Patrones de desplazamiento de la peta negra - Geochelone carbonaria (Testudines: Testudinidae) - en el Chaco boliviano
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Ecología en Bolivia
Abstract
En la región del Chaco boliviano la tortuga negra Geochelone carbonaria es un reptil importante para los pueblos indígenas por motivos de subsistencia y medicina tradicional. Sin embargo, el conocimiento de aspectos biológicos y ecológicos es muy pobre. El presente artículo describe áreas de acción para la especie en dos campamentos de investigación a largo plazo del Parque Nacional Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco. El método principal empleado ha sido la radio-telemetría en quince individuos durante dos años. Las tortugas ocuparon áreas de acción de 50-600 ha, con territorios ocupados por machos unas tres veces más grandes que los territorios ocupados por hembras. Existe solapamiento territorial entre individuos de ambos sexos, hasta 96% entre individuos observados, con múltiples individuos solapados entre sí, y tanto machos como hembras desplazan sus áreas de acción entre épocas seca y húmeda. Las áreas de acción relativamente grandes para un animal de este tamaño en el Chaco, en combinación con cambios de áreas de acción entre época seca y húmeda, inclusive dentro de áreas protegidas, indica que la conservación de la tortuga negra en paisajes impactados por humanos requerirá de la provisión de recursos claves como son alimentos, agua y refugios adecuados cuando estos mismos escaseen. Como alternativa, los territorios indígenas y las propiedades ganaderas deberán resguardar reservas comunales y privadas superando las 1.000 ha para poder mantener poblaciones de tortugas en sus tierras.
In the Bolivian Chaco, the tortoise Geochelone carbonaria is an important reptile to indigenous people for subsistence purposes and in traditional medicine. In Bolivia the species is considered near threatened, while observations suggest it is less abundant near communities and cattle ranches. However, understanding of its biology and ecology is limited. As part of a landscape conservation program with indigenous land and wildlife management, this article describes research on ranging patterns for the species at two long-term research camps in the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park. The principal research method is radio-telemetry with 15 individuals over a two-year period. The tortoises occupy home ranges of 50-600 ha, with males using ranges three times larger than females. Individual home ranges overlap, up to 96% between pairs of monitored individuals, with multiple individual ranges overlapping simultaneously, while many males and females shift their ranges between wet and dry seasons. The relatively large ranges for an animal of this size in the Chaco, combined with shifting ranges across seasons, even in protected areas, means that conservation of red-footed tortoises within human-impacted landscapes will require provision of key resources that include appropriate food, water, and shelter where these become scarce. Alternatively, indigenous territories and ranches will need to set aside communal and private reserves exceeding 1,000 ha in order to maintain tortoise populations on their lands.
In the Bolivian Chaco, the tortoise Geochelone carbonaria is an important reptile to indigenous people for subsistence purposes and in traditional medicine. In Bolivia the species is considered near threatened, while observations suggest it is less abundant near communities and cattle ranches. However, understanding of its biology and ecology is limited. As part of a landscape conservation program with indigenous land and wildlife management, this article describes research on ranging patterns for the species at two long-term research camps in the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park. The principal research method is radio-telemetry with 15 individuals over a two-year period. The tortoises occupy home ranges of 50-600 ha, with males using ranges three times larger than females. Individual home ranges overlap, up to 96% between pairs of monitored individuals, with multiple individual ranges overlapping simultaneously, while many males and females shift their ranges between wet and dry seasons. The relatively large ranges for an animal of this size in the Chaco, combined with shifting ranges across seasons, even in protected areas, means that conservation of red-footed tortoises within human-impacted landscapes will require provision of key resources that include appropriate food, water, and shelter where these become scarce. Alternatively, indigenous territories and ranches will need to set aside communal and private reserves exceeding 1,000 ha in order to maintain tortoise populations on their lands.
Description
Vol. 48, No. 1