Enzo Aliaga Rossel | UNIVERSIDAD MAYOR de SAN ANDRES UMSA (original) (raw)

Papers by Enzo Aliaga Rossel

Kempffiana, 2021

Las tortugas continentales son uno de los grupos de reptiles menos estudiados en Bolivia. La últ... more Las tortugas continentales son uno de los grupos de reptiles menos estudiados en Bolivia. La última revisión y evaluación de este grupo fue realizada el año 2009 para el Libro Rojo de la Fauna Silvestre de Vertebrados de Bolivia. En el presente trabajo evaluamos tanto el estado de conocimiento como el nivel de las amenazas actuales, y determinamos las especies prioritarias para realizar investigación y acciones de conservación. El análisis se realizó durante un taller virtual en el cual participaron diferentes especialistas en base a experiencia propia, la revisión del conocimiento generado en artículos científicos, tesis y datos no publicados. La evaluación de las prioridades de conservación se realizó posterior al taller. En el marco de la evaluación realizada de prioridades de investigación, amenazas y prioridades de conservación, se determinó que hay diez especies con muy alta prioridad de investigación, tres con alta y dos con media. Las amenazas principales para este grupo de vertebrados en Bolivia son la pérdida de hábitat, cambio climático y los ilícitos de vida silvestre; cuatro especies tienen alto nivel de amenaza, una especie medianamente y diez sufren bajo impacto. En cuanto a las prioridades de conservación se determinaron tres especies con prioridad alta, diez con media y dos con baja; siendo las especies con mayor prioridad Podocnemis expansa, P. sextuberculata, y Acanthochelys pallidipectoris. Debido a la escasa investigación y al incremento del grado de las amenazas sobre estas especies, consideramos necesaria la reevaluación del estado de conservación de todas las especies, su priorización para la investigación y establecer medidas de conservación.

Inia geoffrensis: da Silva, V., Trujillo, F., Martin, A., Zerbini, A.N., Crespo, E., Aliaga-Rossel, E. & Reeves, R

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2018

This assessment follows the Society for Marine Mammalogy's Committee on Taxonomy (2017) which rec... more This assessment follows the Society for Marine Mammalogy's Committee on Taxonomy (2017) which recognizes a single species in the genus, Inia geoffrensis, the Amazon River Dolphin, with two subspecies: I. g. boliviensis (d' Orbigny 1834), the Bolivian Bufeo, and I. g. geoffrensis (Blainville 1817), the Common Boto. The Bolivian Bufeo occurs in the Iténez-Guaporé, Mamoré, and Rio Grande River basins in Bolivia (Tavera et al. 2010) and along almost the entire length of the Madeira River in Brazil (Gravena et al. 2014a,b). The Common Boto occurs in the Amazon River system of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, in the Araguaia-Tocantins River system in eastern Brazil which has no connection to the Amazon River basin (Hrbek et al., 2014, Siciliano et al. 2016a), and in the Orinoco Basin of Venezuela and Colombia (Best and da Silva 1989b, Trujillo et al. 2010a). To emphasize the taxonomic uncertainty concerning how many species should be recognized in the genus, and the fact that these dolphins inhabit several river basins in addition to the Amazon, this assessment does not use the common name Amazon River Dolphin but instead uses the genus name Inia. A new species I. boliviensis (d'Orbigny 1834) was described from a specimen collected in the Rio Itenez (or Guapore in Brazilian Portuguese) near or at Forte Principe da Beira, Brazil. This putative species also occurs in rivers in Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando Departments of the Bolivian Amazon basin and in the Madeira River of Brazil. It does not overlap with other Inia populations in several morphological characters including rostral length, and it has significant differences in the number of teeth (da Silva 1994). The boliviensis form is considered to have been reproductively isolated by a long series of rapids for an estimated 3.1 million years (Hollatz et al. 2011). Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear introns have been interpreted as suggesting that these dolphins are on a separate evolutionary trajectory and therefore may deserve recognition as a phylogenetic species (Banguera-Hinestroza et al. 2002, Ruiz-García et al. 2008). However, Gravena et al. (2014a,b), with better sampling of the Madeira River system above and below the Teotônio Rapids (the proposed barrier to movement of individuals and gene flow), found that these rapids did not appear to obstruct gene flow from the upstream to the downstream population. Gravena et al. (2015) nevertheless concluded that Inia along the Madeira River possess the unique mtDNA of the putative species I. boliviensis (one line of evidence for recognizing species-level difference), and they argued that even if there is hybridization in the contact zone in the

