that livestock increase the incidence and prevalence of parasites in wild canids. Most of the parasites reported are shared with domestic carnivores.Available information strongly suggests that the role played by livestock and their associated dogs on wild canid parasitism should be re-evaluated.

Andes south virus (ANDV) is the etiologic agent of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in Chile and southern Argentina. Farm and forestry workers have been identified as a group at high risk of acquiring HCPS caused by ANDV due to their close exposure to rodents or their secretions in rural areas. Therefore, investigation on the effect of landscape composition on ANDV in wild rodents becomes relevant for disease prevention and control. In this study, we analyzed the influence of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) plantations, an important monoculture in the global forest industry, on small mammal assemblage and on ANDV seroprevalence and abundance of seropositive rodents from central Chile. Small mammals were sampled seasonally during 2 years in native forests, adult pine plantations and young pine plantations. A total of 1630 samples from seven rodent species were analyzed for antibody detection. ANDV seroprevalence and abundance of seropositive rodents were significantly higher in the native forest compared to pine plantations. Furthermore, Monterey pine plantations decrease the abundance and relative abundance of Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (the principal reservoir of ANDV) and do not change sex ratio and distribution of age classes of this rodent species, which are variables that are important for ANDV transmission. Our findings indicate that Monterey pine plantations would not pose a higher risk of human exposure to ANDV compared to the temperate native forest. Our results can be useful for hantavirus risks assessment in human-dominated areas where ANDV is endemic.

Conflicts between humans and wildlife could generate problems for biodiversity, and conflict management is important for avoiding biodiversity loss. Social acceptability of management actions for m...

La biodiversidad enfrenta una crisis a escala global producto de la perdida y fragmentacion de los habitats naturales, lo que esta modificando el foco tradicional de las evaluaciones de riesgo desde especies hacia ecosistemas. La Union Internacional de Conservacion de la Naturaleza (IUCN) ha establecido un estandar oficial para la evaluacion del riesgo de colapso de los ecosistemas. Proponiendo un modelo conceptual que utiliza cinco criterios basados en las caracteristicas de distribucion y/o funcion de los ecosistemas. Para ejemplificar la aplicacion de esta metodologia se selecciono el ecosistema de "bosque espinoso” de la zona central de Chile, caracterizandolo segun: distribucion geografica, biota nativa caracteristica, aspectos abioticos, principales amenazas y procesos claves. La evaluacion del riego de colapso pudo ser aplicada a cuatro de los cinco criterios propuestos en el modelo conceptual, lo que permitio establecer que el ecosis tema de bosque espinoso sea clasificado bajo la categoria de amenaza de "Vulnerable”. Palabras clave: Evaluacion de riesgo de Ecosistemas; Espinal; Chile central; colapso.

Urbanization destroys and fragments natural habitats, resulting in a system of natural remnants embedded in an urban matrix. Urban natural remnants (UNRs) can provide multiple ecosystem services for urban areas. Nevertheless, the long-term provision of ecosystem services by UNRs depends on their capacity to retain the ecosystem processes supporting the services. As vegetation from the urban matrix could play a key role in remnants ecological dynamics, understanding the effect of surrounding urban vegetation on UNRs ecosystem processes is fundamental for sustainable urban planning. In this work, we used a multi-temporal and -spatial scale approach to evaluate the role that vegetation patterns (i.e. composition and configuration) of the urban matrix have played on ecosystem processes (i.e. primary productivity) of 10 UNRs located in the city of Santiago (Chile). Using a set of six remote sensing-derived vegetation indices (years 1985–2010), we analyzed how temporal changes in primary productivity of UNRs were related to changes in vegetation patterns of the surrounding urban matrix, and assessed the potential role of the matrix’s socioeconomic level on these results. Our results show that productivity decreased in all UNRs and that this productivity loss was spatially correlated with the changes in vegetation cover of the surrounding urban matrix. UNR productivity was more strongly correlated with matrix composition than matrix configuration. Correlation strength between matrix composition and UNR productivity increased in time and decreased with distance from the edge of UNRs inward, suggesting that the effects of matrix vegetation on the ecological processes within UNRs are both time- and location-dependent. The socioeconomic level of the matrix showed a positive association with the vegetation cover of the matrix, but did not have a statistically significant correlation with UNR primary productivity. Results from our work demonstrate that the changes in urban matrix vegetation induced by urbanization may have strong impacts on the ecological processes that underpin the provision of ecosystem services by UNRs. If planners ought to increase the provision of ecosystem services by these UNRs, the strategies should not only focus on managing vegetation within UNRs, but also on properly planning vegetation in the surrounding urban matrix.

