Enrique H. Bucher

• Dr.
• Professor Emeritus at National University of Córdoba

Secondary cavity nesters, bird species that rely on the presence of existing cavities, are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and stochastic processes that reduce the availability of cavity bearing trees. The most common logging practice in Neotropical forests is selective logging, where a few valuable tree species are logged, primarily old, large...

Laguna Mar Chiquita y Bañados del Rio Dulce (Córdoba, Argentina). This book (in Spanish) provides a comprehensive integration of the available information on the geography, geological history, geomorphology, limnology, biodiversity (including fauna and flora species lists) and ecology of Mar Chiquita (central Argentina), the largest saline lake in...

Food resource availability regulates population levels and reproductive success in several parrot species. Of the 59 threatened parrot species in the Neotropics, information on diet is available for only 34. Unsustainable forest management can eliminate trees with seeds and fruits that are key food resources for parrots. Tucuman Amazon Amazona tucu...

This chapter provides an overview of the main geographic characteristics of the Mar Chiquita wetland, including the large Mar Chiquita Salt Lake and the Dulce River wetland, two closely linked landscape and hydrological units. The main aspects covered in the remaining chapters of the book are briefly summarized and the key points integrated under a...

The present knowledge about the mammal component of Mar Chiquita is summarized in this chapter. The analysis includes a detailed description of ten characteristics species that occur in the area, plus five that have not been confirmed, but whose presence in the area is very likely, and three that are confirmed extinct. This revision provides eviden...

One of the distinctive and most interesting characteristics of Mar Chiquita Lake is its high variability in terms of size, water volume, and water salinity. Taking into account that salinity is a key driver of ecology and species diversity of salt lakes, this chapter is structured around comparative analysis of the biodiversity and dynamics during...

The Mar Chiquita wetland is characterized by a rich and diverse bird fauna; for this reason, it has been declared a Site of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. A total of 148 strictly aquatic species have been recorded in the area. Of them, 37 are long-range migrants from North America, Northern South America, High Andes,...

There is evidence of the presence of indigenous peoples in Mar Chiquita before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, which may go as far in time as the first waves of Paleoamerican humans coming to South America over 10,000 years ago, although this needs confirmation. Instead, the presence of human groups in Mar Chiquita at the initial stages of a...

Mosquitos are perhaps the most significant hematophagous insects impacting human and animal health. In Mar Chiquita, these insects are very diverse and numerous and have direct implications on the local population because they are a nuisance to both humans and domestic animals and can transmit diseases. To date, a total of 33 species have been reco...

This chapter presents a summary of the current conservation status of Mar Chiquita Lake and Dulce River wetland, including three main sections. Firstly, a brief description of the values that support the conservation of this wetland and the legislation that provides its protected area condition are provided. Secondly, the environmental threats affe...

The water balance of the Mar Chiquita closed basin is described in term of interactions between rainfall, evaporation, and topography. This interplay of factors has shown two dramatically differing periods in Mar Chiquita, given that in the 1970s, the regional climate changed drastically, with a substantial rainfall increase that tripled the lake s...

The Dulce River wetland, located in the lower floodplain of the Dulce River, is considered one of the few large wetlands remaining in the Chaco ecoregion. This wetland is characterized by a heterogeneous and complex landscape that combines the Dulce River braided channel, temporary and permanent ponds, extended grasslands, halophytic scrubs, and el...

This chapter reviews and analyzes the most relevant ecological aspects that characterize the Mar Chiquita wetland. This analysis also raises questions that may motivate further research. The following topics are included: (a) the hydrological and ecological implications of the geographic location of Mar Chiquita in a semi-humid region, which contra...

The diversity of amphibian and reptile species of the Mar Chiquita wetland is presented in this chapter, including 16 amphibians, 18 snakes, 14 lizards, 3 amphisbenids, and 2 turtles. Each of them is briefly described, including their main characteristics and habitat preferences. Given the great environmental heterogeneity characteristic of Mar Chi...

The Mar Chiquita Lake is the depocenter of the largest quaternary endorheic basin in Argentina, which includes parts of the provinces of Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Tucuman, and Salta. The main tributaries are the Primero, Segundo, and Dulce rivers. With a surface area of between 2000 and 6000 km², depending on the level, Mar Chiquita is the larg...

This book provides a comprehensive, updated syntheses of all the information available on Mar Chiquita, covering a various aspects of the geography, geological history, biology and ecology of the site, as well as a detailed analysis of the current land-use patterns, environmental threats, and conservation issues. Mar Chiquita, located in the provin...

Summary statistics for the entire genetic pedigree. (DOCX)

Narrow-sense heritability (h2) and maternal effect (me2) of six morphological traits in the monk parakeet based on animal models (additive genetic and maternal effect). CI: Confidence interval. (DOCX)

The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a South American species unique among parrots; it builds communal stick nests that allow independence from tree or cliff cavities required by most parrots. As a very successful invasive species, it has expanded into several countries around the world. Questions remain around the factors that allowed this s...

The plantcutters (Phytotoma), a group of three endemic Cotingidae from southern South America, are the most folivorous passerines yet known. Although the foods of adult plantcutters have been investigated, there is no information on the diet of their nestlings, nor on the foods collected by breeding adults. This aspect is of interest because it is...

Wetland grasslands are disappearing around the world. The South American Chaco ecoregion, originally rich in wetlands, do not escape to this trend. Saline wetlands and grasslands are well represented in the region, particularly on the Western Chaco of Argentina. Among them, the Rio Dulce river grasslands are particularly important, considering thei...

ABSTRACT Wetland grasslands are disappearing around the world. The South American Chaco ecoregion, originally rich in wetlands, do not escape to this trend. Saline wetlands and grasslands are well represented in the region, particularly on the Western Chaco of Argentina. Among them, the Rio Dulce river grasslands are particularly im- portant, consi...

Conflicts between wildlife and agriculture have increased as cultivation has expanded into previously unexploited areas. As frequent consumers of such crops, parrots (Psittaciformes) are often persecuted, despite the lack of measured economic impacts they may cause. This situation has compromised attempts to manage potential damage and endangered p...

Starting in 2006, a new source of intense salt dust storms developed in Mar Chiquita (Córdoba, Argentina), the largest saline lake in South America. Storms originate from vast mudflats left by a 30-year expansion-retreat cycle of the lake due to changes in the regional rainfall regime. The annual frequency of salt dust storms correlated with the si...

Mar Chiquita Wind. Wind speed components (N-S, E-W) [m/s] and temperature [K] extracted from the NCEP/GDAS meteorological data for the location -30.75 S, -62.5 W. (TXT)

Helping in the cooperative breeder Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) consists of one adult helping the breeding pair (trios). We found a breeding trio composed of two males and one female in a single breeding chamber of a two-chamber compound nest. Males were full siblings. The female was half sibling of both males. The female and one male were g...

Mar Chiquita is the largest salt lake in South America. Because of its rich and diverse biodiversity, it has been designated a world site of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Despite its importance, its limnological characteristics are poorly documented. Here we report a baseline assessment of the seasonal variations of several limnological parame...

Blackbirds (Icterinae) in North America, and dickcissels (Spiza americana Gmelin), eared doves (Zenaida auriculata Des Murs), and monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus Boddaert) in South America can cause serious economic damage to grain crops. Farmers frequently advocate lethal bird damage abatement measures based on the perceived need to take immed...

We studied the activity and breeding pattern of dominant lizard species in the Arid Chaco, the southernmost subregion of the Chaco ecoregion (Chancaní Reserve, Córdoba province, Argentina). Lizards were captured with pitfall traps over a 4-year period. In total, 1449 individuals belonging to 11 of the 12 lizard species recorded in the area were tra...

Aim: The monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus (Boddaert, 1783), is a successful invasive species that has established viable populations on four continents, including North America and Europe. Of particular interest is the little known, large-scale expansion of monk parakeet within its native range on the Pampas grasslands of Argentina during the 20t...

Introduction: The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a widespread invasive species native to southern South America that has become established in many regions of the world. Monk parakeets breed in a large, fully enclosed structure built from twigs, which consist of one to many individual brooding chambers. The species has been considered to be...

Most of our knowledge of reproduction of wild parrots in the Neotropics comes from studies of tropical lowland species, with few studies addressing species of high-altitude forests. We studied the reproductive biology of Tucuman Parrots (Amazona tucumana) in north-western Argentina between 2004 and 2009. We obtained data on reproductive output for...