Nutrition & Food Science

Purpose Chili pepper pods are a worldwide used and cultivated spice with a high economic and cult... more Purpose Chili pepper pods are a worldwide used and cultivated spice with a high economic and cultural importance. Bolivia is a center of origin and diversification of important crops including wild pepper varieties, but little is known about the chemical composition, antioxidant activity and the Scoville and bioactive compounds of these chili peppers. The purpose of this study was to contribute with new data about the chemical composition and the Scoville scale of Bolivian Chili peppers. Design/methodology/approach A total of 26 samples of Bolivian Chili peppers were extracted using distilled water and methanol. Total antioxidant capacity was determined by the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and by the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) methods. The total phenolic content was determined by Folin and Ciocalteu. Carotene, protein and ashes were determined by Bolivian analytical norms. Capsaicin was determined by high-performance liquid chromato...

Open Journal of Ecology, 2022

Overhunting of mammals may negatively affect plant populations though indirect impacts on mammal-... more Overhunting of mammals may negatively affect plant populations though indirect impacts on mammal-plant interactions such as herbivory. In this paper, we examined how hunting of terrestrial mammals impacts the survival of seedlings and juveniles of the palm Astrocaryum gratum. To determine A. gratum seedling survivorship patterns, an experiment with seedlings in 25 × 250-m plots exclosures and different levels of mammal species presence was conducted: all mammals, only Tayassu peccari potentially a major seedling predator and no animals excluded. More than 50,600 non-adults were measured for 27 months. We replicated these treatments in three forest categories: 1) no hunting, with an intact mammal community, 2) a lightly hunted region and 3) a heavily hunted area. Seedling survivorship under natural non-experimental conditions was highest in the heavily hunted (S(T) = 0.72), lower in moderate and lowest in unhunted forests. Experiments revealed that T. peccari was the main agent of palm seedling mortality and the most important factor determining seedling and juvenile survivorship, for example they caused the 84.61% deaths of the seedlings in unhunted forests. Thus, T. peccari feeding habits can influence forest dynamics and forest structure. T. peccari was also susceptible to hunting pressure and as the main seed and seedling predator in the system, its extinction should affect the survivorship and distribution of A. gratum in forests.

IWC Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 2020

The Bolivian river dolphin (Inia boliviensis), locally known as bufeo is an endemic species and c... more The Bolivian river dolphin (Inia boliviensis), locally known as bufeo is an endemic species and categorized as Vulnerable in the Red Book of Vertebrates of Bolivia. Despite the fact that the Bolivian river dolphin is the only cetacean in land-locked Bolivia, knowledge about its conservation status and vulnerability to anthropogenic actions is extremely deficient. We report on the rescue and translocation of Bolivian river dolphins trapped in a shrinking segment of the Pailas River, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Anthropogenic activities to alter the landscape and create agricultural land in the area include significant deforestation and irrigation channel construction and are likely to be a contributory factor causing the entrapment of these Bolivian River dolphins. The dolphins were trapped in shallow water in a 1 km section of river. Dry season water levels were rapidly falling and this section of river dried up completely. We collaborated with several institutions, authorities, and volunt...