Agroecological landscapes have the potential to simultaneously meet food security and biodiversity conservation goals but are hindered by emerging biodiversity conflicts. Here, we opt to view the social–ecological factors that decrease biodiversity impacts or increase tolerance of biodiversity in agroecological landscapes as system parameters for their potential capacity to move a social–ecological system from states of conflict to alternative desired system states devoid of major losses for both food security and biodiversity, that is landscapes of coexistence. We discuss how reframing landscapes as social–ecological systems allows focusing on manageable components, or coexistence parameters, that explain biodiversity impacts and are hence capable of dampening conflicts. Approaches from the social, economic, or ecological sciences allow for the formulation of management strategies tailor‐made for each system, with a higher chance of success than one‐size‐fits‐all strategies. Conceptually recognizing coexistence parameters may enable easier assessment of a landscape's current state and identification of the required actions needed to transition towards a state of coexistence.

Livestock guarding dogs are increasingly used to reduce carnivore-livestock conflicts, but no information is available to determine any adverse effects that these dogs may have on the health of wild carnivores. We assessed differences in prevalence, richness and severity of parasites in chilla fox (Lycalopex griseus) populations associated with livestock guarding dogs, which were routinely dewormed. We also evaluated whether the parasite assemblages of herding dogs, which were not dewormed, and chilla foxes were more similar in the presence of livestock guarding dogs. Scats of L. griseus and herding dogs were collected and screened for parasite eggs in areas with and without livestock guarding dogs to determine differences in prevalence, richness, intensity and parasite aggregation. We did not find any association between livestock guarding dogs and differences in parasite richness or prevalence of parasites. The intensity of parasites was higher among foxes positive to parasites when LGDs were present. A lower proportion of foxes with low parasite burdens occurred in areas with LGDs compared to areas without LGDs, but this difference was not significant at the population level. Our findings show the need to continue studying the effects of livestock guarding dogs on the health of wildlife with larger sample sizes and more locations.

Forestry plantations of Pinus radiata, managed through clearcutting method, would offer resistance to the movement of native fauna among remnants of native forest. In this study, we evaluate the possibilities of establishing connectivity corridors for native fauna in a forest landscape dominated by P. radiata, focusing on seven species with some level of specialisation in the use of different land covers and that exhibit different movement strategies. We sampled presences and abundances using several types of sampling to determine the abundance and crossing edge probabilities for the ground-dwelling beetle Ceroglossus chilensis; the mesocarnivores Conepatus chinga, Lycalopex culpaeus and Leopardus guigna; the terrestrial frogs Eupsophus septentrionalis and Pleuroderma thaul, and the understory bird Pteroptochos castaneus. We use species distribution modelling and circuit theory to calculate connectivity for each species. Finally, a spatial priorization approach was applied to obtain two scenarios of least-cost corridors. The results show that species with more specific requirements such as L. guigna, P. castaneus, P. thaul and E. septentrionalis, are unlikely to move through clear cuttings and young plantations, but their movement is possible through adult pine plantations with understory. For species that are habitat generalists such as C. chinga and L. culpaeus plantations were suitable for movement. The management of forest plantations should use multi-taxa assessments in the design of biological corridors that allow the connection of forest fragments.