Introduction: The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a widespread invasive species native to southern South America that has become established in many regions of the world. Monk parakeets breed in a large, fully enclosed structure built from twigs, which consist of one to many individual brooding chambers. The species has been considered to be...

Introduction: The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a widespread invasive species native to southern South America that has become established in many regions of the world. Monk parakeets breed in a large, fully enclosed structure built from twigs, which consist of one to many individual brooding chambers. The species has been considered to be...

Tucuman Parrot Amazona tucumana breeds in the cloud-forest of south-eastern Bolivia and north-western Argentina (or Southern Yungas forest). We studied the nesting requirements of the Tucuman Parrot and assessed cavity availability, reuse, and spatial pattern of nests in El Rey National Park - one of the last mature, undisturbed areas of the Southe...

We report a comparative analysis of the environmental conditions prevailing at each successful breeding event of the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicoptarus chilensis) during the 1969–2010 period in Mar Chiquita, a large salt lake near Córdoba, Argentina. Breeding was monitored annually by air. The following parameters were measured: rainfall, water level...

This report summarizes an initial compilation of the results obtained in research on the movements of Argentine ducks that was done over a three-year period (2008-2010). The study included the following species: White-Faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata), Fulvous Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor), Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna...

El Loro Alisero (Amazona tucumana) es endémico de las selvas subtropicales de montaña del noroeste de Argentina y sur de Bolivia (Yungas Australes). En este trabajo se recopila información publicada y novedosa sobre aspectos ecológicos y de conservación del Loro Alisero. Se registró al Loro Alisero consumiendo semillas, frutos y flores de 18 especi...

Habitat degradation in the Chaco has been intense and widespread since European settlement. Detailed knowledge about its effects on the Chaco fauna is scarce despite the critical importance of such information for biodiversity conservation. The effects of habitat degradation on the Arid Chaco lizard assemblage were evaluated by comparing species ri...

The Alder Amazon (Amazona tucumana) is an endemic parrot from the subtropical montane forests of northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia (Austral Yungas). We collected published and novel information on the species biology, ecology, and conservation. We recorded Alder Amazon feeding on seeds, fruits, and flowers of 18 native and 5 alien species...

Glossy privet ( Ligustrum lucidum ) is a tree native to China that successfully invades forests of central Argentina. To fully understand glossy privet’s ecological effects on native forest, it is necessary to accurately map the distribution of glossy privet stands and the changes in biodiversity and forest structure of the invaded areas. The objec...

We analyzed the occurrence and number of viable seeds in droppings of the lizard Teius teyou, and the influence of seed ingestion on the germination capacity of Ziziphus mistol seeds in dry Chaco forests of northwestern Argentina. Seeds were found in 59% of 607 droppings collected during the wet season, belonging to Ziziphus mistol (Rhamnaceae), Ce...

Trace-element analysis has been suggested as a tool for the study of migratory connectivity because (1) trace-element abundance varies spatially in the environment, (2) trace elements are assimilated into animals' tissues through the diet, and (3) current technology permits the analysis of multiple trace elements in a small tissue sample, allowing...

The long-term (14 years) effects of a high-intensity wildfire on a lizard assemblage were studied in Chancaní Provincial Natural Park and Forest Natural Reserve (Córdoba, Argentina), by comparing a burned area with an unburned one within the protected area. Lizard diversity and abundance were measured using 25 drift-fence pitfall traps in the burne...

The Tucumán parrot Amazona tucumana is restricted to the southern Yungas mountains, from south-eastern Bolivia to north-western Argentina, and has undergone intense capture for the pet trade. We provide updated information on the status of the Bolivian population of the species and past capture levels for the international pet trade. We surveyed 18...

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) of plants remains as a little-understood, key ecological process. We present evidence indicating that granivorous pigeons may disperse large amounts of viable seeds when they die with seeds in their crops at long distance from the parent plant. Research was conducted in Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) breeding colonies...

Stable isotope analyses have revolutionized the study of migratory connectivity. However, as with all tools, their limitations must, be understood in order to derive the maximum benefit of a particular application. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of stable isotopes of C, N, H, O and S for assigning known-origin feathers to the m...

Human-induced degradation of Chaco forests has led to a mosaic of habitats with different forest conditions, offering different habitat suitability characteristics to the native fauna. Abundance and microhabitat use of Teius teyou, Liolaemus chacoensis, Cnemidophorus ocellifer, and Tropidurus etheridgei were analyzed in the western Chaco forest of...

