Habitat availability and connectivity for jaguars ( Panthera onca) in the Southern Mayan Forest: Conservation priorities for a fragmented landscape

RESUMEN: La Selva Maya es el bosque tropical de hoja ancha más extenso de Centroamérica, se extiende entre México, Guatemala y Belice. El jaguar y el puma, son los felinos más grandes de América. En esta zona viven simpátricamente por lo que se presupone segregación en alguno de los componentes de su nicho ecológico. En este estudio se analizaron y compararon tres de los componentes principales del nicho: dieta, uso de hábitat y patrones de actividad, con el objetivo de evaluar si existe segregación entre el jaguar y el puma. Para la obtención de los datos se colectaron excrementos de manera oportunista, y se utilizaron trampas de cámaras automáticas en cuatro áreas protegidas. Se analizo la zona de estudio, a través de sistemas de información geográfica para determinar las proporciones de distintos tipos de hábitat presentes, y se colectaron datos de abundancias de las presas. Se analizaron los patrones y en la dieta, en el hábitat utilizado y en el horario de actividad. Se determino que el jaguar tuvo una dieta diferente y mas amplia comparada con la del puma, así también que este consume en promedio, presas más pequeñas. Las presas preferidas por elpuma fueron, tres especies de venados y tepezcuintles. Para el jaguar fueron coches de monte, pizotes y armadillos. Ambas especies presentaron un patrón similar de uso de hábitat, donde el "bosque alto" fue utilizado proporcionalmente a su abundancia, y el puma evitó el "bosque bajo". En cuanto a los patrones de actividad, ambos prefirieron horas nocturnas para desplazarse, aunque el puma presento mayor variabilidad. Se observo que ambas especies no se segregan mutuamente, espacial ni temporalmente. La frecuente utilización del "bosque bajo" y su relación con las aguadas y arroyos, es un factor importante en el mantenimiento de poblaciones de grandes felinos en la Selva MayaPALABRAS CLAVE: Felidae, Panthera onca, Puma concolor, coexistencia, nicho ecológico, Selva Maya, segregación ecológica.ABSTRACT: The Mayan Forest is the largest tropical broad-leaf forest remainder in Central America which extends between Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Jaguar and puma are the biggest American wild cats. In this area both live sympatric which suggest segregation in at least one of its ecological niche components. In this study I analyzed and compared three of the principal niche components: diet, habitat use and activity patterns, with the main objective of assess if occurs ecological segregation among jaguar and puma. To obtain the data it was collected jaguar and puma’s scats in an opportunistic way, and was used automatic camera traps in four protected areas. I analyzed the study area by geographic information system (GIS) to determine proportions of different habitat types, and also I used previous collected prey abundance data. I analyzed patterns in diet, in habitat use and temporal activity. I found that jaguar had a wider prey spectrum than puma; jaguar took (in average) smallest preys, consequently, diets were significantly different. Puma preferred deer, brocket deer and paca as main prey; in contrast, jaguar preferred collared pecari, coati and armadillo. Both predator species presented a similar pattern in habitat usage, in which "highland forest" was used accordingly with its availability and puma avoided "lowland forest". About activity patterns, both were more active in the night time, however, puma was more variable in this aspect. Both species did not show segregation spatially or temporally. KEYWORDS: Felidae, Panthera onca, Puma concolor, coexistence, ecologic niche, Mayan forest, ecologic segregation.

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Effects of deforestation pattern and private nature reserves on the forest conservation in settlement areas of the Brazilian Amazon

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/s1676-06032001000100003 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 1 (1-2) ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jean Paul Metzger

Keyword(s):

Forest Conservation ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Fish Bone ◽

Nature Reserves ◽

Fragmented Landscape ◽

Amazon Forest ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Random Location ◽

