Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America

Effective conservation management of threatened species with transboundary distributions is a challenge, requiring international coordination to ensure that country-specific actions align with regional imperatives. Many international conservation efforts overlook species needing attention and fail t...

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Main Authors: Nicolás Fuentes-Allende, Cristina Mata, Javier Barrio, Paulo Corti, Gabriel Llerena, Velia Mendoza, Ángela Nuñez, Ramiro Ovejero, Luis F. Pacheco, Hernán Pastore, Josef Rechberger, Hector A. Regidor, Jhonson Vizcarra, Esteban Zúñiga, Benito A. González
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press
Series:Oryx
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324001479/type/journal_article
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author Nicolás Fuentes-Allende
Cristina Mata
Javier Barrio
Paulo Corti
Gabriel Llerena
Velia Mendoza
Ángela Nuñez
Ramiro Ovejero
Luis F. Pacheco
Hernán Pastore
Josef Rechberger
Hector A. Regidor
Jhonson Vizcarra
Esteban Zúñiga
Benito A. González
author_facet Nicolás Fuentes-Allende
Cristina Mata
Javier Barrio
Paulo Corti
Gabriel Llerena
Velia Mendoza
Ángela Nuñez
Ramiro Ovejero
Luis F. Pacheco
Hernán Pastore
Josef Rechberger
Hector A. Regidor
Jhonson Vizcarra
Esteban Zúñiga
Benito A. González
author_sort Nicolás Fuentes-Allende
collection DOAJ
description Effective conservation management of threatened species with transboundary distributions is a challenge, requiring international coordination to ensure that country-specific actions align with regional imperatives. Many international conservation efforts overlook species needing attention and fail to incorporate the field expertise of local researchers in regional-level assessments. Here we focus on the taruka Hippocamelus antisensis, a threatened and little-studied deer of the Central Andes Ecoregion in South America. Since 2016, experts, managers and governmental authorities from all countries encompassing the species’ range have gathered to collate information about its presence and coordinate efforts to conserve it. We constructed taruka distribution models using historical records and more recent sightings reported during the last 50 years. Our findings revealed several critical insights: slope, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the dry season, and daily and seasonal temperature variability are primary predictors of taruka distribution, and the largest part of its range is in Peru (54%), followed by Bolivia (30%), Argentina (10%) and Chile (6%). The species’ core distribution is confined to the western and eastern limits of the Central Andes Ecoregion, bordered by the Sechura and Atacama Desert to the west and the Yungas Forest to the east. Protection is limited, with only 12 and 8% of the core and non-core areas, respectively, of the species’ range under formal protection. We recommend safeguarding connectivity of the core distribution by establishing transboundary protected areas, improving taruka coexistence with local communities, strengthening and formalizing international collaboration amongst taruka experts and raising the species’ appeal amongst policymakers and the public. In particular, we hope to encourage international collaboration between Southern Hemisphere specialists. This is important because these researchers have extensive field knowledge that could improve global conservation efforts, especially in regions that lack adequate conservation funding.
