ATLANTIC-CAMTRAPS: a dataset of medium and large terrestrial mammal communities in the Atlantic Forest of South America

Our understanding of mammal ecology has always been hindered by the difficulties of observing species in closed tropical forests. Camera trapping has become a major advance for monitoring terrestrial mammals in biodiversity rich ecosystems. Here we compiled one of the largest datasets of inventories of terrestrial mammal communities for the Neotropical region based on camera trapping studies. The dataset comprises 170 surveys of medium to large terrestrial mammals using camera traps conducted in 144 areas by 74 studies, covering six vegetation types of tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of South America (Brazil and Argentina), and present data on species composition and richness. The complete dataset comprises 53,438 independent records of 83 species of mammals, includes 10 species of marsupials, 15 rodents, 20 carnivores, eight ungulates and six armadillos. Species richness averaged 13 species (±6.07 SD) per site. Only six species occurred in more than 50% of the sites: the domestic dog Canis familiaris, crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous, tayra Eira barbara, south American coati Nasua nasua, crab-eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus and the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus. The information contained in this dataset can be used to understand macroecological patterns of biodiversity, community, and population structure, but also to evaluate the ecological consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and trophic interactions. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of Americ

Abundância, uso do habitat e interações ecológicas da jaguatirica em áreas protegidas da Mata Atlântica

