Guanacos and People in Patagonia: A Social-Ecological Approach to a Relationship of Conflicts and Opportunities

Description

This book relates one of the most representative species of Patagonian wildlife, the guanaco, to human societies across time, and explores how that relationship has changed over time due to different land uses and productive interests. The book provides information to understand these interactions, and contextualizes the current situation of this species. In some cases, it proposes possible solutions to conflicts, and also shows ongoing activities aimed at sustainable use and conservation. The audience for this book includes researchers, graduate students, policy makers and conservation and rural development professionals. In addition, it will serve as a tool for application authorities and field technicians on the use and conservation of wildlife, to define management actions for this species.   Preface Contents Chapter 1: Taxonomy, Distribution, and Conservation Status of Wild Guanaco Populations 1.1 Taxonomy and Phylogeny 1.2 Distribution and Conservation Status 1.3 Evaluation of Local Populations in Argentina 1.3.1 Puna and Peri-Puna Ecoregion (San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Tucumán, Jujuy, and Salta) 1.3.2 Chaco Ecoregion (Northern-Central Córdoba) 1.3.3 Buenos Aires and La Pampa Provinces 1.3.4 Northern-Central Patagonia (Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro, and Chubut) 1.3.5 Santa Cruz Province 1.3.6 Tierra del Fuego (Argentine Portion of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego) 1.3.7 Malvinas Islands 1.4 Conservation Threats 1.4.1 Habitat Degradation Due to Overgrazing by Livestock 1.4.2 Competition with Introduced Herbivores 1.4.3 Nonsustainable Hunting and Poaching 1.4.4 Barriers to Guanaco Movement 1.4.5 Impact of Disease 1.4.6 Predation by Native and Exotic Carnivores References Chapter 2: Anthropological Perspective of the Human–Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) Interaction Over the Last 6000 Years in the Piedra Parada Area (Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina) 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Human–Guanaco Interactions in Patagonia: A General View 2.2.1 Old Relationship Under New Rules 2.3 The Piedra Parada Area (North Central Chubut) 2.3.1 Human–Guanaco Interactions from the Zooarcheological View 2.3.2 Piedra Parada and Northwestern Chubut Under the New Rules 2.4 Final Remarks References Chapter 3: Interspecific Competition Between Guanacos and Livestock and Their Relative Impact on Patagonian Rangelands: Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Competition Between Guanacos and Livestock: Who Is Excluded? 3.2.1 Food Niche Dimension: Similarity, Variability, and Herbivore Diet Shifts 3.2.2 Habitat Niche Dimension: Spatial Segregation and Habitat Shifts 3.2.3 Do Guanacos Outcompete Livestock? 3.3 Overgraze or Not Overgraze? That’s the Question 3.3.1 Impact of Guanaco on Vegetation 3.3.2 On the Carrying Capacity Assessment 3.4 Importance of Ecological Knowledge to Guide Management Decisions 3.5 Future Directions Toward Guanaco–Livestock Coexistence References Chapter 4: Health Risks for Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) Conservation 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Current Knowledge of Diseases of Free-Ranging Guanaco in Patagonia 4.2.1 Parasitic Diseases 4.2.1.1 Endoparasites 4.2.1.2 Ectoparasites 4.2.2 Viral and Bacterial Diseases 4.2.3 Other Pathogens to Consider for Health Monitoring of Guanaco Populations 4.3 Why Monitor Guanaco Health? References Chapter 5: Guanaco Predation by Pumas and Its Relationship to Patagonian Food Webs 5.1 Introduction 5.1.1 Predator–Prey Interactions and Their Importance to Communities and Ecosystems 5.1.2 Patagonia, an Ecologically Eroded Scenario 5.2 Guanacos and Pumas: An Enduring Predator–Prey Dyad in Patagonia 5.2.1 The Makings of a Long-Lasting Interaction 5.2.2 Guanaco Predation by Pumas 5.2.3 Guanaco Behavior and Predation Risk 5.3 Guanacos and Vegetation 5.4 Guanacos and Nutrient Cycling 5.5 Guanacos as a Source of Carrion 5.6 Guanacos, Pumas, and Trophic Cascades 5.7 An Opportunity to Understand Guanaco–Puma Interactions 5.8 Final Remarks References Chapter 6: International Policies and National Legislation Concerning Guanaco Conservation, Management and Trade