JMU researcher: Andean vicuñas promote rapid ecosystem development

Animal dung is speeding up ecosystem development on nutrient-poor soils recently uncovered by melting glaciers in the Andes Mountains, according to new research conducted by James Madison University biology professor Kelsey Reider. 

In the tropical Andes, plant growth is limited long after glaciers melt because the newly exposed soils lack nutrients.  

However, wild South American vicuñas, relatives of alpacas and llamas, help transform the barren, post-glacial landscape into nutrient-rich patches where new life can grow, according to research recently published on nature.com. 

Working with researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder at elevations up to 17,700 feet, Reider found that animals can significantly change both the living and non-living parts of soil in high mountain areas where glaciers have melted. The dung piles, or latrines, help keep the soil temperature more stable in areas where temperatures can range from winter-like at night to summer-like during the day. They also add organic matter and nutrients to the soil, leading to more plant growth compared to areas without latrines.  

Besides promoting plant growth, these nutrient hotspots provide habitat for animals, including predators like Andean foxes and pumas and their prey, Reider said.   

Reider and her students are continuing the vicuña research, funded by a $470,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, by analyzing samples and data in her lab. She plans to return to Peru in June and December. 

Reider has worked in the Andes region of Peru for more than a decade and recently collaborated with the BBC to highlight adaptations to life at extreme elevations in “The Americas” documentary series, set to air later this month on NBC.