Exportado OPUSMade available in DSpace on 2019-08-14T08:13:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_rodrigo_lima_massara_completa.pdf: 3936399 bytes, checksum: 68fc46ae201dd2584b3eea9f6e327f95 (MD5) Previous issue date: 29A fragmentação e a perda de habitat são as maiores ameaças para a biodiversidade. Para prevenir um aumento na atual taxa de perda da biodivesidade, a maioria dos países têm implementado áreas protegidas. Entretanto, é incerto se as áreas protegidas são adequadas para uma conservação a longo prazo das espécies em todo o mundo, especialmente nos trópicos. Na Mata Atlântica, mais de 80% dos remanescentes florestais são pequenos (50 ha) e 61% destes estão isolados das áreas protegidas, as quais protegem apenas 9% da floresta remanescente e estão imersas em uma matriz manejada pelo homem. Este atual cenário é ineficaz para a persistência de grandes espécies de mamíferos, como a onça-pintada e a onça-parda, o que pode resultar em uma cascata trófica. Apesar da jaguatirica ser uma espécie oportunista, com características de história de vida que poderia permitir com que a mesma substituísse os predadores de topo (onça-pintada e onça-parda) em áreas de Mata Atlântica, ela possui uma alta afinidade por áreas de floresta densa. Portanto, não se sabe se esta espécie está substituindo os predadores de topo e se beneficiando nestes remanescentes florestais, possivelmente causando efeitos deletérios em outros mesocarnívoros (isto é, liberação do mesopredador), ou se a abundância e a distribuição da jaguatirica é similarmente influenciada pela perda de grandes áreas de floresta. Neste estudo nós utilizamos um protocolo padronizado de armadilhas fotográficas para investigar o status populacional da jaguatirica em seis áreas protegidas da Mata Atlântica, quantificando sua abundância, densidade e distribuição (probabilidade de uso). Do mesmo modo, exploramos como feições da paisagem (por exemplo: áreas de matriz e tamanho da reserva) e covariáveis individuais afetam a espécie neste atual cenário. Nós também investigamos se a jaguatirica representa uma potencial ameaça para outros mesocarnívoros ou se potenciais competidores (isto é, predadores de topo e cães domésticos) influenciam a abudância, a distribuição ou a detecção da jaguatirica. Nós exploramos fatores adicionais que poderiam causar diferenças na probabilidade de detecção entre nossas localizações de amostragem e ajustamos essas diferenças para obter estimativas não enviesadas dos parâmetros de interesse. A abundância da jaguatirica e a probabilidade de uso correlacionaram-se positivamente com a presença dos predadores de topo e negativamente com o número de cães. A abundância da jaguatirica também correlacionou-se positivamente com o tamanho da reserva. Nós encontramos maiores probabilidades de detecção em áreas menos florestadas e em áreas com maior quantidade de eucalipto. Nós suspeitamos que menores áreas de vida e maiores taxas de movimentação em áreas menores e mais degradadas aumentam a detecção. Adicionalmente, o eucalipto parece servir como uma importante e mais protegida rota de deslocamento para conectar habitats naturais da Mata Atlântica. Nossos dados sugerem que a ocorrência da jaguatirica não influencia o uso do habitat por outros mesocarnívoros e que a habilidade de algumas espécies (jaguarundi, gato do mato pequeno, quati e irara) ajustarem seus padrões de atividade para evitar um contato direto com jaguatiricas, possa facilitar suas coexistências nestes remanescentes de Mata Atlântica. De modo geral, nossos achados indicam que áreas protegidas com ambos os predadores de topo e circundadas por matrizes permeáveis, como o eucalipto, podem ser fundamentais para a persistência de jaguatiricas no atual cenário da Mata Atlântica. Adicionalmente, nossos dados não corroboram a hipótese da liberação do mesopredador. Contrariamente, nossos dados indicam que as jaguatiricas respondem negativamente à perda do habitat e que sobrepõem temporalmente e espacialmente com os predadores de topo em grandes áreas protegidas.Fragmentation and habitat loss are the main threats to biodiversity. To prevent an increase in the current rate of biodiversity loss, most countries have implemented protected areas. However, it is uncertain whether protected areas are adequate for the long-term conservation of species worldwide especially in the tropics. In the Atlantic Forest, > 80% of forest remnants are small (50 ha) and 61% of these are isolated from protected areas, which protect only 9% of the remaining forest and are embedded in a human-managed matrix. This current scenario is ineffective for the persistence of large mammal species, such as jaguars and pumas, which may result in trophic cascades. Although the ocelot is an opportunistic species with life-history characteristics that may allow it to replace top predators (jaguar and puma) in Atlantic forests remnants, it has a high affinity for closed canopy forested areas. Therefore, it is unknown whether the species is replacing top predators and flourishing in these forest remnants, possibly causing deleterious effects on other mesocarnivores (i.e., mesopredator release), or if ocelot abundance and distribution is similarly influenced by the loss of large forested areas. In this study we used a standardize camera trap protocol to investigated ocelot status in six Atlantic Forest protected areas, quantifying its abundance, density and distribution (probability of use). Likewise, we explored how landscape features (e.g., matrix areas and reserve size) and individual covariates affect the species in this current scenario. We also investigated whether ocelots represent a potential threat to other mesocarnivores or if potential competitors (i.e., top predators and domestic dogs) influence ocelot abundance, distribution or detection. We explored additional factors that may cause differences in detection probabilities among our sampling locations and adjusted for these differences to obtain unbiased estimates of the parameters of interest. Ocelot abundance and use were positively correlated with the presence of top predators and negatively correlated with the number of dogs. Ocelot abundance was also positively correlated with reserve size. We found higher detection probabilities in less forested areas and in areas with more eucalyptus. We suspect that smaller home ranges and higher movement rates in smaller, more degraded areas increased detection probabilities. Additionally, eucalyptus appear to serve as an important and more protected travel route for connecting natural habitats of Atlantic Forest. Our findings suggest that ocelot occurrence did not influence the habitat use of other mesocarnivores and the ability of some species (jaguarundi, little spotted cat, coati and tayra) to adjust their activity patterns to avoid a direct contact with ocelots may facilitate their coexistence in these Atlantic Forest remnants. Overall, our findings indicate that protected areas with both top predators and surrounded by permeable matrices, such as eucalyptus, may be critical to the persistence of ocelots in the current scenario of the Atlantic Forest. Additionally, our data do not corroborate the hypothesis of mesopredator release. Rather, our data indicates that ocelots respond negatively to habitat loss and overlap temporally and spatially with top predators in large protected areas

The distribution of bushmeat mammals in unflooded forests of the Central Amazon is influenced by poaching proxies