Endangered Species Research, 2020

The Bolivian river dolphin, known locally as the bufeo, is one of 4 species of river dolphin in ... more The Bolivian river dolphin, known locally as the bufeo, is one of 4 species of river dolphin in South America. Endemic to the upper basin of the Madeira in the Bolivian Amazon region, the species is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This article provides information related to the geographic distribution of the species, and a review of the studies of its abundance that have been conducted in Bolivia since the 1970s. We discuss the surveys, the analysis methods used in the different studies, and the ways in which these methods might influence the population estimates. We found 63 population abundance estimates for the Bolivian river dolphin across 17 reviewed publications. These studies report relative abundance data for rivers that range from 0.2 to 2.81 bufeos km−1, and density ranges from 0 to 7.59 bufeos km−2. The information presented here reflects the knowledge of the population size of the species in Bolivia obtained over 4 decades, and will be useful for developing conservation strategies and as a tool for decision makers.

Ecología en Bolivia, 2019

Resumen Presentamos la actualización más completa, a la fecha, de la lista de mamíferos de Bolivi... more Resumen Presentamos la actualización más completa, a la fecha, de la lista de mamíferos de Bolivia. Incorporamos y describimos cambios taxonómicos recientes y nuevos registros para el país efectuados desde la última lista publicada en 2003. Para la elaboración de la lista se revisaron publicaciones científicas recientes y se consideró que las nuevas adiciones y los cambios taxonómicos incluidos cuenten con algún tipo de evidencia verificable. A la fecha la lista de mamíferos para Bolivia incluye 406 especies nativas, pertenecientes a 11 órdenes, 46 familias y 196 géneros, lo que representa un incremento de 51 especies con respecto a la lista de 2003. Entre aquellas adicionadas, 14 fueron nuevas para la ciencia y tienen localidad tipo en Bolivia. Los órdenes más diversos fueron Rodentia (148 especies), Chiroptera (138), Didelphimorphia (35) y Carnivora (27); un total de 25 especies son endémicas para Bolivia. Se listan además 14 especies de mamíferos introducidos. Se prevé que se adicionen nuevos registros y cambios taxonómicos a esta lista como resultado de inventarios biológicos actualmente en ejecución, reidentificación de especímenes depositados en colecciones de mamíferos nacionales y extranjeras, y revisiones taxonómicas futuras.

Abstract We present an update to the list of mammals known to occur in Bolivia. We incorporate and describe recent taxonomic changes and new records for the country made since the last list published in 2003. New records and taxonomic changes were considered only if they had verifiable evidence. To date, the list of mammals for the country includes 406 native species, belonging to 11 orders, 46 families and 196 genera, representing an increase of 51 species over the 2003 list. Among those added, 14 were new to science and have type localities in Bolivia. The most diverse orders were Rodentia (148 species), Chiroptera (138), Didelphimorphia (35) and Carnivora (27); a total of 25 species are endemic to Bolivia. In addition, 14 species of introduced mammals are listed. Additional records and taxonomic changes are expected as a result of biological inventories currently in execution, re-identification of specimens deposited in national and foreign mammal collections, and future taxonomic revisions. Este trabajo está dedicado a la memoria de Boris Ríos-Uzeda, Mario Baudoin Weeks y Wendy Townsend. Excelencia, compromiso e infatigable esfuerzo por el conocimiento y la conservación de la biodiversidad de Bolivia, es el legado que nos dejan y la luz que ilumina el camino de los que los seguimos. Queridos amigos, los llevamos en el corazón.

Presentamos la actualización más completa, a la fecha, de la lista de mamíferos de Bolivia. Incor... more Presentamos la actualización más completa, a la fecha, de la lista de mamíferos de Bolivia. Incorporamos y describimos cambios taxonómicos recientes y nuevos registros para el país efectuados desde la última lista publicada en 2003. Para la elaboración de la lista se revisaron publicaciones científicas recientes y se consideró que las nuevas adiciones y los cambios taxonómicos incluidos cuenten con algún tipo de evidencia verificable. A la fecha la lista de mamíferos para Bolivia incluye 406 especies nativas, pertenecientes a 11 órdenes, 46 familias y 196 géneros, lo que representa un incremento de 51 especies con respecto a la lista de 2003. Entre aquellas adicionadas, 14 fueron nuevas para la ciencia y tienen localidad tipo en Bolivia. Los órdenes más diversos fueron Rodentia (148 especies), Chiroptera (138), Didelphimorphia (35) y Carnivora (27); un total de 25 especies son endémicas para Bolivia. Se listan además 14 especies de mamíferos introducidos. Se prevé que se adicionen nuevos registros y cambios taxonómicos a esta lista como resultado de inventarios biológicos actualmente en ejecución, reidentificación de especímenes depositados en colecciones de mamíferos nacionales y extranjeras, y revisiones taxonómicas futuras.

We present evidence of jaguar Panthera onca fangs trafficking promoted by Chinese citizens residi... more We present evidence of jaguar Panthera onca fangs trafficking promoted by Chinese citizens residing in Bolivia. Such events are a wake-up call for the negative effect of this illegal activity on jaguar populations. It requires effective immediate actions of awareness raising, prevention, and control at local, regional and international level to stop this new threat.

Revista Latinoamericana de Conservación 2 (2) – 3(1): 78-81, 2012

Los perros domésticos (Canis familiaris) tienen una distribución cosmopolita y han acompañado al ... more Los perros domésticos (Canis familiaris) tienen una distribución cosmopolita y han acompañado al hombre por más de 15.000 años, y si bien dependen de los humanos, la falta de control o cuidado a estos animales en áreas periurbanas y rurales los han transformado en animales asilvestrados. Son numerosos los reportes negativos de estos animales hacia la vida silvestre nativa, por ejemplo, la transmisión de enfermedades o la depredación sobre especies nativas pequeñas. En este trabajo se presentan algunas observaciones sobre las interacciones de perros domésticos con el cóndor y el zorro andino y adicionalmente se reportan conflictos ocasionados por los perros domésticos entre depredadores nativos (zorro y puma) y la gente local. Palabras clave: Andes, áreas protegidas, conflictos, depredación, interacción entre carnívoros.

Because ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are elusive species in the wild, little is known of them. Th... more Because ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are elusive species in the wild, little is known of them. This study determines
the home range and circadian activity of this feline in the Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. This island has a wet
tropical rainforest. Using wooden box traps and Tomahawk traps, between July 2001 and May 2004 15 ocelots were
captured, and three other ocelots in 2009. Once captured, they were sedated and VHF collars were fitted, for the ones
captured in 2009 we fitted GPS collars. Camera-traps were used to get additional information from individuals without
collars and a more reliable data interpretation. The average home range of ocelots, obtained by radio-telemetry was 3.48
km2 (DE: 3.17) for males and 1.48 km2 (DE: 0.65) for females, although an adult male used an area of 9 km2. Males
traveled on average 1.15 km per day and females 0.7 km. Through telemetry and camera traps, we found that ocelots were
primarily nocturnal (Night = 63.2%; Day = 36.8%). Our results are similar to other studies; however, they suggest that
BCI ocelots have smaller home ranges due to the high availability of food and also by the high density of females within
the home ranges of males.

The information about natural history and ecology of the puma (Puma concolor) in Central America ... more The information about natural history and ecology of the puma (Puma concolor) in Central America is scarce, with few studies focused on diet and no information on predatory behaviour. Through the use of camera traps and direct observations, we recorded events of puma predation on wildlife and domestic species in Osa Peninsula- Costa Rica. We registered 19 different events of puma predation; 14 to domestics and five to wildlife, and we describe the predatory behaviour of this species, highlighting local participation in conservation.

