Examinando por Autor "Medina-Vogel, G"

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    Ecología de enfermedades infecciosas emergentes y conservación de especies silvestres
    (Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, 2010) Medina-Vogel, G
    SUMMARY Recent literature on emerging infectious diseases in wild species raises international concerns about ocean, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem health. Reports documenting infectious diseases in wild species from the last 25 years were investigated. The goals of the study were to: 1) assess the importance of habitat and alien species introduction, within the context of pollution and weather change, on emerging infectious diseases, and 2) evaluate the risk of extinction for species of conservation concern. Assessment of several important cases reveals that pathogens responsible for infectious diseases in wild species can be readily transmitted between hosts, leading to short-term epizootic infections that can threaten vulnerable declining populations. Habitat destruction and the introduction of alien species were identified as significant environmental variables that affect the ecology of emerging infectious diseases, while pollution and weather change were found to favor transmission and the creation of new hosts. A transdisciplinary approach is required to confront the multi-causal origin of these diseases. The growing risk of epizootics caused by habitat destruction, pollution and invasive alien species reveals the importance of considering infectious disease ecology in our wild species conservation efforts. Key words: risk, infectious diseases, wild species, conservation. RESUMEN Las recientes publicaciones científicas respecto de enfermedades infecciosas emergentes en especies silvestres están aumentando la preocupación internacional en el deterioro de la salud del ecosistema de los océanos, ambientes terrestres y límnicos. Se estudiaron investigaciones publicadas en los últimos 25 años. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: 1) determinar la importancia del hábitat y la introducción de especies alóctonas, dentro del contexto de la contaminación y el cambio climático, en el surgimiento de enfermedades infecciosas, y 2) evaluar el riesgo de extinción de especies con problemas de conservación. La evaluación de los casos escogidos, más importantes, permite concluir que los patógenos responsables de las enfermedades infecciosas en especies silvestres pueden transmitirse rápidamente entre huéspedes pudiendo llegar a producir en corto tiempo epizootias que pueden poner en peligro poblaciones vulnerables en declinación. La destrucción del hábitat y la introducción de especies alóctonas son variables ambientales que significativamente afectan la ecología de las enfermedades infecciosas emergentes. En cambio la contaminación y el cambio climático actúan como variables ambientales que favorecen la transmisión y la creación de nuevos huéspedes. Esta multicausalidad en el origen de las enfermedades genera la necesidad de un enfoque transdisciplinario para enfrentarlas. El riesgo creciente de epizootias debido a las variables ambientales y biológicas estudiadas, fuerza incluir en los planes de conservación y rescate de especies silvestres la ecología de las enfermedades infecciosas. Palabras clave: riesgo, enfermedades infecciosas, conservación, especies silvestres.
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    First Report on Bat Mortalities on Wind Farms in Chile
    (Universidad de Concepción. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas., 2015) Escobar, LE; Juárez, C; Medina-Vogel, G; González, CM
    In Latin America there is a lack of scientific reports of bat mortality caused by wind farms operation. We report for the first time, clear evidence of bat mortalities from wind farms in Chile. We generated an ecological niche model of the affected species, Tadarida brasiliensis, to explore areas of potential species distribution overlapping with areas with distribution of wind farms in Chile. We found that T. brasiliensis potential distribution overlaps with the current and future distribution of wind farms in Chile. Rapid developments are currently being made within the wind energy industry in Chile. Future research should quantify the impact patterns of wind farms on wildlife, explore mitigation methods, and determine the areas with high biodiversity vulnerability in Chile.
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    Ítem
    Spacing behavior of marine otters (Lontra felina) in relation to land refuges and fishery waste in central Chile
    (Oxford University Press, 2007-04-01) Medina-Vogel, G; Boher, F; Flores, G; Santibañez, A; Soto-Azat, C
    The marine otter (Lontra felina) is a little-known South American otter of conservation concern. We report the I st detailed information on its activity patterns, home ranges, core areas, and territoriality from 6 otters radio-tracked near a fishing village in central Chile. Marine otters were solitary; females exhibited intrasexual territoriality, but there was no territoriality between males or between sexes. Home ranges were <= 4,134 m long and < 110 m wide, and range size did not differ between sexes. Marine otters spent 81% of their time on land, mostly resting, with no preference for day or night. Hence, core areas were associated with resting places and dens. Otters concentrated their activity in the littoral zone associated with refuges on land and with fishing waste, which was used as a food resource. Availability of land refuges, combined with their proximity to food resources, could be a decisive factor influencing the distribution of L. felina.