Assessing temporal variability

in habitat quality for vicuñas

Assessing temporal variability

in habitat quality for vicuñas.

Jerry Laker and Parivash LumsdonJerry Laker and Parivash Lumsdon

The VicuñaVicugna vicugnaOrder: Camelidae

Weight: 33 – 55 kg

Height: 0.75-1m to withers

Status: CITES App II

Fibre: 12-15 μm

Fleece weight: 0.2 kg

Altitude range: 3.5 – 5 km a.s.l.

Genetics: 2 subspecies

Vicugna vicugna mensalis Vicugna vicugna vicugna

What’s so special?The vicuña bears the highest quality natural textile fibre on earth

Vicuña distribution

and population

Sources: CONAF/DGB/CONACS/Cajal-Cabezas

Peru

Bolivia

Argentina

Chile

227,500180,10082,60014,500Total2,0001,60000Ecuador

16,90019,8008,000500Chile33,50022,1008,2001,000Argentina56,40033,8004,5003,000Bolivia118,700102,80061,90010,000Peru

2001199719811969

Tota

l vic

uña

in a

ltipl

ano

Population growth shows no sign of slowing….

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

19651970

19751980

19851990

19952000

2005

?

ParinacotaParinacota, , Northern ChileNorthern Chile

Vicuña population in Parinacota 1975-2003

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

Population growth rate by population

R2 = 0.551

-0.3000

-0.2000

-0.1000

0.0000

0.1000

0.2000

0.3000

0.4000

0.5000

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000

Population size

Popu

latio

n gr

owth

rate

, r

Source: Bonacic, C., D. W. Macdonald, et al. (2002). "Density dependence in the camelid Vicugna vicugna: the recovery of a protected population in Chile." Oryx 2: 118-125.

Cria per female

y = 0.4056xR2 = 0.8975

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

N fem ales

N c

ria

1975Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1975

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1976

1977

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1978

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1979

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1980

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1981

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1982

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

Total population

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

1983

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

Total population

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

1984

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

Total population

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

1985

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

Total population

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

1986

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1987

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1988

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1989

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1990

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1991

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1992

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1995

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Total population

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 260

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

1999

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 260

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

2001

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 260

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Resurgence of vicuña populations following introduction of conservation measuresI region, Chile

2001

NDVI scale

Mean monthly rainfall

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Rai

nfal

l (m

m)

Total annual rainfall

050

100150200250300350400450

Caquena (North) Salar de Surire (South)

N

S

Monthly rainfall 1998-2004

050

100150200250300350400

Jan

May Sep Jan

May Sep Jan

May Sep Jan

May Sep Jan

May SepR

ainf

all (

mm

)

Mean greenness score per month

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

20.00

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

CasiriChivatamboContorineQuisiquisine

Vicuna census 1975-2003

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1996

2001

2003

CasiriChivatamboContorineQuisiquisine

Grazing intensity vs. greenness score

R2 = 0.3062

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Annual green production

Vicu

nas

+ do

mes

tic a

nim

als

per

km2

Mean greenness score per month

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Chuquiananta

Japocota

Angostura

Casiri

Taapaca

Jaillabe

Rinconada Caquena

Guane Guane

Japane

Las Cuevas

Pampa Chucuyo

Parinacota

Alto Socoroma

Ancocholloane

Queñuta

Chungara

Quisiquisine

Portezuelo Chapiquiña

Portezuelo Belén

Chivatambo

Churiguaylla

Catane

Vichuta

Japu

Marquez

Guallane

Contorine

Paquiza

Cross check to known vegetation types

This index relates to all green herbage, not

necessarily that selected by vicuñas.

Conclusions

Greenness score:Gives a convenient relative measure

of green biomass.

• Can identify year to year variations in herbage availability

• can be used to characterise areas in terms of their annual herbage production profile

AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the other members of the Proyecto MACS team.

In particular:

Jorge HerrerosCristian Bonacic,Alejandra Muñoz

Proyecto MACS receives funding from the European Commission INCO-DEV research programme:

ICA4-CT-2001-10044