Tillandsia capillaris Ruiz and Pav is an atmospheric epiphytic bromeliad able to grow attached to both trees and power lines in the arid–semiarid regions. We evaluated the influence of support type on nutrient sources of atmospheric bromeliads through of: a) quantity and chemical composition of material retained in the leaf surface (MRL) (dry weigh...

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) of plants remains as a little-understood, key ecological process. We present evidence indicating that granivorous pigeons may disperse large amounts of viable seeds when they die with seeds in their crops at long distance from the parent plant. Research was conducted in Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) breeding colonies...

The seasonal diet of Pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus) was examined from 431 scat samples collected during 1 year in the dry Chaco woodland of Salta Province, northwestern Argentina. Fleshy fruits dominated the diet during the dry and wet seasons, representing 69% of the total frequency and comprising 91% of the total volume. Most of the fruit d...

c1 Corresponding author. Email: aabril@agro.uncor.edu

Annual variations of activities of 13 snake species from the province of Córdoba, Argentina, are described based on the analysis of 6838 records of arrivals to the serpentarium of Centro de Zoología Aplicada (Córdoba, Argentina) between 1973 and 2000. The climate in the region is semiarid with mean annual rainfall of 650 mm concentrated in summer a...

The seasonal diet of Pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus) was examined from 431 scat samples collected during 1 year in the dry Chaco woodland of Salta Province, northwestern Argentina. Fleshy fruits dominated the diet during the dry and wet seasons, representing 69% of the total frequency and comprising 91% of the total volume. Most of the fruit d...

It is assumed in current literature that the fungus garden cultivated by leaf-cutting ants consists of a single fungus species, the putative mutualistic fungus. However, most studies report a very high rate of fungi contamination (fungi isolated from fungus gardens that are considered not to be the mutualistic fungus). In this article, we report a...

The Tucumán parrot Amazona tucumana is a rare, Near Threatened species on CITES Appendix I with a restricted range in the tropical and subtropical montane forests of Argentina and Bolivia. We assessed the conservation status of the species in Argentina based on a detailed review of available information and an extensive survey throughout its range....

Este capítulo incluye una breve introducción a la geografía del sitio RAMSAR Bañados del Rio Dulce y Laguna Mar Chiquita. Se describen las subregiones del area de la reserva. Además se describen las caracteristicas climaticas tanto a nivel del area de la reserva como a escala regional.

1. INTRODUCCIÓN En este capítulo se presenta una síntesis de la infor-mación disponible sobre los componentes físicos y químicos de la laguna Mar Chiquita. Aunque por ra-zones prácticas se tratan estos aspectos y los biológi-cos por separado, debe tenerse en cuenta que las ca-racterísticas físicas y químicas del agua de la laguna Mar Chiquita y los...

1. INTRODUCCIÓN Los flamencos (familia Phoenicopteridae) son aves acuá-ticas muy vistosas, adaptadas a vivir en ambientes con agua salada, incluidos lagos y costas marítimas. En el mundo existen seis especies, distribuidas en África, Asia y América (el Caribe y gran parte de Sudamérica). En el territorio argentino se distribuyen tres especies: el f...

La información publicada sobre el plancton de Mar Chiquita es muy limitada. Los primeros estudios fue-ron hechos por Hans Seckt, investigador de la Acade-mia Nacional de Ciencias de Córdoba. En su intere-sante trabajo, Seckt (1945) realiza observaciones y descripciones del fito y zooplancton en un período de aguas bajas y alta salinidad. Asimismo,...

1. INTRODUCCIÓN El inusitado crecimiento de las aguas de Mar Chiqui-ta que se inicia a fines de la década de 1970, con la consecuente disminución de salinidad, permitió al pejerrey ocupar y multiplicarse rápidamente en sus aguas, hasta alcanzar niveles poblacionales muy altos. Se trata, sin dudas, de un fenómeno muy significativo y de gran interés...

Seed passage through the gut of vertebrates is critical for endozoochorus seed dispersal because it may influence seed viability and germination capacity. Foxes are important fruit-eaters and presumed seed dispersers in the Chaco ecoregion. We experimentally assessed the seed passage time (SPT) and its effect on seed viability and germination in tw...