Native forest replacement by exotic forestry plantations and fragmentation may have different consequences for biodiversity. In the transition zone between the Mediterranean and Temperate Regions of Chile, native forests have been replaced and fragmented, and currently are surrounded byPinus radiataplantations. However, the effects of these changes on biodiversity are still poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated how the replacement and fragmentation of these native forests have affected plant communities of a coastal area of the Maule Region in central Chile. We compared plant communities between three types of landscape units: pine plantations, small forest fragments and a continuous native forest. On each landscape unit, we evaluated richness and composition of native and exotic species on 100 m2plots located in two positions: edge and interior. Native species richness decreased and exotic invasion increased in plantations compared to fragments and continuous forests. Fragmentation increased invasion of exotic species, nonetheless did not affect native species richness. Small fragments were significantly similar to the continuous forest in native species composition (~52 % similarity). Exotic species composition of the plantation was significantly similar to edges of fragments (> 53 % similarity). Our results suggest that, although several native species may inhabit pine plantations, these are not able to support as many native plants as do native forests. Furthermore, plantations facilitate exotic invasion. Despite that fragments have been invaded, the fact that many native species are growing there suggests that small fragments of native forest may be considered as high-value areas for conservation., Los bosques nativos de la zona transicional entre las regiones de clima mediterráneo y templado del sur de Chile han sido reemplazados y fragmentados, y actualmente están rodeados de plantaciones dePinus radiata. Sin embargo, aún se conocen poco los efectos de estos cambios en la biodiversidad. En este estudio evaluamos el efecto del reemplazo y fragmentación del bosque nativo sobre las comunidades vegetales de un área costera de la región del Maule, Chile. Para esto, comparamos las comunidades vegetales entre tres tipos de unidades de paisaje: plantaciones de pino, pequeños fragmentos de bosque nativo, y un bosque nativo continuo. En cada unidad de paisaje evaluamos la riqueza y composición de especies en parcelas de 100 m2ubicadas en dos posiciones: borde e interior. La riqueza de especies nativas decreció y la invasión de exóticas aumentó en las plantaciones comparado a fragmentos y bosque continuo. La fragmentación aumentó la invasión de plantas exóticas, pero no afectó la riqueza de especies nativas. Los fragmentos fueron significativamente similares al bosque continuo en composición de nativas (~52 %). La composición de exóticas de la plantación fue significativamente similar a bordes de fragmentos (> 53 %). Los resultados sugieren que, aunque diversas especies nativas pueden habitar en plantaciones deP. radiata, estas no pueden albergar tan alta diversidad como los bosques nativos, y en cambio facilitan la invasión. Además, aunque los fragmentos han sido invadidos, poseen una importante riqueza de especies nativas y pueden ser considerados como áreas de alto valor de conservación.

Predation on domestic animals by carnivores is a persistent problem wherever carnivores and livestock co-occur. A wide range of management tools to reduce predation has been invoked. However, the evidence of their effectiveness is still limited for a broader range of species and conditions. Using a global analysis of domestic animal predation by native carnivores under a “before-after/control-impact” framework, we assessed the effectiveness of management techniques used to reduce domestic animal predation identifying knowledge gaps and research needs. We reviewed 291 predation cases in 149 studies published between 1990 and 2017 involving 47 carnivores. Lethal control is the most common method to reduce predation in comparison with nonlethal techniques. Yet the effectiveness of both approaches remains poorly evaluated (30.1% of study cases) and largely based on producers' perceptions (70% of cases where effectiveness was evaluated). Lethal control and night confinement of domestic animals would have no effect on reducing predation, whereas the use of livestock-guarding dogs, fencing, or herdsmen may significantly reduce domestic animal losses. When the effectiveness of each technique to reduce predation was assessed by large and mesocarnivores, fencing significantly reduced predation of domestic animals by the former. Despite little scientifically published material, our findings indicate lethal control would have no effect in reducing animal predation by native carnivores when compared with nonlethal techniques. Our study also indicates the effectiveness may vary depending on the type of carnivore involved in the conflict with livestock activity. The use of an evidence-based framework to measure and assess the differential effectiveness of nonlethal techniques and the use of complementary tools at different spatial and temporal scales must be research priorities to prevent livestock predation while promoting the conservation of carnivores in production-oriented lands as encouraged by the Convention of Biological Diversity.

