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Landau VA, Noon BR, Theobald DM, Hobbs NT, Nielsen CK. Integrating presence-only and occupancy data to model habitat use for the northernmost population of jaguars. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2619. [PMID: 35384139 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) have become an essential tool for the management and conservation of imperiled species. However, many at-risk species are rare and characterized by limited data on their spatial distribution and habitat relationships. This has led to the development of SDMs that integrate multiple types and sources of data to leverage more information and provide improved predictions of habitat associations. We developed a novel integrated species distribution model to predict habitat suitability for jaguars (Panthera onca) in the border region between northern Mexico and the southwestern USA. Our model combined presence-only and occupancy data to identify key environmental correlates, and we used model results to develop a probability of use map. We adopted a logistic regression modeling framework, which we found to be more straightforward and less computationally intensive to fit than Poisson point process-based models. Model results suggested that high terrain ruggedness and the presence of riparian vegetation were most strongly related to habitat use by jaguars in our study region. Our best model, on average, predicted that there is currently 25,463 km2 of usable habitat in our study region. The United States portion of the study region, which makes up 38.6% of the total area, contained 40.6% of the total usable habitat. Even though there have been few detections of jaguars in the southwestern USA in recent decades, our results suggest that protection of currently suitable habitats, along with increased conservation efforts, could significantly contribute to the recovery of jaguars in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barry R Noon
- Conservation Science Partners, Inc, Truckee, California, USA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | | | - N Thompson Hobbs
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Clayton K Nielsen
- Department of Forestry and Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
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A Review of Disturbances to the Ecosystems of the Mexican Caribbean, Their Causes and Consequences. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10050644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In a relatively short timescale (less than 50 years), urbanization has caused many anthropogenic disturbances that have affected ecosystem health and, directly or indirectly, quality of life for the local human population. Global disturbances, such as climate change, can also have a substantial, overarching impact on ecosystems. In this scenario, natural disturbances, previously considered an integral part of ecosystem dynamics, can now cause irreversible change to the state of ecosystems, and at the same time, negatively impact social and economic systems. The objective of this study was to identify ecosystem disturbances at a site of interest to recommend strategies to improve coastal zone management. We chose the Mexican Caribbean as a case study, because its biological and cultural complexity render it an interesting location from a coastal management point of view. The PRISMA framework was used to conduct a systematic literature review to identify the ecosystem disturbances that affect this area, as well as the main causes and consequences of these disturbances. Additionally, we discuss how disturbances and their impacts, as screened through PRISMA, can be incorporated into a coastal zone management framework. Results need to consider the limitations associated with using this technique e.g., the degree of impact from a current disturbance may vary from that reported in an earlier publication. Despite its limitations, we believe that this methodology proves useful for identifying key ecosystem disturbances and their consequences, providing a useful tool for identifying appropriate actions to inform coastal zone management plans.
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González–Gallina A, Equihua M, Pérez-Garduza F, Iglesias-Henández JA, Oliveras de Ita A, Chacón-Hernández A, Vázquez-Zúñiga O, Hidalgo-Mihart MG. Jaguar (Panthera onca) spatial ecology outside protected areas in the Selva Maya. ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.32800/abc.2022.45.0131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Jaguars (Panthera onca) are endangered in several countries and a priority species for conservation action. Despite extensive research efforts in Mexico most studies have been associated with natural protected areas far from human habitation. Because protected areas are too few to conserve the jaguar population over the long–term, a landscape approach that includes both protected and unprotected lands is needed. This is the case in Quintana Roo State where an ecological corridor linking two protected areas (Yum Balam and Sian Ka'an) is at risk of disappearing due to tourism–driven activities. Between 2013 and 2015, four male jaguars were captured and monitored using satellite telemetry inside the corridor. The mean home range size (± SD) was 101.5 km2 (± 75.9 km2) for the dry season and 172 km2 (± 107.29 km2) for the rainy season. The mean core area size (± SD) was 17.54 km2 (± 16.21 km2) for the dry season and 29.07 km2 (± 16.19 km2) for the rainy season. No significant seasonal differences were found for home ranges or for core areas. As expected, we observed that jaguars preferred forest or young secondary growth over profusely disturbed areas, using whatever vegetation was available in their home ranges. Although it is not protected, a biological corridor linking Yum Balam and Sian Ka'an still holds its own jaguar population, a population that has learned to coexist with human presence. Conservation actions are recommended at landscape level to maintain what remains of tropical mature forest and to promote the development of long–term secondary growth into close tree canopy
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M. Equihua
- Instituto de Ecología A.C., Veracruz, Mexico
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Cerqueira RC, Leonard PB, da Silva LG, Bager A, Clevenger AP, Jaeger JAG, Grilo C. Potential Movement Corridors and High Road-Kill Likelihood do not Spatially Coincide for Felids in Brazil: Implications for Road Mitigation. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 67:412-423. [PMID: 33469694 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The negative effects of roads on wildlife populations are a growing concern. Movement corridors and road-kill data are typically used to prioritize road segments for mitigation measures. Some research suggests that locations where animals move across roads following corridors coincide with locations where they are often killed by vehicles. Other research indicates that corridors and road-kill rarely occur in the same locations. We compared movement corridor and road mortality models as means of prioritizing road segments for mitigation for five species of felids in Brazil: tiger cats (Leopardus tigrinus and Leopardus guttulus were analyzed together), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), and puma (Puma concolor). We used occurrence data for each species and applied circuit theory to identify potential movement corridors crossed by roads. We used road-kill records for each species and applied maximum entropy to determine where mortality was most likely to occur on roads. Our findings suggest that movement corridors and high road mortality are not spatially associated. We suggest that differences in the behavioral state of the individuals in the species occurrence and road-kill data may explain these results. We recommend that the road segments for which the results from the two methods agree (~5300 km for all studied species combined at 95th percentile) should be high-priority candidates for mitigation together with road segments identified by at least one method in areas where felids occur in low population densities or are threatened by isolation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, PO Box 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil.