in Argentina and the Drivers That Shaped Them 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Guanaco Governance in Argentina 6.3 The Socio-productive Context in Patagonia 6.4 Stakeholder Analysis 6.5 Background 1978–2002. Role of CITES in the Commerce Restriction of Guanaco Products from Argentina 6.6 First National Guanaco Management Plan (2006) 6.7 Provincial Management Plans: Chubut and Santa Cruz 6.8 National Guanaco Management Plan (NGMP) 2019 6.9 Attempts to Install a Productive Livestock Agenda on Wild Camelids 6.10 Main Drivers That Led to Policies 6.11 Final Remarks References Untitled Chapter 7: Guanaco Sustainable Management as a Conservation and Rural Development Strategy 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Guanaco National Management Plan Background 7.3 Scientific Bases for the Establishment of Management Systems 7.3.1 Live Shearing Management 7.3.1.1 Effects of Live Shearing on Physiological and Behavioural Parameters 7.3.1.2 Other Physiological Parameters Related to Handling 7.3.1.3 Effects of Shearing Management on Populational Parameters 7.3.2 Management for Meat Production 7.3.3 Captive Management 7.3.4 Protocols for Good Management Practices 7.3.4.1 Animal Welfare Criteria for Wild Guanaco Management 7.3.4.2 Animal Welfare Concerns in Other Guanaco Management Systems: Meat Harvesting and Captive Breeding 7.4 Economic Analysis 7.4.1 Captive Management 7.4.2 Live Shearing Management 7.5 Market and Commercialization 7.5.1 Fibre Market 7.5.2 Fibre Commercialization 7.5.3 Bottlenecks for the Fibre Commercialization 7.5.4 Meat Production, Implications for Wild Populations 7.6 Adaptive Management of the Wild Species 7.6.1 Adaptive Management in Guanacos References Chapter 8: Historical Perspective and Current Understanding of the Ecology, Conservation, and Management of the Guanaco in the Chilean Patagonia 8.1 Introduction 8.2 History of Guanaco Research 8.2.1 The First Decades of International Support: 1970s–1980s 8.2.2 Population Management Research: 1990s–2000s 8.2.3 Present Times, the Study of Guanaco and Livestock Conflicts During the 2010s and 2020s 8.3 Guanaco Population Size 8.3.1 Population Abundance in Torres del Paine National Park and Surroundings 8.3.2 Population Growth and Recovery in Chilean Tierra del Fuego 8.4 Guanaco Ecology 8.4.1 Genetic Patterns of the Patagonian Guanacos in Chile 8.4.2 Patterns of Maternal Expenditure in Juvenile Guanaco’s Influence on Reproduction and Survival 8.4.3 The Puma as a Population Modulator of Guanacos in Torres del Paine National Park, an Historical Perspective 8.5 Guanaco Conservation Strategies in Chile 8.5.1 Chilean Legislation Applied to Guanaco Protection and Management 8.5.2 Protected Areas in Chilean Patagonia, Refuges for the Guanaco 8.6 Guanaco and Livestock Interactions 8.6.1 Spatial Competition in Agrarian Areas around Torres del Paine National Park 8.6.2 Competition for Food Resources in the Chilean Patagonia 8.6.3 Interactions Between Guanacos and Livestock Ranching: Social Perceptions, Local Conflicts, and Potential Solutions 8.7 Productive Management of the Guanaco, Failures and Successes 8.7.1 Management Based on Captivity 8.7.2 Management Based on Hunting 8.7.3 Future Perspectives References Chapter 9: Lessons for the Future of Conservation and Sustainable Use of Guanacos 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Guanaco Conservation and Sustainable Use 9.2.1 Nature Conservation Is a Highly Political Process 9.2.2 Guanaco Conservation Requires Integrating Scientific Information from Disparate Disciplines as well as Local Traditional Knowledge into Decision-Making and Strengthening Participatory Processes 9.2.3 The Implementation of Animal Welfare Protocols Based on Sound Science Is Crucial to Achieve Guanaco Sustainable Use 9.2.4 A Transparent Market for Guanaco Fibre Should Be Established and Added Value at the Local Level Should Be Promoted 9.2.5 Harvesting Guanacos for Meat Requires Filling Information Gaps 9.2.6 The Uncertainty Regarding Resource Rights Over Guanacos and the Unequal Distribution of Usufruct Rights Reduces the Likelihood of Producers Becoming Interested in Joining the Activity and Instead Promotes Poaching 9.2.7 Need for Governmental Support at Different Levels 9.2.8 Need for Work on Policies at a Regional Scale 9.3 Recoupling the Social and the Biological Systems References