The replacement of native forests by Pinus radiata plantations modifies habitat availability and quality for wildlife, constituting a threat to species survival. However, the presence of understory in mature pine plantations minimizes the negative impacts of native forest replacement, rendering a secondary habitat for wildlife. Whether forest-dwelling species recolonize clear-felled areas pending on the spontaneous development of accompanying vegetation growing after harvesting is yet to be assessed. In this context, we analyze the abundance, movement and habitat selection of the endemic ground beetle Ceroglossus chilensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in an anthropic forest landscape consisting of native forest remnants, adult pine plantations (> 20 years) with a well-developed understory, and young (1–2 years) pine plantations with varying degrees of accompanying vegetation development. Particularly, we analyze the likelihood that C. chilensis would recolonize young pine plantations depending on the presence (> 70% cover) or the absence (

RESUMEN ∙ El Hued‐hued Castaño (Pteroptochus castaneus) es una especie poco estudiada, endémica de Chile y Argentina. En este trabajo describimos observaciones realizadas durante ocho días sobre un nido con dos pichones de Hued‐hued Castaño en septiembre y octubre de 2015. El nido estaba ubicado en el borde de un camino, a 1 km de la Reserva Nacional Los Queules, Chile central. En base a registros obtenidos de cámara trampa, ambos individuos con‐ tribuyeron a la alimentación de pichones y limpieza del nido. Las visitas con ingreso de alimentos constituyeron solo el 50% de las visitas totales al nido. La tasa de alimentación (0,90 ± 0,15 ingresos/h) fue baja comparada con otras especies de la familia. Registramos un total de cuatro intentos de depredación, de los cuales tres no tuvieron éxito durante nuestra observación: dos intentos por güiña (Leopardus guigna) durante la noche y un intento por Aguilucho (Geranoaetus polyosoma) durante el día; y un intento que pudo haber sido exitoso: intento de depredación por parte de güiña durante la noche que resultó en la desaparición de un pichón, ya que la tasa de alimentación se redujo a la mitad luego del mismo.ABSTRACT ∙ Observations at a Chestnut‐throated Huet‐huet (Pteroptochos castaneus, Rhinocryptidae) nest: parental behavior and predation attempts The Chestnut‐throated Huet‐huet (Pteroptochus castaneus) is a poorly known species, endemic to Chile and Argentina. Here we describe observations made during eight days on a nest with two nestlings of the Chestnut‐ throated Huet‐huet between September and October of 2015. The nest was in a tunnel located in a road bank, 1 km from Los Queules National Reserve, central Chile. Based on recordings from a camera trap, both members of the pair contributed to feeding of nestlings and nest sanitation. Visits bringing food constituted only 50% of the total visits to the nest. Feeding rate (0.90 ± 0.15 trips/h) was low compared to other species of the family. We recorded a total of four predation attempts, in which three were unsuccessful during our observation: two attempts by a kod‐kod (Leopardus guigna) during the night and one by a Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma); and one attempt that might have been successful: attempt by kod‐kod during the night resulting in the disappearance of one nestling since the feeding rate halved afterwards.

Sustainable forest management of commercial monoculture plantations may be difficult to achieve in plantations of Monterrey pine because these commercial monocultures are managed under a clear cutting system, where the understory vegetation is initially damaged by harvesting, and subsequently, by herbicide application. Despite its marked structural changes following harvesting, the ecological role of understory in mitigating the negative impact of clear cutting on biodiversity is scarcely known. We test for the positive effect of the understory vegetation present in clearcut pine stands on the abundance and movement ability of the Chestnut-throated Huet-Huet (Pteroptochos castaneus), an insectivorous bird sensitive to adult pine plantations with scarce understory cover. Abundance was assessed through passive and broadcasting surveys during reproductive and pos-reproductive season at native forests, mature pine stands and cleacut areas. Movement was experimentally assessed as the willingness of individual Huet-Huets to enter into clearcuts from adjacent mature pint stands of native forest. The understory vegetation was the main predictor of P. castaneus abundance in native forest and mature pine plantations, but not into clearcut stands. Although Huet-Huets tended to be reluctant to enter into clearcuttings, their displacement into clearcuttings was positively influenced by the understory present in both the clearcut stands and the habitats where they had been experimentally attracted by playbacks (i.e., native forest or mature pine). We conclude that the conservation of P. castaneus in forest plantations involves modifying the traditional clearcutting system into a forest management that minimizes the use of herbicides while promoting the retention of understory vegetation and woody debris.

