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Research Interests
I am a Level III Scientist in the National Science and Technology Council of Paraguay (CONACYT), a Co-principal Investigator of the Jaguar Program within the Paraguayan NGO Guyra Paraguay, a member of the Paraguayan Scientific Society, and adjunct faculty in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I am also a member of the research team of Proyecto Pantano, a project focused on the research and conservation of the Marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus), the largest deer in South America, in the lower Rio Paraná delta in Argentina. Additionally, I am a member of the Cat, Peccary, and Galliformes Species Specialist Groups of the the IUCN Species Species Survival Commission.
My research interests concern understanding the effects of agricultural land use on wildlife by understanding the processes that determine species abundance and movements and community composition across landscapes and regions. My research centers upon the rigorous estimation of wildlife population parameters and the use of structured decision making (SDM) and adaptive resources management (ARM) in investigating and managing in an integrative manner:
My current research and conservation efforts are related to understanding and mitigating the effects of the rapid expansion of intensive crop and livestock production on wildlife in austral South America. Within this context I am principally interested in the ecology and conservation of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) and their functional role in determining trophic relationships within the Gran Chaco and Pantanal ecosystems of western Paraguay employing structured decision making and adaptive management. This includes the quantification of prey abundance and diversity and trophic relationships with meso-carnivores and facultative and obligate scavengers (vultures). Moreover, this incorporates research on understanding space use and resource selection of jaguar and puma in western Paraguay, and through the species{ ranges, in the context of anthropogenic and environmental factors. Additionally, through my incorporation into Proyecto Pantano, I have become increasingly involved with the research on the movements and abundance of the Marsh deer in Argentina. Additionally, I am interested in the ecology and conservation of Galliformes and Tinamous as these taxa are culturally and economically important and serve as excellent model organisms for understanding the conservation implications of agricultural and other land uses. These species are very sensitive to anthropogenic factors that determine food and habitat availability, habitat configuration, the community composition and abundance of predators, which consequently affect nest, brood, and adult survival. Through this research I am actively involved in the IUCN Galliformes Species Specialist Group and serve on its Co-chair's Advisory Board. |