Conservation of large vertebrates: the Andean condor in the presence of change in Argentina’s rural areas and ecosystems

Fernando Hiraldo Cano, José Antonio Donázar Sancho, Martina Carrete, José Antonio Sánchez Zapata, María José González, Juan José Negro, Miguel Alcaide, Guillermo Blanco, Sergio Agustín Lambertucci, Juan Manuel Morales, Guillermo Amico, Ana Raquel Trejo.

Patagonia, in particular, is now in the grip of fresh transformations framed by the general dynamics of climate change: progressive humanization of the environment and changes in traditional forms of land use. On top of this, we have the expansion of introduced vertebrate species, which are affecting autochthonous species and ecosystem structures and functionality with still unknown consequences.

The goal of this project is to determine the impact of these global change components on the populations of a “flagship” species, the Andean condor, representative of the ecosystems of the South American Andes and also an important part of rural life. The information obtained will help preserve the functionality of Pathagonian ecosystems and will stand as a conservation benchmark for long-lived bird species, while facilitating research and communication strategies for the condor’s protection.