Abstract Medium to large rainforest mammals are key conservation flagship groups that offer non‐redundant ecosystem functions, but anthropic pressures, such as illegal hunting, may strongly affect their occupancy in Amazonia. We combined camera traps and occupancy models to assess the influence of distance from human settlements, the number of families per settlement and the synergetic effect of the average weight of 27 species on the occupancy probability of mammals. Specifically, we classified mammal species according to the game preferences of hunters (i.e. a group of species depleted for bushmeat, a group of species hunted for retaliation and a group of non‐hunted species). We also accounted for the influence on the detection probability of each group of both the number of days each camera operated and the body weight of mammals. The occupancy probability of the bushmeat group (i.e. deer, peccaries, agoutis, pacas and armadillos) was lower at locations closer to human settlements. Still, the number of families correlated positively with occupancy, with the occupancy probability of the group being slightly higher at sites with more families. This difference was probably due to larger and more abundant crops and fruiting trees attracting wildlife at such sites. Conversely, the occupancy probability of the retaliation group (i.e. carnivores) and the non‐hunted group (i.e. opossums, spiny rats, squirrels and anteaters) were indifferent to anthropogenic stressors. The detection probability of the non‐hunted and particularly the most depleted species correlated negatively with body weight. This may suggest that larger species, especially those from the bushmeat group, are rarer or less abundant in the system, possibly because they are the preferable target of hunters. In the long term, locals will likely need to travel long distances to find harvest meat. Poaching also threatens food security since game bushmeat is an essential source of protein for isolated rural Amazonians

Ocelot Population Status in Protected Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Forest fragmentation and habitat loss are detrimental to top carnivores, such as jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor), but effects on mesocarnivores, such as ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), are less clear. Ocelots need native forests, but also might benefit from the local extirpation of larger cats such as pumas and jaguars through mesopredator release. We used a standardized camera trap protocol to assess ocelot populations in six protected areas of the Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil where over 80% of forest remnants are < 50 ha. We tested whether variation in ocelot abundance could be explained by reserve size, forest cover, number of free-ranging domestic dogs and presence of top predators. Ocelot abundance was positively correlated with reserve size and the presence of top predators (jaguar and pumas) and negatively correlated with the number of dogs. We also found higher detection probabilities in less forested areas as compared to larger, intact forests. We suspect that smaller home ranges and higher movement rates in smaller, more degraded areas increased detection. Our data do not support the hypothesis of mesopredator release. Rather, our findings indicate that ocelots respond negatively to habitat loss, and thrive in large protected areas inhabited by top predators

Metadata - Dias et al. 2019_Biotropica_Mammals_registers

Register of mammals sampled with camera traps in Boqueirão da Onça, in the brazilian Caatinga

Data from: Factors influencing ocelot occupancy in Brazilian Atlantic Forest reserves

Over 80% of Atlantic Forest remnants are <50 ha and protected areas are embedded in a matrix dominated by human activities, undermining the long-term persistence of carnivores. The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is an opportunistic species, but little is known about its tolerance to habitat alterations and the influence of other species on its occupancy in Atlantic Forest remnants. We used camera traps to assess ocelot occupancy in protected areas of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. We found a positive correlation between the occupancy of ocelots and top predators (jaguars, Panthera onca, and pumas, Puma concolor), and a weaker negative effect between the number of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) detected and ocelot occupancy. Ocelot detection was higher at sites with more eucalyptus, suggesting that ocelots frequently use these areas. Better-protected areas surrounded by permeable matrices may be critical to the persistence of ocelots in the fragmented Atlantic Forest

Atlantic Forest reserves sampled for ocelot populations in State of Minas Gerais (MG), southeastern Brazil.

<p>FM = Fazenda Macedônia Reserve; FMA = Feliciano Miguel Abdala Reserve; MS = Mata do Sossego Reserve; SB = Serra do Brigadeiro State Park; SS = Sete Salões State Park; RD = Rio Doce State Park. The current distribution of Atlantic Forest remnants are shown in the insert (grey area) as defined by the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0141333#pone.0141333.ref047" target="_blank">47</a>]. The state divisions are from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0141333#pone.0141333.ref048" target="_blank">48</a>].</p

The percent of biological process variation in ocelot abundance explained by four reserve variables among six Atlantic Forest reserves in southeastern Brazil.

<p>Negative process variances were considered zero. See <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0141333#sec002" target="_blank">Methods</a> for details.</p