| | - Paul B Leonard
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Science Applications, 101 12th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK, 99701, USA
| | - Lucas Gonçalves da Silva
- Centro UnB Cerrado, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, CEP 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Alex Bager
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, PO Box 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil
| | - Anthony P Clevenger
- Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, PO Box 174250, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jochen A G Jaeger
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University Montreal, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Suite H1255, Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Clara Grilo
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, PO Box 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon & CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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López González CA, Torres FC, Hidalgo Mihart MG. Female Puma (Puma concolor) Highway Crossings in the Yucatan Peninsula. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernanda Cruz Torres
- Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av de las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Mircea G. Hidalgo Mihart
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, km 0.5 Carretera Villahermosa-Cardenas, Villahermosa 86039, Mexico
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Hernández-Pérez EL, Sosa JL, Friedeberg D, Contreras-Moreno FM, Hidalgo-Mihart MG. Jaguars and Roads in the Calakmul Region: Evidence of Road Crossing and Collisions with Vehicles. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edwin L. Hernández-Pérez
- Dirección de las Reservas Estatales Balam-Kin y Balam-Kú, Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (SEMABICC), Av. Maestros Campechanos S/N Polígono Uno, Sector Multunchac, C.P. 24095, San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche, México
| | - Joaquín López Sosa
- Dirección de las Reservas Estatales Balam-Kin y Balam-Kú, Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (SEMABICC), Av. Maestros Campechanos S/N Polígono Uno, Sector Multunchac, C.P. 24095, San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche, México
| | - Diana Friedeberg
- Panthera México, Calle Numero 2 #135, col Industrial Benito Juárez, C.P. 76120 Querétaro, Queretaro, México
| | - Fernando M. Contreras-Moreno
- Proyecto GEF Especies en Riesgo, CONANP–PNUD, Reserva de la Biósfera de Calakmul, Calle Puerto Rico S/N, C.P. 24640, Campeche, México
| | - Mircea G. Hidalgo-Mihart
- División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Km 0.5 carretera Villahermosa-Cárdenas, C.P. 86040, Villahermosa, Tabasco, México
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How Important Are Resistance, Dispersal Ability, Population Density and Mortality in Temporally Dynamic Simulations of Population Connectivity? A Case Study of Tigers in Southeast Asia. LAND 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/land9110415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Development of landscape connectivity and spatial population models is challenging, given the uncertainty of parameters and the sensitivity of models to factors and their interactions over time. Using spatially and temporally explicit simulations, we evaluate the sensitivity of population distribution, abundance and connectivity of tigers in Southeast Asia to variations of resistance surface, dispersal ability, population density and mortality. Utilizing a temporally dynamic cumulative resistant kernel approach, we tested (1) effects and interactions of parameters on predicted population size, distribution and connectivity, and (2) displacement and divergence in scenarios across timesteps. We evaluated the effect of varying levels of factors on simulated population, cumulative resistance kernel extent, and kernel sum across nine timesteps, producing 24,300 simulations. We demonstrate that predicted population, range shifts, and landscape connectivity are highly sensitive to parameter values with significant interactions and relative strength of effects varying by timestep. Dispersal ability, mortality risk and their interaction dominated predictions. Further, population density had intermediate effects, landscape resistance had relatively low impacts, and mitigation of linear barriers (highways) via lowered resistance had little relative effect. Results are relevant to regional, long-term tiger population management, providing insight into potential population growth and range expansion across a landscape of global conservation priority.
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Abra FD, Canena ADC, Garbino GST, Medici EP. Use of unfenced highway underpasses by lowland tapirs and other medium and large mammals in central-western Brazil. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Prist PR, Garbino GST, Abra FD, Pagotto T, Giacon OO. Use of highway culverts by the water opossum (Chironectes minimus) in southeastern Brazil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract The water opossum (Chironectes minimus) is a semi-aquatic mammal that is infrequently sampled in Atlantic rainforest areas in Brazil. Here we report on new records of C. minimus in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, and comment on its behavior and ecology. We placed nine camera traps in culverts and cattle boxes under a highway, between 2017 and 2019. From a total of 6,750 camera-trap-days, we obtained 16 records of C. minimus (0.24 records/100 camera-trap-days) in two cameras placed in culverts over streams. Most of the records were made between May and August, in the dry season and in the first six hours after sunset. The new records are from a highly degraded area with some riparian forests. The records lie approximately 30 km away from the nearest protected area where the species is known to occur. We suggest that C. minimus has some tolerance to degraded habitats, as long as the water bodies and riparian forests are minimally preserved. The new records presented here also fill a distribution gap in western São Paulo state.
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