Integrative Zoology , 2013

Tapirs are known as effective dispersers of large-seeded tree species, but their role in dispersi... more Tapirs are known as effective dispersers of large-seeded tree species, but their role in dispersing small-seeded plant species has yet to be established. Tapir feces have been reported to contain large numbers of small seeds, but whether these are viable has rarely been evaluated. We determined the abundance and viability of small seeds in feces of Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. A total of 72 fecal samples were collected opportunistically from 4 tapir latrine sites. Seeds were manually extracted from feces and classified by size. Seed viability was estimated by opening each seed and examining for the presence of at least 1 intact firm white endosperm. In total, we obtained 8166 seeds of at least 16 plant species. Small-seeded species dominated, with 96% of all seeds found measuring <5 mm. The canopy tree Laetia procera was the most abundant species in the samples. Of all small seeds found, 69% contained an intact endosperm and appeared viable. This suggests that small seeds, like large seeds, often pass through the digestive tract of T. bairdii intact. Thus, tapirs potentially serve as effective dispersers of a wide range of small-seeded plant species. P. I. Capece et al. P. I. Capece et al. P. I. Capece et al.

Ecología en Bolivia 49(1): 35-40, 2014

Density and population structure of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochoerus) in the Central area of ... more Density and population structure of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochoerus) in the Central area of the Mamore River (Beni, Bolivia)

J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE., 2020

The Bolivian river dolphin, locally known as the bufeo, is the only cetacean in landlocked Bolivi... more The Bolivian river dolphin, locally known as the bufeo, is the only cetacean in landlocked Bolivia. Knowledge about its conservation status and vulnerability to anthropogenic actions is extremely deficient. We report on the rescue and translocation of 26 Bolivian river dolphins trapped in a shrinking segment of the Pailas River, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Several institutions, authorities and volunteers collaborated to translocate the dolphins, which included calves, juveniles, and pregnant females. The dolphins were successfully released into the Río Grande. Each dolphin was accompanied by biologists who assured their welfare. No detectable injuries occurred and none of the dolphins died during this process. If habitat degradation continues, it is likely that events in which river dolphins become trapped in South America may happen more frequently in the future.

This study determined the density of Bolivian bufeo (river dolphin) in two rivers with similar ha... more This study determined the density of Bolivian bufeo (river dolphin) in two rivers with similar habitat characteristics during "La Niña" event of 2008. The density varied between 1 ind./km 2 in Tijamuchi river and 0.2 ind./km 2 in Ibare river. Previous studies showed higher densities in both rivers. We suggest that this reduction could be related to greater levels of human activity and the abnormal floods during "La Niña" affecting water quality due to the incorporation of garbage, latrines contents and sewage into the river.

Ecología en Bolivia, 2012

El delfín de río boliviano, también llamado bufeo (Inia boliviensis), es el único cetáceo en Boli... more El delfín de río boliviano, también llamado bufeo (Inia boliviensis), es el único cetáceo en Bolivia y el conocimiento sobre su ecología básica aún es escaso. Tanto el Plan de Acción para los delfines de río de Sudamérica como el Libro Rojo de Vertebrados de Bolivia resaltan la necesidad de continuar con estudios de distribución y abundancia. Este estudio cubre estas demandas durante la estación de crecida de aguas, en cuatro ríos tributarios del Mamoré: Ibare, Niquisi, Tijamuchi y Apere, además de dos lagunas. Se recorrieron estos ríos utilizando el método estandarizado modificado de transecto en banda. Los transectos fueron realizados en un bote que viajaba a una velocidad constante de 7-9 km/h entre las 7:00-17:00, desde el cual se registraron avistamientos de bufeos, además de otras características del hábitat. Con 45-50 horas de muestreo, se registraron 199 avistamientos de bufeos. En total, la mayor proporción de avistamientos fue de individuos solitarios (59.14%), seguido de pares y un solo grupo de ocho individuos en el Río Apere. Las características fisicoquímicas parecen no influir en la distribución de los bufeos. Este estudio brinda información poblacional de los delfines de río en apoyo a las iniciativas nacionales y regionales para su conservación. Si bien las tasas de encuentro registradas en este estudio están entre las más altas en Sudamérica, la comparación con estudios previos en los mismos ríos sugiere una reducción en las poblaciones de bufeos.

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals

This study provides information on seasonal distribution patterns for river dolphins in Bolivia.

