Conservation biology in Chile: Are we fulfilling our social contract?

Biodiversity conservation needs to be informed by science. On this regard, scientific efforts ought to be allocated to tackle research priorities; offer sound and explicit advice, and results ought to be translated into conservation plans and programs. If such conditions are met, scientists would be fulfilling their social contract, sensu Lubchenco. In this brief essay I analyze the fulfillment of such a contract in Chile. In general, the scarce priorities set for addressing conservation issues are not considered, only a third of scientific publications in conservation-related issues offer explicit advice and a minor fraction of relevant scientific information is considered in the preparation of conservation plans. Current mismatch between conservation science and practice weakens longstanding efforts to achieve an effective conservation of the Chilean biota. Suggestions are advanced to close the gap

Small mammal taphonomy: Intraspecific bone assemblage comparison between South and North American barn owl, Tyto alba, populations

Actualistic studies of small mammal taphonomy usually describe interspecific bone patterns of contemporary agents of bone deposition. These studies assume that each agent produces one specific bone pattern. Here we examine intraspecific bone patterning for bone assemblages produced by different barn owl, Tyto alba, populations. We analyse bone completeness and fragmentation patterns produced by this raptor between three Chilean and four North American localities. We found that the barn owl produces variable completeness and fragmentation patterns, suggesting that different raptor populations produce different bone assemblages. Our results suggest a different approach to the study of small mammal taphonomy, and that we should direct our efforts towards describing the variance associated with bone patterns. We should focus our attention on the processes that generate bone assemblages and their associated variability, emphasizing physiological and ecological causes. © 1998 Academic Pres

Observations at a Chestnut-throated Huet-huet (Pteroptochos castaneus, Rhinocryptidae) nest: parental behavior and predation attempts

The Chestnut-throated Huet-huet (Pteroptochus castaneus) is a poorly known species, endemic to Chile and Argentina. Here we describe observations made during eight days on a nest with two nestlings of the Chestnut-throated Huet-huet between September and October of 2015. The nest was in a tunnel located in a road bank, 1 km from Los Queules National Reserve, central Chile. Based on recordings from a camera trap, both members of the pair contributed to feeding of nestlings and nest sanitation. Visits bringing food constituted only 50% of the total visits to the nest. Feeding rate (0.90 +/- 0.15 trips/h) was low compared to other species of the family. We recorded a total of four predation attempts, in which three were unsuccessful during our observation: two attempts by a kod-kod (Leopardus guigna) during the night and one by a Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma); and one attempt that might have been successful: attempt by kod-kod during the night resulting in the disappearance of one nestling since the feeding rate halved afterwards

Small mammals of Maulino forest remnants, a vanishing ecosystem of south-central Chile

The Maulino forest, located at the coastal range of south central Chile, has been severely disrupted by intense human activities. Currently, landscape is dominated by large extensions of plantations of Monterrey pine, where remnants of native forest are immersed. Here, we assess consequences of Maulino forest fragmentation and habitat replacement upon small mammal fauna. We describe habitat characteristics, small mammal's composition and abundance in native forests (fragmented and continuous), but also in Pinus plantation. Population and body condition were compared among habitats, along with movement among native and Pinus forests. Higher species richness was found in continuous forest comprising Abrothrix longipilis, A. olivaceus, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, Irenomys tarsalis, Geoxus valdivianus, Rattus rattus, Octodon bridgesi, Thylamys elegans, and Dromiciops gliroides. Higher abundance was observed in fragmented forest and Pinus plantations, where A. longipilis, A. olivaceus, O.

Observations at a chestnut-throated huet-huet (Pteroptochos castaneus, rhinocryptidae) nest: Parental behavior and predation attempts Observaciones sobre un nido de hued?hued castaÑo (pteroptochos castaneus, rhinocryptidae): Comportamiento parental e inte

© The Neotropical Ornithological Society. The Chestnut-throated Huet-huet (Pteroptochus castaneus) is a poorly known species, endemic to Chile and Argentina. Here we describe observations made during eight days on a nest with two nestlings of the Chestnut-throated Huet-huet between September and October of 2015. The nest was in a tunnel located in a road bank, 1 km from Los Queules National Reserve, central Chile. Based on recordings from a camera trap, both members of the pair contributed to feeding of nestlings and nest sanitation. Visits bringing food constituted only 50% of the total visits to the nest. Feeding rate (0.90 ± 0.15 trips/h) was low compared to other species of the family. We recorded a total of four predation attempts, in which three were unsuccessful during our observation: two attempts by a kod-kod (Leopardus guigna) during the night and one by a Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma); and one attempt that might have been successful: attempt by kod-kod during the ni

Rewilding clearcuts: shrub vegetation as a facilitator of movement of a forest specialist

Replacement of native forests by exotic monoculture plantations is the principal driver of land change in central Chile; it reduces the richness and abundance of native mammals. The presence of shrub vegetation in mature pine plantation enhances habitat quality for small mammals. However, the role of structural complexity of shrub vegetation in young pine plantations after clearcutting remains unknown. Since plantations are managed by clearcutting, young pine plantations act as a barrier to movement of forest species. We tested if shrub vegetation contributes to rewilding harvested areas, assessing the movements of the long-haired field mouse (Abrothrix longipilis), a forest rodent, from native forest or mature pine plantations into young pine plantations. We evaluated habitat use at the edge of contrasting habitats, young pine plantations, and native forest or mature pine plantations. Habitat use was higher in young plantations that have shrub vegetation than those that have no shrubs. The long-haired field mouse is willing to use young plantations when shrub vegetation is developed.Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (CONICYT) CONICYT FONDECYT 1140657 CONICYT-PCHA, Magister Nacional 2015-2215144

Thermoregulatory constraints on the microhabitat use by cricetid rodents in central chile

The energetic cost of thermoregulation related to microhabitat use by nocturnal rodents is studied in four rodent species from central Chile. Rodents concentrate their activity under shrub canopies, avoiding open areas. These microhabitats are thermally similar and energy expenditure is expected to be similar in both. Therefore, thermoregulatory constraints related to microhabitat use appear to be nil in comparison with biotic factors. © 1992, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved