Densidad de monos aulladores (Alouatta caraya) y composición y estructura de la selva de inundación en una isla del Río Paraná medio

Resumen

Flooded forests have the largest density of howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) in Argentina. The density of howler monkeys in this apparently homogeneous habitat shows variations that could be associated with local differences in composition and structure of the forest. Censuses of howler monkeys in the Brasilera island, located at the confluence of the Paraná and Paraguay rivers, revealed that in the upper and lowest levels of terrain the density was 3.60 individuals/ha and 1.80 ind./ha respectively. We studied the composition and structure of the flooded forest of the Brasilera island in five transects of 20x100 m in the most elevated terrain (BSH) and seven transects of 20x100 m in the lowest level that contained this forest type (BSS). For all the individuals with diameter at the breast height (DBH) equal to or larger than 10 cm we registered the species, height, and diameter. The results indicated the existence of differences between BSH and BSS in terms of composition and structure. In the forest in BSH a higher number of species, density, and diversity were detected. The basal area was similar between both forest types. In BSS the values of DBH and height were higher than in BSH. The results suggest that the increase in density of howler monkeys could be associated with the richness of species and density of the forest.