Anthropogenic factors do not affect male or female jaguar habitat use in an Amazonian Sustainable Reserve

Abstract

Conservation actions should account for species natural history and behavior related to differences between sexes. However, most studies have not taken into consideration non-independence of observations from the same individual. We used data from camera-trap surveys undertaken over six consecutive years to investigate habitat use by jaguar (Panthera onca) in varzea seasonally flooded forest. We used hierarchical modeling to assess sex differences in occurrence probability related to environmental factors, while accounting for individual and spatial autocorrelation. Specifically, we tested whether male and female jaguars responded differently to habitat type and anthropogenic influence. Our results do not support previous conclusions related to differences between sexes and indicate that, in the studied area, jaguars are habitat generalists, exploring all environments with similar probability during the low-water season. Human settlements also apparently have little effect on habitat use by jaguars in this area. The lack of avoidance of settlements might be due to the low levels of anthropogenic pressure in the area, which adds support to the effectiveness of sustainable-development reserves. The difference between our results and previous studies may be due to the fact that we took into account individual differences, or may be related to the unique environmental characteristics of the varzea of Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve in Central Amazonia.