Saving the Wild Chinchillas Ecosystem Restoration NorthCentral Chile

1
Saving the Wild ChinchillasEcosystem Restoration
North-Central Chile
Peter Riger Chair AZA Rodent Taxon Advisory Gr
oup
Amy Deane President Save the Wild Chinchillas In
c.
www.wildchinchillas.org amy_deane_at_yahoo.com
2
Overall Objectives

• Main goal - to ensure that endangered
  long-tailed chinchillas (C. lanigera) do not
  become extinct.
  
• Ecosystem restoration - propagating native
  vegetation, some of which are threatened, around
  existing chinchilla colonies.
  
• To benefit other dependent fauna, which are
  endemic.
  
• To help curb grazing and other habitat degrading
  activities.

3
Overall Objectives

• To actively involve the local people in
  restoration efforts.
  
• To promote environmental awareness amongst the
  local public, especially children.
  
• Working towards establishing a field school that
  ensures sustained protection of this ecosystem.

4
Ecosystem Restoration Alternative Agricultural
Resources in North-Central Chile
5
Project Goals

• Recreate essential habitat for endangered
  chinchillas
  
• Recreate other natural vegetative communities
  (e.g. creek vegetation that enhances a cooler
  environment for chinchillas upslope, aids in
  combating global warming on a chinchilla scale)
• Facilitate exclusive livestock grazing areas

6
Project Goals

• Habitat being defined by vegetal studies in
  existing chinchilla colonies (30 years of
  studies)
  
• Focus on species that we know chinchillas consume
  within these colonies (30 years of knowledge)
  
• Emergency care until we can determine the nature
  of chinchilla habitat before severe human induced
  landscape changes

7
Wild Chinchillas

• Once believed extinct, the only known wild
  Chinchilla lanigera exist in north central Chile
  (Jiménez, 1995).
  
• This endemic species experienced dramatic
  decrease in its population and range
  
• An estimated 21 million were killed in less than
  60 years for the fur trade and the population has
  yet to recover (Albert, 1901 Jiménez, 1996).
  
• Chinchillas are endangered and protected by CITES
  (Glade, 1988 IUCN, 1972).

8
Wild Chinchillas

• Population estimates vary from 3000 to
  approximately 5000 (Jiménez, 1995 Mohlis,
  personal communication, 1999).
  
• Over 17 years (1983-1990), a dramatic decrease in
  the spatial coverage of colonies occurred (Mohlis
  1983 and Jiménez 1995).
  
• Previous researchers identified the distribution
  and characterized typical habitat for chinchillas
  (Mohlis 1983, Jiménez 1990, 1995, Deane
  non-published data).

9
Chinchilla brevicaudata

• Critically Endangered
• Shorter ears and tail than
• C. lanigera

10
Chinchilla lanigera colony, R.N. Las Chinchillas,
Aucó, IV Región
11
Problems

• Uncontrolled chinchilla hunting until believed
  extinct
  
• Estimated 21 million animals killed in 60 years
• Population not able to recover due to natural
  history traits
  
• Reproduction of Chinchillas long gestation (110
  days), small litters (1 or 2), sexual maturity (8
  months)
  

12
Desertification

• Fuel wood use, ore processing, and agriculture in
  the past
  
• Current mining and agricultural practices
• All areas have been severely affected by resource
  exploitation.
  
• Many hill slopes have little vegetation and
  hardly any native tree species can be seen.
  

13
Agriculture as a Human Land Use

• Abandoned farms and mines
• Continued firewood collection for heating,
  bathing and cooking by the poorest people in
  Chile (IV Region)
  
• Free ranging livestock Decrease in livestock
  (9000 animals in 1983 to 1800 in 2000), and
  farms, but no one has tried to restore native
  vegetation
• Introduced rabbits and hares consume vegetation
  essential for the native fauna especially
  endangered long-tailed chinchillas.

14
Habitat Fragmentation

• Isolating not only chinchilla colonies but has
  created isolated patches of habitat for all
  wildlife species
  
• Small populations and limited mobility have a
  higher probability of extinction

15
Restoration

• Creating habitat by growing native plant species
  that serve as food, cover and shelter for
  chinchillas, also aids in the conservation of
  other plant and animal species in the community
  such as Degus (Octodon degus), the Chinchilla rat
  (Abrocoma bennetti), and Cururos (Spalacopus
  cyanus) that only occur here in central Chile.

16
Restoration

• Many of the plant species are also of
  conservation concerns and by collecting seeds
  from different locales, we are ensuring genetic
  diversity.

