An assessment of the populations of Sylvilagus brasiliensis meridensis in páramos with different vegetation structures in the Northeastern Andes of Ecuador

A defecation rate is calculated from three captured páramo rabbit Sylvilagus brasiliensis meridensis individuals for the first time in Ecuador. Combining this defecation rate, the pellet count method, and Novaro et al.’s (1992) hare density equation, páramo rabbit densities were calculated in four p...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: García Mejía, Juanita
Formato: tesis de maestría
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:Ecuador
Recursos:Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Repositorio:Repositorio Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.usfq.edu.ec:23000/4311
Acesso em linha:http://repositorio.usfq.edu.ec/handle/23000/4311
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Conejos
Ecología Animal
Censos
Páramos
Ciencias agropecuarias
Veterinaria
Descrição
Resumo:A defecation rate is calculated from three captured páramo rabbit Sylvilagus brasiliensis meridensis individuals for the first time in Ecuador. Combining this defecation rate, the pellet count method, and Novaro et al.’s (1992) hare density equation, páramo rabbit densities were calculated in four páramo localities with different vegetation structures. A correlation was found between the páramos’ vegetation diversity and páramo rabbit densities. This study shows that pellet counting is an economical and non-invasive method that permits the estimation of páramo rabbit abundances in páramo ecosystems. Páramo rabbit abundances may serve as a tool to measure the effects of human activity over small mammal population sizes. Further studies of small páramo mammals will help better understand how the páramo ecosystem functions and will provide insights for its land management and conservation.