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spelling doaj-art-6b2e0e59a79e458aa90f880b0f9a3ea72025-08-20T01:55:31ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-300811310.1017/S0030605324001479Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South AmericaNicolás Fuentes-Allende0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8487-1943Cristina Mata1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6206-1015Javier Barrio2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6109-2645Paulo Corti3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8253-2195Gabriel Llerena4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5827-2963Velia Mendoza5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5900-3263Ángela Nuñez6Ramiro Ovejero7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1061-4159Luis F. Pacheco8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8844-9942Hernán Pastore9Josef Rechberger10Hector A. Regidor11Jhonson Vizcarra12https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3458-2718Esteban Zúñiga13Benito A. González14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0039-5722IUCN Species Survival Commission Deer Specialist Group Laboratorio de Manejo y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile Fundación Sudamérica Diversa, Panguipulli, ChileTerrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, SpainIUCN Species Survival Commission Deer Specialist Group Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad, Lima, PeruIUCN Species Survival Commission Deer Specialist Group Laboratorio de Manejo y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, ChileMuseo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Arequipa, PeruLaboratorio de Zooarqueología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, BoliviaIUCN Species Survival Commission Deer Specialist Group Red Boliviana de Mastozoología, La Paz, BoliviaIUCN Species Survival Commission South American Camelid Specialist Group Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical, CONICET-UNT, Cúpulas Horco Molle, Tucumán, ArgentinaIUCN Species Survival Commission Deer Specialist Group Colección Boliviana de Fauna, Instituto de Ecología, Carrera de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, La Paz, BoliviaIUCN Species Survival Commission Deer Specialist Group Dirección Regional Patagonia Norte, Administración de Parques Nacionales, San Carlos de Bariloche, ArgentinaCentro de Estudios en Biología Teórica y Aplicada, Cota Cota, La Paz, BoliviaFacultad de Ciencias Naturales, National University of Salta, Salta, ArgentinaAdministración Técnica Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre Moquegua-Tacna, Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre, Tacna, PeruParque Nacional Lauca, Corporación Nacional Forestal, Arica, ChileIUCN Species Survival Commission South American Camelid Specialist Group Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, ChileEffective conservation management of threatened species with transboundary distributions is a challenge, requiring international coordination to ensure that country-specific actions align with regional imperatives. Many international conservation efforts overlook species needing attention and fail to incorporate the field expertise of local researchers in regional-level assessments. Here we focus on the taruka Hippocamelus antisensis, a threatened and little-studied deer of the Central Andes Ecoregion in South America. Since 2016, experts, managers and governmental authorities from all countries encompassing the species’ range have gathered to collate information about its presence and coordinate efforts to conserve it. We constructed taruka distribution models using historical records and more recent sightings reported during the last 50 years. Our findings revealed several critical insights: slope, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the dry season, and daily and seasonal temperature variability are primary predictors of taruka distribution, and the largest part of its range is in Peru (54%), followed by Bolivia (30%), Argentina (10%) and Chile (6%). The species’ core distribution is confined to the western and eastern limits of the Central Andes Ecoregion, bordered by the Sechura and Atacama Desert to the west and the Yungas Forest to the east. Protection is limited, with only 12 and 8% of the core and non-core areas, respectively, of the species’ range under formal protection. We recommend safeguarding connectivity of the core distribution by establishing transboundary protected areas, improving taruka coexistence with local communities, strengthening and formalizing international collaboration amongst taruka experts and raising the species’ appeal amongst policymakers and the public. In particular, we hope to encourage international collaboration between Southern Hemisphere specialists. This is important because these researchers have extensive field knowledge that could improve global conservation efforts, especially in regions that lack adequate conservation funding.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324001479/type/journal_articleDistribution modellingHippocamelus antisensisinternational collaborationlocal knowledgeprotected areasSouth Americatarukatransboundary distribution
spellingShingle Nicolás Fuentes-Allende
Cristina Mata
Javier Barrio
Paulo Corti
Gabriel Llerena
Velia Mendoza
Ángela Nuñez
Ramiro Ovejero
Luis F. Pacheco
Hernán Pastore
Josef Rechberger
Hector A. Regidor
Jhonson Vizcarra
Esteban Zúñiga
Benito A. González
Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America
Oryx
Distribution modelling
Hippocamelus antisensis
international collaboration
local knowledge
protected areas
South America
taruka
transboundary distribution
title Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America
title_full Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America
title_fullStr Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America
title_full_unstemmed Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America
title_short Using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation: distribution modelling for the taruka in South America
title_sort using local scientific knowledge for transboundary conservation distribution modelling for the taruka in south america
topic Distribution modelling
Hippocamelus antisensis
international collaboration
local knowledge
protected areas
South America
taruka
transboundary distribution
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324001479/type/journal_article
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