17
Las Chinchillas National Reserve

• Formed in 1983 covers 4,229 ha
• 15 species of predominant mammals and 35 species
  of avifauna including
  
• Chinchilla Chinchilla lanigera
• Pampas Cat Felis colocola (endangered)
• Leaf eared Mouse Phylottis darwinii
• Little Grison Galictis cuja
• Coruro Spalacopus cyanus
• Tinamou Northoprocta perdicaria
• Giant Hummingbird Patagona gigas
• Andean condor Vultur gryphus

18
Las Chinchillas National Reserve

• Darwins Leaf-eared Mouse Phylottis darwini
• Cururo Spalacopus cyanus

19
Las Chinchillas National Reserve

• Pampas Cat
• Felis colocolo
• Andean Condor
• Vultur gryphus

20
North American Zoo Population (ISIS)

• Chinchilla brevicaudata 12.12.2 in 12
  institutions
  
• Chinchilla lanigera 118.109.28 in 95 institutions
  
  
• Equal to 300 individuals with a large percentage
  maintained in education programs
  
• Domestic pet trade possibly tens of thousands in
  private hands
  

21
Plants, Seedling and Seed Sources

• Our Nursery
• The Local Community (friends, farmers workers)
• Road cut collecting

22
Road cut collecting

• Along the dirt roads many species of concern to
  us, germinate and grow only to be cut down when
  the dirt roads undergo repairs
  
• We collect these seedlings and use for
  restoration
  
• BONUS - very cheap financially and ecologically
• we dont have to collect seeds and grow the
  plants from germination
  
• we dont waste time, space, soil, or water
  resources on seeds that wouldnt have germinated

23
Our Nursery

• Seed collection from different drainage basins
• Creating and maintaining seed beds
• Seedlings transplanted into plastic bags or
  modified bottles that promote high root to shoot
  ratios deep root development (bottles donated
  from Coca-Cola in Illapel, Chile - surplus
  non-returnable bottles, disposed bottles)
• Can be used in nursery for the same seedling for
  a few years

24
Our Nursery

• Decrease heat in the nursery because the bottles
  are transparent
  
• Commercially available black plastic seedling
  bags add heat and deteriorate in two years

25
Our Nursery

• Water source is a perennial contour canal that
  runs along the nursery
  
• The bottles are placed into square depressions
  into the soil - irrigate by filling the square
  hole until the area is full (five feet square and
  1 foot deep)
• Water is absorbed by the roots bottom of bottle
  to the top thus ensuring the entire soil area is
  irrigated

26
From Nursery to Restoration Site

• In some areas we built fences when funding -
  helps exclude livestock (goats, sheep cows,
  horses and donkeys)
  
• Holes dug a little deeper than seedling container
  size ( 1.5 feet) - dug with a large crowbar and
  a tuna-can
  
• A little soil is backfilled, a handful of topsoil
  is added, with/without natural fertilizer
  
• Water is added before seedling is sown this is
  covered with soil before adding more water and
  moist soil

27
From Nursery to Restoration Site

• A dirt semicircle that collects rainwater surface
  flow
  
• Rock mulch is used from nearby
• Adds shade to the seedling
• Accumulates condensation- natural irrigation
• Each seedling has a protective fence
• majority of grazing by exotic (non-native)
  rabbits and hares
  
• As of 2004, plants are currently being measured
  and tagged to quantify establishment, growth, and
  survivorship

28
Restoration Sites

• Habitat creation - establishing a new area for
  chinchillas that exist between colonies or
  suitable habitat
  
• Habitat extension - expanding currently occupied
  areas in hopes of expanding chinchilla colonies
  
• Corridors - areas connecting existing chinchilla
  colonies and with abandoned/extinct colonies to
  promote dispersal and colonization of new areas
  

29
Project Progress

• Began in year 2000 with funding obtained for a
  nursery in November
  
• Learned the nature of local plant species - their
  successful germination and sustenance (problems
  with Ephedra and Puya spp.)
  
• Learned what species need what kind of protection
  from predation
  
• Have planted approximately 4000 seedlings- three
  expansion areas, two new habitat areas, and one
  corridor

30
Project Progress

• Many plants need years to grow before are
  suitable for chinchilla habitat Vslow growing
  desert species
  
• However, some plants have gone to seed in the
  second year. And these do serve as food.
  
• Grass species are usable within the same planting
  season and chinchillas preferred food.
  

31
Project Progress

• Gained community support and assistance
  -donations of tools, time and seedlings from
  local farmers
  
• Our project takes place on communally owned
  lands.
  
• We hire within this community for help in this
  project!
  
• Raised 24000 for this project (14000 in the
  last couple of months)
  

32
Area near Aucó
33
Chinchilla feces indicate their presence
34
The Puya plant under which the chinchillas spend
their daytime
35
A Puya bloom
36
Support

• ØAct for Nature (Monaco)
• Conservation Technology Support Program (CTSP)
  (United State of America)
  
• Lemmon Foundation (United State of America)
• Rufford Small Grants(for Nature Conservation)
  (RSG) (United Kingdom)
  
• Zoological Society for the Conservation of
  Species and Population (ZGAP) (Germany)
  

37
Contact Information

• SALVE LAS CHINCHILLAS SILVESTRES  SAVE THE WILD
  CHINCHILLAS, INC.
  
• Amy Deane
• Casilla 302, Illapel
• IV Region, Chile
• www.wildchinchillas.org