naa a22 4500 510745202 CHVBK 20180411083043.0 cr unu---uuuuu 180411e20130401xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s13364-012-0110-0 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s13364-012-0110-0 Trophic interactions between two medium-sized mammals: the case of the native Dolichotis patagonum and the exotic Lepus europaeus in a hyper-arid ecosystem [Elektronische Daten] [María Reus, Begoña Peco, Claudia de los Ríos, Stella Giannoni, Claudia Campos] As medium-sized herbivores, the exotic Lepus europaeus (European hare) and the native Dolichotis patagonum (mara) have been considered ecological equivalents. These species coexist in Ischigualasto Provincial Park, a hyper-arid ecosystem with scarce food resources. Our objective was to evaluate diet composition, relationship between diets and food availability, and trophic relationships between both herbivores. Collection of feces and vegetation sampling were made in the Mesquite woodland community. Diet composition was analyzed by microhistological analysis of feces. In both seasons, shrub species represented the most abundant cover type in the area, and annual forbs and grasses appeared in the wet season. Herbivores showed similar dietary ecology: shrubs were the main food items along the year, showing a higher plasticity compared to their diets in other ecosystems, where they selected mostly grasses. The mara selected shrubs such as Atriplex sp. and Prosopis torquata, whereas the European hare selected Cyclolepis genistoides, Atriplex sp., and Bulnesia retama. During the wet season, both herbivores supplemented their diets with grasses and annual forbs. In the dry season, there was increased consumption of cacti, such as Tephrocactus sp. The mara and the European hare are likely close ecological equivalents, in terms of dietary similarity, and they showed strong dietary overlap across the dry season (over 60%). Thus, we can assume the existence of a potential trophic competition between mara and European hare, especially during the season when food resources are scarce. These results can be important for the management of drylands in South America, where populations of threatened herbivorous species, such as the mara, coexist with exotic animals, sharing spatial and trophic resources even in protected areas. Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland, 2012 Diet overlap nationallicence Diversity nationallicence European hare nationallicence Mara nationallicence Reus María Interacciones Biológicas del Desierto (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias Naturales Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan-CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), CPA: J5402DCS, Mendoza, Argentina aut Peco Begoña Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ch. Darwin 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain aut de los Ríos Claudia Interacciones Biológicas del Desierto (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias Naturales Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan-CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), CPA: J5402DCS, Mendoza, Argentina aut Giannoni Stella Interacciones Biológicas del Desierto (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias Naturales Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan-CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), CPA: J5402DCS, Mendoza, Argentina aut Campos Claudia Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad (GIB), Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas (IADIZA-CONICET), CC507, CP5500, Mendoza, Argentina aut Acta Theriologica Springer-Verlag 58/2(2013-04-01), 205-214 0001-7051 58:2<205 2013 58 13364 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0110-0 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0110-0 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Reus María Interacciones Biológicas del Desierto (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias Naturales Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan-CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), CPA: J5402DCS, Mendoza, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Peco Begoña Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ch. Darwin 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- de los Ríos Claudia Interacciones Biológicas del Desierto (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias Naturales Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan-CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), CPA: J5402DCS, Mendoza, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Giannoni Stella Interacciones Biológicas del Desierto (INTERBIODES), Departamento de Biología y Museo de Ciencias Naturales Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan-CONICET, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), CPA: J5402DCS, Mendoza, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Campos Claudia Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad (GIB), Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas (IADIZA-CONICET), CC507, CP5500, Mendoza, Argentina aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Acta Theriologica Springer-Verlag 58/2(2013-04-01), 205-214 0001-7051 58:2<205 2013 58 13364 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer