Southern marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) populations assessed using Amplicon Sequencing on fecal samples.

Populations in isolated and small fragments lose genetic variability very fast and are usually of conservation concern because they are at greater risk of local extinction. The largest native deer in South America, Blastocerus dichotomus (Illiger, 1815), is a Vulnerable species according to the IUCN categorization, which inhabits tropical and subtropical swampy areas. In Argentina, its presence has been restricted to four isolated fragments. Here we examine the genetic diversity and differentiation among three of them, including the three different patches that form the southernmost population, using 18 microsatellite markers genotyped by Amplicon Sequencing of DNA extracted from fecal samples. Genetic diversity was low (HE < 0.45) in all three populations studied. We found three genetic clusters compatible with the geographic location of the samples. We also found a metapopulation dynamics that involves the patches that make up the southernmost population, with evidence of a barrier to gene flow between two of them. Our results point to the creation of a corridor as a necessary and urgent management action. This is the first study, at the population level, employing microsatellite genotyping by Amplicon Sequencing with non-invasive samples in an endangered species.

Biodiversity of vertebrates in Argentina: patterns of richness, endemism and conservation status.

Optimising conservation efforts requires an accurate record of the extant species as well as their geographic distributions. Nevertheless, most current conservation strategies start from an incomplete biodiversity inventory. Argentina has an extraordinary diversity of species, however, until now an updated inventory of its fauna has not been carried out. In this context, the main objective of this work is to present the results of the first national inventory of vertebrate species. Experts from each major vertebrate taxonomic group assembled and compiled its respective inventory. The information gathered included taxonomic rank, conservation status, endemism and geographic distribution. Species richness and representativeness were calculated for each taxonomic group, distinguishing between native, endemic and exotic, for each Argentinian province. Our results show Argentina harbours 3,303 species: 574 marine fish, 561 freshwater fish, 177 amphibians, 450 reptiles, 1,113 birds, and 428 mammals. Native species constitute 98.1% of the total taxa. The results achieved were spatially represented showing a pattern of higher richness from north to south and from east to west. Species considered as threatened account for 17.8% and 15.2% are endemic. There are five Extinct species. These results provide key information on developing strategies and public policies at the national and provincial levels and constitute a tool for the management and conservation of biodiversity.

The role of the environment in the spatial dynamics of an extensive hybrid zone between two neotropical cats.

Identifying factors that create and maintain a hybrid zone is of great interest to ecology, evolution and, more recently, conservation biology. Here, we investigated the role of environmental features in shaping the spatial dynamics of a hybrid zone between the southern tigrina, Leopardus guttulus, and Geoffroy's cat, L. geoffroyi, testing for exogenous selection as the main force acting on its maintenance. These Neotropical felid species are mainly allopatric, with a restricted area of sympatry in the ecotone between the Atlantic Forest and Pampa biomes. As both biomes have experienced high rates of anthropogenic habitat alteration, we also analysed the influence of habitat conversion on the hybrid zone structure. To do this, we used 13 microsatellite loci to identify potential hybrids and generated ecological niche models for them and their parental species. We compared the influence of variables on parental species and hybrid occurrence and calculated the amount of niche overlap among them. Parental species showed different habitat requirements and predicted co-occurrence was restricted to the forest-grassland mosaic of the ecotone. However, hybrids were found beyond this area, mainly in the range of L. geoffroyi. Hybrids demonstrated higher tolerance to habitat alteration than parental types, with a probability of occurrence that was positively related with mosaics of cropland areas and remnants of natural vegetation. These results indicate that exogenous selection alone does not drive the dynamics of the hybrid zone, and that habitat conversion influences its structure, potentially favouring hybrids over parental species.

Deer damage: A review of repellents to reduce impacts worldwide.

Mammal herbivores, and specially deer, can cause severe damages to agriculture, producing economic losses. Repellents based on odor, visual and/or taste stimuli have been tested to minimize these damages, but their global effectiveness has not been quantified. A systematic literature review on the use of repellents to reduce damage by deer was carried out, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of different repellents and application methods was performed. A Beta regression was employed considering the percentage of vegetation unbrowsed at the end of the essay as the response variable. A total of 246 essays testing ten different repellents and 236 essays testing four different application methods were extracted from 58 articles. Odor-based repellents, such as those including "meat and blood" and "urine, hair and feces of predators", were found to be the most effective to reduce damage. Non-lethal methods, such as repellents, could be valuable tools to manage this human-wildlife conflict.

Exposure to selected Pathogens in to selected pathogens in Geoffroy's cats and domestic carnivores from central Argentina.

Wild carnivores share a high percentage of parasites and viruses with closely related domestic carnivores. Because of increased overlap and potential contact with domestic species, we conducted a retrospective serosurvey for 11 common carnivore pathogens in 40 Geoffroy's cats (Leopardus geoffroyi) sampled between 2000 and 2008 within or near two protected areas in central Argentina (Lihué Calel National Park, La Pampa, and Campos del Tuyú National Park, Buenos Aires), as well as five domestic cats and 11 domestic dogs from catde ranches adjacent to Lihué Calel Park. Geoffroy's cats had detectable antibody to canine distemper virus (CDV), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline coronavirus, feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), Toxoplasma gondii, Leptospira interrogans (serovars Ictero/Icter and Ballum), and Dirofilaria immitis. None of the wild cats had antibodies to feline herpesvirus, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus, or rabies virus. Domestic dogs had antibodies to CDV, canine adenovirus, canine herpesvirus, and canine parvovirus. Antibodies to FPV, FCV, FIV, and T. gondii were found in domestic cats. We provide the first data on exposure of free-ranging Geoffroy's cats to pathogens at two sites within the core area of the species distribution range, including the first report of antibodies to CDV in this species. We encourage continued monitoring for diseases in wild and domestic carnivores as well as preventive health care for domestic animals, particularly in park buffer zones where overlap is greatest.