Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with u... more Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with up to 50% mortality rates. In Argentina, the Northwestern endemic area presents half of the annually notified HPS cases in the country, transmitted by at least three rodent species recognized as reservoirs of Orthohantavirus. The potential distribution of reservoir species based on ecological niche models (ENM) can be a useful tool to establish risk areas for zoonotic diseases. Our main aim was to generate an Orthohantavirus risk transmission map based on ENM of the reservoir species in northwest Argentina (NWA), to compare this map with the distribution of HPS cases; and to explore the possible effect of climatic and environmental variables on the spatial variation of the infection risk. Methods Using the reservoir geographic occurrence data, climatic/environmental variables, and the maximum entropy method, we created models of potential geographic distribution for each reservoir in NWA....
The Sigmodontinae is a highly diverse subfamily of rodents that represents almost 30% of the mamm... more The Sigmodontinae is a highly diverse subfamily of rodents that represents almost 30% of the mammalian species present in northwestern Argentina. However, the distribution of several species is delimited on the basis of scarce records. We add new localities for four poorly known species of rodents (Abrothrix andina Philippi 1858, Abrothrix jelskii Thomas 1824, Neotomys ebriosus Thomas 1894, Auliscomys sublimis Thomas 1900) in the High Andes of Jujuy and Salta provinces. We duplicate the number of known localities for A. jelskii in Salta, including the lowest known elevation record in Argentina and added the second known locality for Jujuy province. Furthermore, we add four new localities for A. sublimis, including the westernmost locality in Argentina, and reported for the first time this species at a departmental political division in NWA. Finally, we report the first departmental record for both A. andina and N. ebriosus in Valle Grande.
Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with u... more Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with up to 50% mortality rates. In Argentina, the northwestern endemic area (NWA), presents half of the annually notified-HPS cases in the country, transmitted by at least three rodent species recognized as reservoirs of orthohantavirus. The potential distribution of reservoir species based on ecological niche models (ENM) can be a useful tool to establish risk areas for zoonotic diseases. Our main aim was to generate an orthohantavirus risk map transmission based on ENM of the reservoir species in NWA, compare this map with the distribution of HPS cases and explore the possible effect of climatic and environmental variables on the spatial variation of the infection risk. Methods Using reservoir geographic occurrence data, climatic/environmental variables and the maximum entropy method, we created models of potential geographic distribution for each reservoir in NWA. We explored the overlap of...
Cline variation in ecoregion transition zones can provide strong evidence for adaptation to diffe... more Cline variation in ecoregion transition zones can provide strong evidence for adaptation to different environments. We describe the geographical gradations of phenotypes and genetic variation between two rodent species across an environmental gradient in northwestern Argentina. We applied an integrative analysis of the genetic (mtDNA) and phenotypic (skull morphometrics and pelage colorimetrics) variation in Graomys griseoflavus and G. chacoensis, at the margin of their ranges along a local transect between the Chaco and the Monte Desert ecoregions. We aimed to test the hypothesis that phenotypic clines between species corresponds with the transition between these two ecoregions. Molecular identification based on 777 bp of the mitochondrial cyt b evidenced that both species did not occur in syntopy and corroborated a marked genetic differentiation. Subtle species differences were evident in both skull morphometrics and pelage colorimetrics. Generalized additive models of phenotypic traits suggested an ecological and evolutionary interaction between species and their environment. The tympanic bullae traits showed a significant cline variation across the transition zone, both being greater in the specimens from the Monte Desert ecoregion. The phenotypic shift along the transect showed disparate patterns not always coincident with the transition between ecoregions. These patterns could arise by means of selection (or phenotypic plasticity) due to local conditions favoring different traits in populations inhabiting distinct environments.
In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of th... more In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of the Andes in northwestern Argentina. We evaluated the influence of climatic and environmental factors on species richness and abundance across two altitudinal transects between 2700 and 4700 m. We used canonical correspondence analysis, multiple regressions (GLM’s), and variation partitioning analysis to evaluate the primary productivity, environmental heterogeneity, and climate as drivers of species diversity. The general trend indicates a greater diversity towards high elevation with an abrupt decrease towards the summit. The most remarkable pattern was the coincident distribution of the maximum values for both, abundance and richness at the same altitude (3700 m). The species richness showed a flattened distribution with the maximum values between 3200 and 3700 m and a small peak at 4200 m. We found that the joint effects of environmental heterogeneity with productivity explained most of the variation for richness and abundance (86.5%, 63.2% respectively). These results highlight the complexity of the mountain environments in desert areas while emphasizing the importance of these habitats for the maintenance of biological diversity. Our results constitute an important tool for the conservation of small mammals diversity in these mountain arid environments.
Se describe la variación altitudinal de riqueza, recambio y composición de especies de micromamíf... more Se describe la variación altitudinal de riqueza, recambio y composición de especies de micromamíferos mediante muestreos a lo largo de 4 transectos que van desde selvas a 500 m hasta los desiertos altoandinos a 4 000 m en el noroeste argentino. En general, la riqueza de micromamíferos decrece con la altitud, principalmente como consecuencia de la alta diversidad de murciélagos en las tierras bajas. En cambio, los micromamíferos terrestres mostraron un claro patrón curvilíneo de riqueza con un pico en altitudes intermedias, cerca de la línea superior de bosques a 2 700 m. Los valores máximos de los índices de recambio de especies se localizaron en el extremo superior del gradiente a 3 500 m. La composición de las comunidades de micromamíferos en cada transecto altitudinal individual fue concordante con el esquema fitogeográfico, encontrándose especies características de las selvas montanas, los bosques montanos y las estepas altoandinas. El análisis de los 4 transectos altitudinales ...
In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of th... more In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of the Andes in northwestern Argentina. We evaluated the influence of climatic and environmental factors on species richness and abundance across two altitudinal transects between 2700 and 4700 m. We used canonical correspondence analysis, multiple regressions (GLM’s), and variation partitioning analysis to evaluate the primary productivity, environmental heterogeneity, and climate as drivers of species diversity. The general trend indicates a greater diversity towards high elevation with an abrupt decrease towards the summit. The most remarkable pattern was the coincident distribution of the maximum values for both, abundance and richness at the same altitude (3700 m). The species richness showed a flattened distribution with the maximum values between 3200 and 3700 m and a small peak at 4200 m. We found that the joint effects of environmental heterogeneity with productivity explained most of the variation for richness and abundance (86.5%, 63.2% respectively). These results highlight the complexity of the mountain environments in desert areas while emphasizing the importance of these habitats for the maintenance of biological diversity. Our results constitute an important tool for the conservation of small mammals diversity in these mountain arid environments.
RESUMEN. En la actualidad se conocen 67 especies de murciélagos para Argentina. A pesar de que lo... more RESUMEN. En la actualidad se conocen 67 especies de murciélagos para Argentina. A pesar de que los registros geográficos de las especies están bien documentados, sus patrones distribucionales a escala nacional no han sido estudiados hasta el momento. En este trabajo analizamos la totalidad de los registros validados, con el fin de identificar patrones de riqueza de especies y congruencia distribucional. La mayor riqueza específica se concentra en la Selva Paranaense y en las Yungas y se observa una marcada caída de riqueza en el gradiente latitudinal. La coincidencia de los rangos geográficos de las especies define un total de 47 áreas de congruencia distribucional consenso, y cada una fue asignada a uno de los ocho patrones identificados: las Yungas, el sector norte de las Yungas (anidado con el anterior), el noreste, un patrón disyunto que incluye el noroeste y el noreste del país, la región chaqueña unida a otras regiones circundantes y la región patagónica. Cincuenta y un especies (76% del total) resultaron caracterizadoras. Varios de los patrones encontrados son coincidentes con áreas recuperadas para otros organismos (vegetales y animales), aspecto que podría sugerir la existencia de áreas con historias comunes para gran parte de la biota de la región. ABSTRACT. Biogeographic patterns of the bats of Argentina: species richness and distributionalcongruence. Currently 67 species of bats are recognized for the fauna of Argentina. Notwithstanding the geographical records of the species are well documented, their distributional patterns on a national scale have not been studied so far. In this study, we analyze all the validated records, in order to identify patterns of species richness and distributional congruence. The highest species richness was located in the Paraná forest (northeast) and the Yungas forest (northwest), with a marked drop in richness in the latitudinal gradient. The coincidence of the geographical ranges of the species defined a total of 47 consensus areas of distributional congruence, and each one was assigned to one of eight identified patterns: the Yungas, the northern sector of the Yungas (nested with the previous one), the northeast, a disjunct pattern that includes the northwest and northeast of the country, the Chaco region along with other surrounding regions, and the Patagonian region.
We describe the altitudinal variation in species richness, turnover and species composition of sm... more We describe the altitudinal variation in species richness, turnover and species composition of small mammals through field surveys along 4 transects ranging from tropical rainforests at 500 m to high Andean deserts at 4 000 m in northwestern Argentina. The elevation pattern of richness for all small mammals decreases with altitude, mainly due to the high diversity of bats in the lowlands. For the terrestrial small mammals there was a clear curvilinear pattern of richness with a peak near the upper tree line at 2 700 m. The maximum values of the species turnover rates were located in the upper part of the gradient at 3 500 m. The composition of small mammals communities in every single elevation transect was consistent with the phytogeographic scheme, with species characteristics of montane rainforest, temperate cloud forests and high Andean steppes. The analysis of the 4 altitudinal transects together revealed that elevation is the main source of variation in species composition. La...
Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with u... more Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with up to 50% mortality rates. In Argentina, the Northwestern endemic area presents half of the annually notified HPS cases in the country, transmitted by at least three rodent species recognized as reservoirs of Orthohantavirus. The potential distribution of reservoir species based on ecological niche models (ENM) can be a useful tool to establish risk areas for zoonotic diseases. Our main aim was to generate an Orthohantavirus risk transmission map based on ENM of the reservoir species in northwest Argentina (NWA), to compare this map with the distribution of HPS cases; and to explore the possible effect of climatic and environmental variables on the spatial variation of the infection risk. Methods Using the reservoir geographic occurrence data, climatic/environmental variables, and the maximum entropy method, we created models of potential geographic distribution for each reservoir in NWA....
The Sigmodontinae is a highly diverse subfamily of rodents that represents almost 30% of the mamm... more The Sigmodontinae is a highly diverse subfamily of rodents that represents almost 30% of the mammalian species present in northwestern Argentina. However, the distribution of several species is delimited on the basis of scarce records. We add new localities for four poorly known species of rodents (Abrothrix andina Philippi 1858, Abrothrix jelskii Thomas 1824, Neotomys ebriosus Thomas 1894, Auliscomys sublimis Thomas 1900) in the High Andes of Jujuy and Salta provinces. We duplicate the number of known localities for A. jelskii in Salta, including the lowest known elevation record in Argentina and added the second known locality for Jujuy province. Furthermore, we add four new localities for A. sublimis, including the westernmost locality in Argentina, and reported for the first time this species at a departmental political division in NWA. Finally, we report the first departmental record for both A. andina and N. ebriosus in Valle Grande.
Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with u... more Background Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rodent-borne zoonosis in the Americas, with up to 50% mortality rates. In Argentina, the northwestern endemic area (NWA), presents half of the annually notified-HPS cases in the country, transmitted by at least three rodent species recognized as reservoirs of orthohantavirus. The potential distribution of reservoir species based on ecological niche models (ENM) can be a useful tool to establish risk areas for zoonotic diseases. Our main aim was to generate an orthohantavirus risk map transmission based on ENM of the reservoir species in NWA, compare this map with the distribution of HPS cases and explore the possible effect of climatic and environmental variables on the spatial variation of the infection risk. Methods Using reservoir geographic occurrence data, climatic/environmental variables and the maximum entropy method, we created models of potential geographic distribution for each reservoir in NWA. We explored the overlap of...
Cline variation in ecoregion transition zones can provide strong evidence for adaptation to diffe... more Cline variation in ecoregion transition zones can provide strong evidence for adaptation to different environments. We describe the geographical gradations of phenotypes and genetic variation between two rodent species across an environmental gradient in northwestern Argentina. We applied an integrative analysis of the genetic (mtDNA) and phenotypic (skull morphometrics and pelage colorimetrics) variation in Graomys griseoflavus and G. chacoensis, at the margin of their ranges along a local transect between the Chaco and the Monte Desert ecoregions. We aimed to test the hypothesis that phenotypic clines between species corresponds with the transition between these two ecoregions. Molecular identification based on 777 bp of the mitochondrial cyt b evidenced that both species did not occur in syntopy and corroborated a marked genetic differentiation. Subtle species differences were evident in both skull morphometrics and pelage colorimetrics. Generalized additive models of phenotypic traits suggested an ecological and evolutionary interaction between species and their environment. The tympanic bullae traits showed a significant cline variation across the transition zone, both being greater in the specimens from the Monte Desert ecoregion. The phenotypic shift along the transect showed disparate patterns not always coincident with the transition between ecoregions. These patterns could arise by means of selection (or phenotypic plasticity) due to local conditions favoring different traits in populations inhabiting distinct environments.
In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of th... more In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of the Andes in northwestern Argentina. We evaluated the influence of climatic and environmental factors on species richness and abundance across two altitudinal transects between 2700 and 4700 m. We used canonical correspondence analysis, multiple regressions (GLM’s), and variation partitioning analysis to evaluate the primary productivity, environmental heterogeneity, and climate as drivers of species diversity. The general trend indicates a greater diversity towards high elevation with an abrupt decrease towards the summit. The most remarkable pattern was the coincident distribution of the maximum values for both, abundance and richness at the same altitude (3700 m). The species richness showed a flattened distribution with the maximum values between 3200 and 3700 m and a small peak at 4200 m. We found that the joint effects of environmental heterogeneity with productivity explained most of the variation for richness and abundance (86.5%, 63.2% respectively). These results highlight the complexity of the mountain environments in desert areas while emphasizing the importance of these habitats for the maintenance of biological diversity. Our results constitute an important tool for the conservation of small mammals diversity in these mountain arid environments.
Se describe la variación altitudinal de riqueza, recambio y composición de especies de micromamíf... more Se describe la variación altitudinal de riqueza, recambio y composición de especies de micromamíferos mediante muestreos a lo largo de 4 transectos que van desde selvas a 500 m hasta los desiertos altoandinos a 4 000 m en el noroeste argentino. En general, la riqueza de micromamíferos decrece con la altitud, principalmente como consecuencia de la alta diversidad de murciélagos en las tierras bajas. En cambio, los micromamíferos terrestres mostraron un claro patrón curvilíneo de riqueza con un pico en altitudes intermedias, cerca de la línea superior de bosques a 2 700 m. Los valores máximos de los índices de recambio de especies se localizaron en el extremo superior del gradiente a 3 500 m. La composición de las comunidades de micromamíferos en cada transecto altitudinal individual fue concordante con el esquema fitogeográfico, encontrándose especies características de las selvas montanas, los bosques montanos y las estepas altoandinas. El análisis de los 4 transectos altitudinales ...
