Phenological drivers of ungulate migration in South America: characterizing the movement and seasonal habitat use of guanacos.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Migration is a widespread strategy among ungulates to cope with seasonality. Phenology, especially in seasonally snow-covered landscapes featuring "white waves" of snow accumulation and "green waves" of plant green-up, is a phenomenon that many migratory ungulates navigate. Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are native camelids to South America and might be the last ungulate in South America that migrates. However, a detailed description of guanacos´ migratory attributes, including whether they surf or jump phenological waves is lacking.

Methods

We quantified the migratory movements of 21 adult guanacos over three years in Patagonia, Argentina. We analyzed annual movement patterns using net squared displacement (NSD) and home range overlap and quantified snow and vegetation

SUBMITTER: Candino M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9375948 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature