Occurrence of invasive mammals in southern Nahuel Huapi National Park

Abstract

Introduced mammals in Patagonia are believed to negatively influence native ecosystems. We surveyed invasive mammals using camera traps in Nahuel Huapi National Park, Argentina, from February to May 2012. We deployed 19 cameras for about 30 days each, for a total of 645 camera days. We obtained 352 independent detections of three invasive mammal species: 67% European hare (Lepus europaeus), 32% wild boar (Sus scrofa), and 1% red deer (Cervus elaphus); no native herbivorous or omnivorous mammals were detected. All species showed nocturnal activity patterns. Hare detections reflected generalist habitat use and wild boars showed preference for more humid areas. The increased detection near roads suggests hares and wild boars are being facilitated through human disturbance, which should be considered in management decisions.

Keywords:

• invasive
• mammals
• Patagonia
• Argentina
• occurrence
• activity

Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the Forest and Wildlife Research Center at Mississippi State University. We thank S. Seijas from Nahuel Huapi National Parks Administration, Park Ranger L. Fonzo from Pampa Linda, and the local people from the park for their guidance and support in the development of this project. We thank N. Aprigliano for assistance with photographic analysis. We are grateful to OpenStreetMap (openstreetmap.org) and to the Biodiversity Information System (Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad; www.sib.gov.ar) from the National Parks Administration for their interactive cartography.