Abstract

SALINAS, Patricia et al. Medium and large-sized mammals in rice-fields of the Misiones and Itapúa departments, Paraguay. Rep. cient. FACEN [online]. 2022, vol.13, n.1, pp.10-19. ISSN 2222-145X.  https://doi.org/10.18004/rcfacen.2022.13.1.10.

In Paraguay, agriculture has expanded throughout the territory, mainly in the Eastern Region, with a large amount of rice production, constituted as artificial wetlands, which are home to a large number of fauna, mainly birds. Information on mammals and agriculture is still scarce at the regional level and in particular for Paraguay, therefore, the objective of this work was to analyze the diversity of mammals associated with rice cultivation, whose development was located in the departments of Misiones and Itapúa. The sampling sites present varied environments, such as marshes associated with artificial water channels, pastures, forests and the rice cultivation area. The study area included three rice cultivation properties, and a total of 33 sampling stations were established, in each of which a camera trap was installed at 50 cm above the ground. Sampling was carried out from September 2020 to April 2021, with an effort of 2423 trap days. Fauna monitoring by photo-trapping yielded a total of 2577 mammal photographic captures. A richness of 17 species of mammals belonging to 13 families and seven orders was recorded. Among the species recorded, Chrysocyon brachyurus and Leopardus guttulus are categorized as Vulnerable (VU) at the international level (IUCN), and threatened with extinction at the national level (MADES), both species were present in the three sites evaluated. We recommend biodiversity sampling and joint work with agricultural producers in order to establish management plans that allow the conservation of biodiversity in productive environments.

Keywords : Agroecosystems; photo-trapping; wetlands; mastozoology.

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