In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of th... more In this research we explore elevation gradient of small mammal diversity on the arid slopes of the Andes in northwestern Argentina. We evaluated the influence of climatic and environmental factors on species richness and abundance across two altitudinal transects between 2700 and 4700 m. We used canonical correspondence analysis, multiple regressions (GLM’s), and variation partitioning analysis to evaluate the primary productivity, environmental heterogeneity, and climate as drivers of species diversity. The general trend indicates a greater diversity towards high elevation with an abrupt decrease towards the summit. The most remarkable pattern was the coincident distribution of the maximum values for both, abundance and richness at the same altitude (3700 m). The species richness showed a flattened distribution with the maximum values between 3200 and 3700 m and a small peak at 4200 m. We found that the joint effects of environmental heterogeneity with productivity explained most of the variation for richness and abundance (86.5%, 63.2% respectively). These results highlight the complexity of the mountain environments in desert areas while emphasizing the importance of these habitats for the maintenance of biological diversity. Our results constitute an important tool for the conservation of small mammals diversity in these mountain arid environments.
RESUMEN. En la actualidad se conocen 67 especies de murciélagos para Argentina. A pesar de que lo... more RESUMEN. En la actualidad se conocen 67 especies de murciélagos para Argentina. A pesar de que los registros geográficos de las especies están bien documentados, sus patrones distribucionales a escala nacional no han sido estudiados hasta el momento. En este trabajo analizamos la totalidad de los registros validados, con el fin de identificar patrones de riqueza de especies y congruencia distribucional. La mayor riqueza específica se concentra en la Selva Paranaense y en las Yungas y se observa una marcada caída de riqueza en el gradiente latitudinal. La coincidencia de los rangos geográficos de las especies define un total de 47 áreas de congruencia distribucional consenso, y cada una fue asignada a uno de los ocho patrones identificados: las Yungas, el sector norte de las Yungas (anidado con el anterior), el noreste, un patrón disyunto que incluye el noroeste y el noreste del país, la región chaqueña unida a otras regiones circundantes y la región patagónica. Cincuenta y un especies (76% del total) resultaron caracterizadoras. Varios de los patrones encontrados son coincidentes con áreas recuperadas para otros organismos (vegetales y animales), aspecto que podría sugerir la existencia de áreas con historias comunes para gran parte de la biota de la región. ABSTRACT. Biogeographic patterns of the bats of Argentina: species richness and distributionalcongruence. Currently 67 species of bats are recognized for the fauna of Argentina. Notwithstanding the geographical records of the species are well documented, their distributional patterns on a national scale have not been studied so far. In this study, we analyze all the validated records, in order to identify patterns of species richness and distributional congruence. The highest species richness was located in the Paraná forest (northeast) and the Yungas forest (northwest), with a marked drop in richness in the latitudinal gradient. The coincidence of the geographical ranges of the species defined a total of 47 consensus areas of distributional congruence, and each one was assigned to one of eight identified patterns: the Yungas, the northern sector of the Yungas (nested with the previous one), the northeast, a disjunct pattern that includes the northwest and northeast of the country, the Chaco region along with other surrounding regions, and the Patagonian region.
We describe the altitudinal variation in species richness, turnover and species composition of sm... more We describe the altitudinal variation in species richness, turnover and species composition of small mammals through field surveys along 4 transects ranging from tropical rainforests at 500 m to high Andean deserts at 4 000 m in northwestern Argentina. The elevation pattern of richness for all small mammals decreases with altitude, mainly due to the high diversity of bats in the lowlands. For the terrestrial small mammals there was a clear curvilinear pattern of richness with a peak near the upper tree line at 2 700 m. The maximum values of the species turnover rates were located in the upper part of the gradient at 3 500 m. The composition of small mammals communities in every single elevation transect was consistent with the phytogeographic scheme, with species characteristics of montane rainforest, temperate cloud forests and high Andean steppes. The analysis of the 4 altitudinal transects together revealed that elevation is the main source of variation in species composition. La...
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Papers by Ignacio Ferro