Rodents with leucism (a hypopigmentary congenital disorder) in the Neotropical region are rarely recorded. During field surveys in central Chile, we found in commercial Monterrey pine plantations a specimen of Abrothrix longipilis and a specimen of Abrothrix olivaceus with partial leucism. Another A. olivaceus exhibited complete leucism. To our knowledge, this is the second documentation of leucism in rodents from Chile and the first record of leucism in A. longipilis. Leucism may be expressed in small and isolated populations due to inbreeding. This suggests that land-use change in this area is probably affecting the genetic diversity of these rodent species.

Land-use change can raise the risk of human exposure to zoonotic diseases by increasing abundance of reservoir hosts. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis on the associations between land-use change and the abundance of rodent species in relation to their reservoir status for rodent-borne diseases. Using the PREDICT database, we analyzed 58 case studies comprising 54 species from eight countries. In general, rodent reservoirs were significantly more abundant in modified habitats (anthropogenically altered sites), whereas non-reservoir species were more abundant in non-modified habitats. To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis that evaluates the response of rodents to land-use change with a focus on the potential implications for epidemiological risks. Our findings give further evidence that land-use change generally impacts biodiversity in ways that might imply higher risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission.

Resumen: Se realizó una revisión de la literatura sobre la fauna terrestre reciente de Isla Riesco- Magallanes. De 60 publicaciones, que cubren los últimos 140 años- extrajimos la información sobre los taxones- temas y lugares estudiados.

There are two barriers to accomplishing restoration of ecosystems: insufficient information about historical baselines to guide restoration, and shifts between the actual baselines and perceptions about historical conditions. These two conditions generate a phenomenon called shifting baseline syndrome (SBS). Our study systematically reviewed and quantitatively analyzed the SBS studies. There is an increase and subsequent stabilization in the number of publications, 32% of scientific articles added new information and 5% of them delivered biological and social information required to demonstrate the SBS presence. Meta-analysis conducted showed an inconsistency between biological and social data. The inclusion of a greater amount of species in the biological data compared to social data produced the inconsistency. There must be an improvement in reporting both biological and social information to assess SBS. The integration of both sources of information would also enhance the success of restoration projects. The consideration of perceptions about resource users are also in accordance with global agreements about sustainable use of natural resources and ecological restoration.

Simple Summary Land-use changes are one of the most important drivers of zoonotic disease risk in humans, including helminths of wildlife origin. In this paper, we investigated the presence and prevalence of intestinal helminths in wild rodents, comparing this parasitism between a native forest and exotic Monterey pine plantations (adult and young plantations) in central Chile. By analyzing 1091 fecal samples of a variety of rodent species sampled over two years, we recorded several helminth families and genera, some of them potentially zoonotic. We did not find differences in the prevalence of helminths between habitat types, but other factors (rodent species and season of the year) were relevant to explain changes in helminth prevalence. Given that Monterey pine plantations are one of the most important forestry plantations worldwide, and due to the detection of potentially zoonotic helminths, more research should be conducted in this study area and elsewhere in order to better understand the effect of pine plantations on parasites and pathogens in rodents and other wildlife hosts. Abstract Native forests have been replaced by forestry plantations worldwide, impacting biodiversity. However, the effect of this anthropogenic land-use change on parasitism is poorly understood. One of the most important land-use change in Chile is the replacement of native forests by Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) plantations. In this study, we analyzed the parasitism (presence and prevalence) of intestinal helminths from fecal samples of wild rodents in three habitat types: native forests and adult and young pine plantations in central Chile. Small mammals were sampled seasonally for two years, and a total of 1091 fecal samples from seven small mammal species were analyzed using coprological analysis. We found several helminth families and genera, some of them potentially zoonotic. In addition, new rodent–parasite associations were reported for the first time. The overall helminth prevalence was 16.95%, and an effect of habitat type on prevalence was not observed. Other factors were more relevant for prevalence such rodent species for Hymenolepis sp. and season for Physaloptera sp. Our findings indicate that pine plantations do not increase helminth prevalence in rodents compared to native forests.