Remnant Forest

The effects of deforestation patterns, private nature-reserve extents and agricultural fallow periods on forest conservation were simulated for settlement projects in the Brazilian Amazon that produce a fish-bone pattern of occupation and where slash-and-burn agriculture is predominantly used. Data for simulation was obtained from previous work at the Bragantina region, the oldest agricultural frontier in the Brazilian Amazon. Forest conservation was evaluated using the size of remnant forest fragments, the amount of interior habitat, the connectivity among fragments and the extent of fragmentation. Results showed that the best scenario for forest conservation is the maintenance of 80% of the lot as privatereserve using deforestation pattern that allow to group the reserves from different farmers at the end of the lot. When private-reserve coverage is bellow 80% of the landscape, forest conservation status will be influenced by the deforestation pattern. Some patterns (e.g. random location of deforestation plots) will then be particularly deleterious, producing a highly fragmented landscape, while other patterns (e.g., progressive deforestation from one edge) can allow the maintenance of large forest fragments. To get forest conservation in these cases, private-reserve extent and deforestation pattern should be considered together. Considering both forest conservation and agricultural use, progressive patterns of deforestation (or land use) in a lot of 2,000m by 500m, with private nature-reserves covering 50% of the landscape seems to be the best compromise. To guarantee the private forest preservation, these forests should be pre-established when settlements are planned and grouped at the end of the lots.

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Distribución potencial del hábitat del jaguar y áreas de conflicto humano–jaguar en la Península de Yucatán.

Revista Mexicana de Mastozoologia ◽

10.22201/ie.20074484e.2009.13.1.35 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 46 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Cuauhtémoc Chávez Tovar ◽

Heliot Zarza Villanueva

Keyword(s):

Potential Distribution ◽

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Panthera Onca ◽

Yucatán Peninsula ◽

Regional Strategies ◽

Vegetation Use ◽

Management Plans ◽

Domestic Livestock ◽

Forest Coverage ◽

Mayan Forest

Resumen: Las Selvas Mayas de la Península de Yucatán, México, mantienen una de las poblaciones más importantes de jaguar (Panthera onca) al norte de su distribución. Sin embargo, la región está sujeta a grandes cambios en su cobertura forestal debido al desarrollo humano y agropecuario de los últimos años. Esto ha ocasionado una reducción en el hábitat del jaguar y por consiguiente un incremento en la incidencia de ataques al ganado doméstico por jaguares, debido a ello es necesario contar con información sólida sobre las áreas de conflicto humano-jaguar para ser consideradas durante los planes de manejo y conservación a nivel regional. Nuestro análisis se basó en un grupo de variables (vegetación, uso de suelo, precipitación y clima) y una base de datos georeferenciados tanto de presencia de jaguares como de depredación de ganado domestico en la Península de Yucatán. Nosotros demostramos la posibilidad de modelar la distribución potencial de los sitios de conflicto humano-jaguar usando el método de máxima entropía (MaxEnt). Entre las variables usadas la vegetación demostró ser la variable que mejor explica la distribución potencial del jaguar. En cambio, el modelo de conflictos humano-jaguar muestra que el mayor número de casos de depredación se presenta alrededor de los asentamientos humanos, en ambientes dominados por actividades humanas. Modelar la distribución potencial de las áreas de conflicto humano-jaguar ofrece una gran oportunidad a los biólogos de la conservación y tomadores de decisiones para poder diseñar estrategias regionales para mitigar el conflicto con los depredadores con base en la distribución espacial potencial de los ataques.Palabras clave: Hábitat potencial, jaguar, depredación, Yucatán.Abstract: The Mayan Forest of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, maintain an of the most important populations of jaguar (Panthera onca) north of his distribution. However, the region is subject to big changes in this forest coverage because of the human and agriculture-livestock development of the last years. This has caused a reduction in the habitat of the jaguar and therefore an increase in the incidence of attacks to the domestic livestock by jaguars, because of this is necessary to have solid information on the areas of human-jaguar conflict to be considered during the management plans and conservation to regional level. Our analysis based in a group of variable (vegetation, use of soil, precipitation and climate) and a base of georeference data so much of presence of jaguars and of livestock depredation in the Yucatan Peninsula. We showed the possibility of model the potential distribution of the places of human-jaguar conflict using the method of maximum entropy (MaxEnt). Between the variables used the vegetation showed to be the variable than better explains the potential distribution of the jaguar. Instead, the model of human conflicts-jaguar show that the main number of cases of depredation present around the human settlements, in landscape dominated by human activities. Modeling the potential distribution of the areas of human-jaguar conflict- offers a big opportunity to the biologists of the conservation and decisions-makers to can design regional strategies to mitigate the conflict with the predatory with base in the spatial distribution potential of the attacks. Key words: Potencial habitat, jaguar, predation, Yucatán.

