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Sustainability of harvest of culpeo foxes in Patagonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Andres J. Novaro
Andres J. Novaro
Affiliation:
118 Newins Ziegler Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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Abstract

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Wildlife hunting, for meat and skins, is an important component of the rural economy in Argentinian Patagonia. Every year thousands of fur-bearing mammals are killed and the impact of this on their populations is unknown. This paper reports on the results of a preliminary investigation into the sustainability of the harvest of culpeo foxes Dusicyon culpaeus in a 1000-sq-km area of Neuquen Province. Monitoring of fox densities and harvest rates over 5 years on six ranches revealed that, despite intense hunting, the numbers of foxes remained little changed. On the other hand, life-table analysis suggested that the levels of hunting pressure on four ranches were too high to allow fox populations to persist unless they were boosted by immigration. The findings have applications for wildlife managers in establishing sustainable harvest rates and optimal spatial distribution of those rates.

Type
Research Article
Information
Oryx , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 18 - 22
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 1995

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