La necesidad de determinar la conectividad migratoria en diversas especies de aves ha generado el surgimiento de numerosas técnicas de marcado para determinar el origen geográfico de individuos. El uso de la composición de isótopos estables en tejidos animales es una de las técnicas que más se desarrollaron en los últimos tiempos. Su uso se basa, p...

From an ecological standpoint, the symbiosis between leaf‐cutting ants and their fungus can be described as an herbivore feeding on plant material harvested by the ants, metabolized by the fungus, and finally removed by the ants as refuse. Here, we report on a nutrient balance (soluble and insoluble carbon and nitrogen compounds) between harvested...

The unique environmental conditions in which eared dove populations exploded in southeast Brazil recently has enabled verification of a general hypothesis that had been put forward to explain earlier dove explosions elsewhere in South America. Large-scale deforestation followed by a sequence of land use developments in different parts of the State...

Information on eared dove (Zenaida auriculata) outbreaks in South America is analyzed towards finding common factors and processes for developing a conceptual model that may help to predict future outbreaks. Between 1950 and 2000, eared dove populations exploded in a number of regions in Argentina (Córdoba, Entre Ríos, San Luis, Chaco, and Salta),...

Una lista comentada de los mamíferos del sistema Laguna Mar Chiquita - Bañados del río Dulce, con especial referencia a aquellos relacionados a los ambientes acuáticos

We report changes in snake and lizard diversity and abundance following 25 years of Chaco forest restoration based on grazing suppression in Salta, Argentina. Reptile diversity and abundance was compared between a restored native forest (Los Colorados Biological Station, 10,000 ha) and an adjacent overgrazed area (Campo Grande, 7500 ha). The follow...

It is usually assumed that much of CO2 released into the atmosphere results from soil degradation in tropical and subtropical land, particularly from deforestation and conversion of forest into cropland and cultivated pastures. Accordingly, a considerable research effort has been devoted to the understanding of soil carbon balance in these ecosyste...

Microbial succession associated with litter decomposition was studied in the semi-arid western Chaco woodland of Cordoba province, Argentina. Annual rainfall in the area averages 450 mm, concentrated during the summer (October–March). We placed 200 g of freshly shed litter in metallic cages covered with 1 mm mesh divided in four equal size sectors,...

In tropical rain forest, the interface between leaf surfaces and the atmosphere is a fundamental pathway for nutrient cycling (particulary nitrogen), possibly even more important than the soil–plant interface (Parker 1994, Silver et al . 1996). Most important nutrient exchanges in the phyllosphere–atmosphere interface are mediated by microbial popu...

Leaf-cutting ants are an important component of Neotropical ecosystems, both as herbivores and soil modifying. Their influence on soils includes: (a) soil horizon alteration through soil removal; and (b) concentration of nutrients released from the refuse material dumped outside the fungus gardens. Accordingly, it is important to understand the nut...

ABSTRACT Córdoba montane forest loss and fragmentation between 1970 and 1997 We describe and analyze the deforestation process that affected the Chaco montane dry woodland in the Sierras Chicas of Córdoba, Argentina, by comparing the 1970, 1987 and 1997 situations in a 33300 ha sample area (geographic center in 31° 10´ S - 64° 20´ W) that includes...

Plantcutters (Phytotomidae) represent the only Passeriformes with a predominantly folivorous diet. Little is known however about their feeding habits and adaptations for leaf consumption. Here we analyze the relationship between diet composition and nutritional value in the white-tipped plantcutter Phytotoma rutila in a Chaco woodland in Córdoba, A...

Most researchers assume litter decomposition to take place at the site where litterfall occurs, mostly by soil micro-organisms and microfauna of less than 1 mm in size. Accordingly, the litterbag method has become the standard technique for evaluating litter decomposition rates (Schlesinger 1985, Wedderburn & Carter 1999). However, there is evid...

The pampas deer was originally distributed in the open grasslands of central and southern South America. In the Argentine Pampas, two small populations of the endemic pampas deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus celer) subspecies persist in the eastern and western extremes of its original distribution. We used ground and aerial surveys in the semiarid gras...

Leaf-cutting ants are a very specialized group of ants that cultivate fungus gardens in their nests, from which they obtain food. The current opinion is that the fungus cultivated by leaf-cutting ants digests cellulose. Here we reassess the cellulose-degrading capability of the fungus by using two complementary approaches tested in four Attini spec...