Resumen Introducción: Los afloramientos rocosos influyen tanto en el micro como en el macro hábitat de plantas y animales al incrementar la disponibilidad de alimentos, proporcionar refugios y brindar condiciones microclimáticas únicas. Objetivo: Describir el ensamble de murciélagos en tres afloramientos rocosos aislados y sus pendientes circundantes, incorporando nuevos datos sobre gremios tróficos y refugios. Métodos: Muestreamos la fauna de murciélagos del Paraje Tres Cerros, provincia de Corrientes, Argentina, exploramos 13 sitios durante 26 viajes de campo, usando redes de niebla y búsqueda de refugios. Realizamos una curva de acumulación de especies y calculamos la completitud del inventario. La similitud y composición de diferentes hábitats se comparó mediante un escalado multidimensional no métrico (NMDS) y una prueba ANOSIM. Resultados: Reportamos 13 especies, con una completitud del 80 % del inventario (Jacknife1), correspondientes a las familias Vespertilionidae, Molossidae y Phyllostomidae. Los gremios mejor representados fueron los insectívoros. Encontramos nueve tipos de refugios para ocho especies en diferentes sitios. Los análisis expresaron bajas diferencias en la composición de especies entre ambos tipos de hábitats en el área. Conclusión: Los afloramientos rocosos y pendientes son ecosistemas importantes para la conservación y diversidad de los murciélagos en la región, ya que sus comunidades son regionalmente únicas.

Abstract Introduction: Rocky outcrops influence both micro and macro habitat for plants and animals by increasing the availability and predictability of food, providing shelter, and unique microclimatic conditions. Objective: We describe the bat assemblage in three isolated rocky outcrops and their surrounding pediments, adding new data about trophic guilds and roosts. Methods: We surveyed the bat fauna of Paraje Tres Cerros, Corrientes Province, Argentina, exploring 13 sites during 26 field trips, using mist nets and search of roosts. We made an accumulation species curve and calculate inventory completeness. The similarity and composition of different habitats was compared by a Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and an ANOSIM test. Results: We reported 13 species, with a completeness inventory of the 80 % (Jacknife1), corresponding to the families Vespertilionidae, Molossidae and Phyllostomidae. The insectivorous bats were the best represented guild. We found nine types of roost for eight species in different sites. The analysis expressed low differences in the species composition between both types of habitats in the area. Conclusions: The rocky outcrops and their pediments are important ecosystems for the conservation and diversity of the bats in the region, since their assemblages are regionally unique.

Abstract Isolated rocky outcrops represent biodiversity centers, refuges for endangered species, and favorable scenarios for endemism. Most studies in these ecosystems have been focused mainly on their flora and secondarily on different groups of animals. To highlight the value of rocky outcrops as ecosystems for biodiversity conservation, in the present study, we describe the diversity of herptiles of three isolated rocky outcrops of northeastern Argentina and compare it with that of other natural areas of the region. We conducted fieldwork from September 2010 to March 2017. We calculated the alpha diversity and the number of rare, threatened and endemic species. For comparative diversity analysis, we calculated the importance of each area for amphibians and reptiles and the beta diversity. Were recorded a total of 56 species (23 amphibians and 33 reptiles), representing 35% of the herptiles recorded for Corrientes province. These species included 19 rare species, seven threatened species, and two endemic species. The overall beta diversity showed considerably differences in species composition between the compared areas. The rocky outcrops showed higher importance for amphibians and reptiles than the other areas studied. Our study contributes to the knowledge of rocky outcrops and highlights their importance in biodiversity conservation.

Summary Natural History (NH) is a relevant discipline of the Natural Sciences that describes organisms in their environment from accurate observation. As the mother of Western sciences, its origin dates back to Aristotle’s writings. Since then it crossed human history providing essential knowledge for humanity development. After flourishing between the 17th and 19th centuries due to the exploratory travels of European naturalists to the new continents, NH has lost appreciation in its contribution to scientific knowledge. The debate about its role in sciences has swung like a pendulum between estimation and dismissal. In this contribution, we present the main themes of this debate. We expose our point of view from our experience that revalues the history of NH under the influence of Alexander von Humboldt and Amado Bonpland´ works. The specialization of sciences, technological advances, the loss of the naturalistic sense, and the connection with romanticism have been among, the main causes that have discredited NH. However, we conclude that history shows us that NH has been and is fundamental for the growth and development of humanity.

Resumen La Historia Natural (HN) es una disciplina relevante de las Ciencias Naturales que se encarga de describir a los seres vivos y su ambiente a partir de la observación precisa. Como madre de las ciencias occidentales, sus orígenes se remontan a los escritos de Aristóteles, para atravesar desde entonces la historia de la humanidad brindando conocimientos esenciales para su desarrollo. Luego de su auge entre los siglos XVII y XIX con los viajes exploratorios de los naturalistas europeos a los nuevos continentes, la HN ha perdido valoración en el aporte a la construcción del conocimiento científico. Desde entonces el debate sobre el rol de la HN en las ciencias ha oscilado como un péndulo entre su estimación y desestimación. En esta contribución, presentamos los principales temas de este debate aportando nuestro punto de vista a partir de nuestra experiencia en la revaloración de la historia de la HN, resignificada con la influencia de la obra de Alexander von Humboldt y Amado Bonpland. La especialización de las ciencias, los avances tecnológicos, la pérdida del sentido naturalista y la vinculación con el romanticismo han sido, entre otras, las principales causas que han desacreditado a la HN. Sin embargo, concluimos que la historia nos muestra que la HN ha sido y es fundamental para el crecimiento y desarrollo de la humanidad.