Diversity and co-occurrence of small and medium sized mammals in rock outcrops of the Desert Puna

ABSTRACTLimited knowledge exists about rock outcrops in Argentina, especially in the Puna ecoregion. This study investigated small and medium-sized mammal diversity using caves and crevices in Desert Puna’s rocky areas. Three rock outcrop sites, >1 km apart at Don Carmelo Reserve, were equipped with five camera traps each. Monitoring spanned 34 days (dry season) and 22 days (wet season). Five mammal species utilized caves and crevices, with 99% sampling coverage in both seasons. The wet season had slightly higher species richness, while the dry season showed higher diversity. Co-occurrence analysis revealed multiple rodent species sharing caves, indicating substantial species sharing and potential interactions in this habitat. These findings enhance our understanding of mammalian communities and the ecological complexities of the Puna ecoregion.Key policy insights Rock outcrops are important environments worldwide because of the biodiversity they support.Rock outcrops represent stable refuges for wildlife, providing a space with thermal buffering, water and food in Desert Puna.We suggest it is necessary to include restrictions on human activities likely to affect rock outcrops, for they are sites of high local diversity.KEYWORDS: Cavesrodentsrichnesscamera trapscentral western Argentinahill numbers AcknowledgementsHorak kindly improved the English version of our text.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Supplementary materialSupplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2023.2256699Additional informationFundingThis research was partially funded by Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Argentina, through the CICITCA - Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas y de Creación Artística (Scientific and Technical Research and Artistic Creation Council). [CICITCA grants E/339 to C. E. Borghi].Notes on contributorsG. A. Rivero-CastroG. A. Rivero-Castro is a doctoral fellow in biological sciences at CIGEOBIO-CONICET-UNSJ (Centro de Investigaciones de la Geósfera y la Biósfera-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Juan). His line of work focusses on the effects of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the assemblage of small and medium-sized mammals.V. A. BeninatoV. A. Beninato is a collaborator in investigation at the CIGEOBIO-CONICET- UNSJ (Centro de Investigaciones de la Geósfera y Biósfera-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Juan). Her main interests lie in the ecological study of small mammals in arid lands.S. M. GiannoniS. M. Giannoni is a professor at the National University of San Juan and a Scientific Researcher at the CIGEOBIO-CONICET-UNSJ (Centro de Investigaciones de la Geósfera y Biósfera-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Juan). Her main interests focus on the effect of disturbances on various taxa, including arthropods, vertebrates and plants, in arid lands.C. E. BorghiC. E. Borghi is a professor at the National University of San Juan and a Scientific Researcher in the CIGEOBIO-CONICET-UNSJ (Centro de Investigaciones de la Geósfera y Biósfera-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de San Juan). Borghi’s main research interests are biological conservation, ecology, vertebrate–plant interactions, and the effects of anthropic perturbations on populations and communities.