Rural communities worldwide face a decrease of critical ecosystem services caused by replacement of native forests by commercial plantations. Replacement of native forest by commercial plantations decreases water provisioning, with possible negative impacts over well-being. We tested this hypothesis in Central Chile. We assessed subjective well-being (SWB) and local perceptions of changes in forest cover and water provision among 78 rural families. We also assessed if the Shifting Baseline Syndrome (SBS) affects the perceptions of environmental changes and their implications in SWB. Individuals perceived less forest cover than 20 years ago, and this is seen as a factor of decreased livelihood, availability of forest products, and water provisioning for households. People also reported less water available than 20 years ago. The main drivers associated with decreased water provision were the establishment of pine plantations (44% of individuals) and drought (44%). A better-off SWB was associated wi...

Although the Levins model has made important theoretical contributions to ecology, its empirical support has not been conclusively established yet. We used published colonization and extinction data from 55 metapopulations to calculate their Levins equilibrium patch occupancy. Over all species, there were not significant differences between the observed patch occupancies and the Levins model’s estimates. However, invertebrates and vertebrate species with some degree of threat had patch occupancies larger than the model’s expectancies. A temporal sampling effect was found for invertebrate species, with departure from the Levins model decreasing as the length of the study period increased. There was a negative relationship between patch occupancy and extinction probability, as expected under the “rescue effect”. The high rates at which invertebrates produce propagules could lead the Levins model to underestimate patch occupancy, whereas the observed patch occupancy of threatened species may be a transient phenomenon that results from extinction probabilities that increase over time. Therefore, the Levins model captures the metapopulation dynamics of a wide range of species in a simple formula whereas its equilibrium point can be used as evidence of metapopulation stability. Although mechanistic models provide more precise and accurate metapopulation predictions, they also can sacrifice the generality and simplicity of the Levins model.

Land use change can reduce the wealth and wellbeing of a nation by modifying its biodiversity. We used value transfer methodology to estimate changes in the value of ecosystem services provided by natural ecosystems in El Salvador, a country particularly impacted by natural disasters. Ecosystem services (1998–2011) provided annually only by natural ecosystems declined by 2.6%, and are equal to 44% of El Salvador’s GDP in 2011. Changes in services provided by tropical forests account for 90% of those losses, followed by 9% for coastal wetlands. However, sensitivity analysis of changes per biome revealed that changes for coastal wetlands are much more elastic than for tropical forests, emphasizing the severity that further losses in coastal wetlands may incur. Forests reduce soil erosion and landslides while coastal wetlands reduce hurricane damages. Focusing conservation efforts towards these ecosystems could reduce the occurrence of natural disasters, but their services should be complemented by those generated in the agricultural matrix during forest and mangrove resurgence.

El desarrollo de vegetacion nativa al interior de plantaciones forestales podria depender de la dispersion, depredacion y germinacion de semillas, y estos de la distancia a bosques nativos y presencia de sotobosque. En este trabajo se evaluo el efecto de la distancia a fragmentos de bosque nativo sobre la lluvia de semillas y la depredacion de semillas, y el efecto de la presencia de sotobosque sobre la lluvia de semillas, depredacion post-dispersion y germinacion en plantaciones de Pinus radiata de la region del Maule de Chile. Se dispusieron trampas de semillas, placas Petri con semillas de Quillaja saponaria, y se sembraron semillas de esta especie a diferentes distancias de fragmentos de bosque nativo en plantaciones con y sin sotobosque. El numero de semillas total y riqueza de especies en la lluvia de semillas se correlaciono negativamente con la distancia al bosque nativo, aunque solo en plantaciones con sotobosque. La abundancia de semillas no vario entre plantaciones con y sin sotobosque, pero la riqueza de especies en la lluvia de semillas fue mayor con sotobosque. La depredacion de semillas no se relaciono con la distancia al bosque nativo ni presencia de sotobosque, y la germinacion fue mayor con sotobosque. Estos resultados sugieren que la distancia al bosque nativo influye negativamente y la presencia de sotobosque positivamente en la regeneracion de especies lenosas en plantaciones. El manejo de plantaciones deberia considerar las distancias de dispersion y mantencion del sotobosque para mejorar la conservacion de la biodiversidad en paisajes forestales.

Between January 1 and February 10, 2017, the central southern area of Chile faced several mega-fires events that were considered the second largest of the history, 518,174 ha were affected. The devastating consequences of this fire also include the loss of 12 human lives, as well as an enormous financial cost in the fight against fires. Due to the increase in global mega-fires and the increase in industrial forest plantations during the last decades in southern Chile, it is relevant to analyse how this industry interact with the occurrence of these events and their socio-environmental consequences. We contrasted the content of public and private sector stakeholders discourses with four discursive elements of a spatial nature of interest, Extension and continuity of forestry plantations, native ecosystems damage, affectation of non-forestry land cover and proximity to localities. The results show strong discrepancies for the discourses of mega-fires effects and consequences between the different stakeholders. Two relevant emerging issues were identified, the biodiversity value of native ecosystems affected as a forgotten element in the discourses of environmental-related government agencies and the role played to promote mega-fires by the forestry plantations spatial structure which is seen in the opposite way depending of stakeholder.

Modifications in plant-mutualistic and plant-antagonistic interactions driven by habitat fragmentation may have far reaching consequences by affecting plant reproductive success and their microevolutionary dynamics. Mutualists (e.g., pollinators) and antagonists (e.g., herbivores) can exert non-additive effects on plant fitness, which is interpreted as evidence of a pathway for correlated evolution on mutualist- and antagonist-linked traits, respectively. We suggest that a decrease in pollination and herbivory due to habitat fragmentation and proximity to edges may lead plants to face non-correlated fitness effects (i.e., additivity) exerted by pollinators and herbivores. We assessed the effects of pollinators and herbivores on Bomarea salsilla seed set by separately and simultaneously excluding pollinators and herbivores in a fully factorial design. The exclusions were performed in the core and edge of a continuous forest, and in the core and edge of forest fragments. At all sites studied, pollinators, but not herbivores, affected plant fitness, exerting non-correlated fitness effects. Consequently, forest fragmentation and the creation of edge habitats seemed not to affect the pollinator- and herbivore-mediated selection pressures on B. salsilla .

Land has traditionally been spared to protect biodiversity; however, this approach has not succeeded by itself and requires a complementary strategy in human-dominated landscapes: land-sharing. Human–wildlife conflicts are rampant in a land-sharing context where wildlife co-occur with crops or livestock, but whose resulting interactions adversely affect the wellbeing of land owners, ultimately impeding coexistence. Therefore, true land-sharing only works if coexistence is also considered an end goal. We reviewed the literature on land-sharing and found that conflicts have not yet found their way into the land-sharing/sparing framework, with wildlife and humans co-occurring without coexisting in a dynamic process. To successfully implement a land-sharing approach, we must first acknowledge our failure to integrate the body of work on human–wildlife conflicts into the framework and work to implement multidisciplinary approaches from the ecological, economic, and sociological sciences to overcome and prevent conflicts. We suggest the use of Conflict Transformation by means of the Levels of Conflict Model to perceive both visible and deep-rooted causes of conflicts as opportunities to create problem-solving dynamics in affected socio-ecological landscapes. Reconciling farming and nature is possible by aiming for a transition to landscapes that truly share space by virtue of coexistence. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-018-1059-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.