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Human Activities and Conservation Awareness between Community Use Zone (CUZ) Areas of Kinabalu Park and Crocker Range Park, Sabah

Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) ◽

10.47253/jtrss.v4i1.579 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 31-37

Author(s):

Andy R. Mojiol ◽

Maureen J. Tapuang ◽

Razak Wahab

Keyword(s):

Human Activities ◽

Forest Conservation ◽

Local Community ◽

Economic Valuation ◽

Fruit Trees ◽

Local Communities ◽

Conservation Priorities ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Community Activities ◽

Conservation Awareness

The Parks Enactment 1984 prohibits any human activities in the Park in order to conserve thenatural ecosystem but in reality there are some people living inside the Park and doing cultivation. Community Use Zone (CUZ) is a management option in an attempt to strike a balance between the conservation priorities of the Park and the livelihoods of the local communities who depend on the Park for survival. This study looks into the relationship between types of crops planted within the CUZ areas, evaluate the contribution for the local communities’ livelihood, and determine the perception and conservation awareness of local community activities. The data for this study was collected by using face-to-face interview technique. Closed and open-ended structured questions were used in the interview. Apart from that observation was useful to obtained information which cannot achieve from structured interviews. Percentage, mean and range were used to summarize the results. With the use of socioeconomic survey and economic valuation on sales products approach, it was possible to determine the objectives of this study. Major crops grown are permanent crops such as rubber trees, fruit trees, and cash crops such as vegetables, cocoa and coffee trees were identified as the type of crops that were cultivated for economic sources by farmers in Kg. Sayap, Kota Belud and Kg. Mongool Baru Ulu Senagang, Keningau/Tenom. Rubber trees contributed the highest source of income followed by fruit trees such as durian, langsat and rambutan, cocoa trees and vegetables. The study showed that the perception and conservation awareness of the local communities in both villages had high awareness level. They are aware of the issues that concerning forest conservation. The study had determined that the CUZ is a tool management for the local communities to survive their living which is recommended to be applied but further research on the local communities’ livelihood dependency on protected areas should be conducted for the sake of forest conservation.

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Jaguars Panthera onca in the Greater Lacandona Ecosystem, Chiapas, Mexico: population estimates and future prospects

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605310001511 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 546-553 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

J. Antonio de la Torre ◽

Rodrigo A. Medellín

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Biosphere Reserve ◽

Dry Season ◽

Population Connectivity ◽

Panthera Onca ◽

Natural Protected Areas ◽

Capture Recapture ◽

Estimate Population Size ◽

Mayan Forest

AbstractJaguar Panthera onca populations have declined severely in Mexico because of habitat loss and poaching of the species and its natural prey. One of the most important, but poorly known, populations of the jaguar remaining in Mexico resides in the Greater Lacandona Ecosystem in Chiapas. Our objective was to determine the density of jaguars in southern Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve and to estimate population size inside the Natural Protected Areas of this Ecosystem. Jaguar densities were estimated during the dry and rainy seasons of 2007 and the dry season of 2008 using camera-trapping combined with closed capture-recapture models. The lowest density estimate was recorded during the 2007 dry season (1.7 ± SE 0.7 per 100 km2) and the highest during the 2008 rainy season (4.6 ± SE 1.6 per 100 km2). Estimating the extent of potential jaguar habitat in the Natural Protected Areas and extrapolating density estimates to these reserves indicates that they could support 62–168 jaguars. This result highlights the potential importance of this Ecosystem for the conservation of the jaguar in the Mayan Forest and Mexico. The implementation of measures to secure the long-term conservation of this population and jaguar population connectivity in the Mayan Forest is urgently required.

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