Kempffiana, 2021

Inia geoffrensis: da Silva, V., Trujillo, F., Martin, A., Zerbini, A.N., Crespo, E., Aliaga-Rossel, E. & Reeves, R

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2018

Nutrition & Food Science

Open Journal of Ecology, 2022

IWC Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 2020

Endangered Species Research, 2020

Ecología en Bolivia, 2019

Revista Latinoamericana de Conservación 2 (2) – 3(1): 78-81, 2012

Integrative Zoology , 2013

Ecología en Bolivia 49(1): 35-40, 2014

J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE., 2020

Ecología en Bolivia, 2012

Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals

This study provides information on seasonal distribution patterns for river dolphins in Bolivia.

Guia de Mamiferos del Madidi, 2001

The Andean bear or spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), is widely distributed along the flanks o... more The Andean bear or spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), is widely distributed along the flanks of the Andes in South America. It is an endemic species to the tropical Andes. In Bolivia it is present in the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Beni and Tarija. The conservation status of the Andean bear has been evaluated during recent years, and these studies have identified important strongholds for bear conservation as well as areas where threats may affect the viability of wild populations. Because there is currently no explicit legal protection for this species in Bolivia, the only legal protection afforded is within protected areas. This chapter includes information on conservation status, aspects related to geographic distribution, behavior, ecology, population size, threats and possible means of protection.

El efecto directo del ganado vacuno sobre la diversidad biológica, principalmente sobre la vegeta... more El efecto directo del ganado vacuno sobre la diversidad biológica, principalmente sobre la vegetación y el suelo es conocido. Incluso se ha propuesto al ganado como un agente beneficioso para la biodiversidad, al ser considerado un buen dispersor y promover la expansión de bosques. Sin embargo, la información sobre el efecto en mamíferos silvestres es incierta. En este estudio presentamos evidencia del efecto negativo del ganado sobre poblaciones de mamíferos pequeños. Entre 2008 y 2016 se realizó el trabajo de campo en un paisaje fragmentado de Mata Atlántica de Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Seleccionamos dos áreas de bosque fragmentado, para captura y recaptura de mamíferos pequeños. Entre 2008 y 2009 en el área 1, en el fragmento (A) se capturaron 100 mamíferos pequeños; en 2014, con el mismo esfuerzo de muestreo no se capturó ninguno. En el fragmento (B) aledaño a (A), en 2009 se capturaron 50 mamíferos pequeños y en 2014 fueron 30 mamíferos pequeños, con idéntico esfuerzo de muestreo. En 2009 ambos fragmentos no presentaban actividad de ganado, pero para 2014 en el fragmento (A) el ganado había invadido el bosque, mientras que en el segundo fragmento (B) apenas había señales de presencia y solo en la periferia del mismo. En el área 2, ubicados a 6.5 km al norte del área 1, se realizaron muestreos entre los años 2014 a 2016. En el interior de uno de los fragmentos (C) se tuvo un éxito de captura promedio de 10 animales/mes, este fragmento estaba protegido del ganado por una cerca de alambres, a finales de 2015, parte de la cerca cayó y el ganado ingresó al fragmento y las capturas se redujeron a cero. Estos resultados sugieren que la presencia del ganado en el bosque tiene un impacto negativo a corto plazo sobre la diversidad de mamíferos pequeños. Los marsupiales y roedores huyen de sitios con ganado. Estas afirmaciones están respaldadas con estudios de telemetría de marsupiales realizados en la misma área de estudio. Existen abordajes de conservación como la actividad silvo-pastoril que promueve la ganadera alrededor y dentro de los bosques, sin embargo, nuestros resultados sugieren que la actividad ganadera es incompatible con la conservación de mamíferos pequeños. Se requieren mayores estudios sobre el impacto de la ganadera hacia la comunidad de pequeños mamíferos y las medidas de mitigación que deben que ser ejecutadas, como por ejemplo la instalación de cercas y su permanente verificación.