Monitoring program for mammals in a protected area of Colombia

Germán Jiménez,Ana María Guevara,Natalia López-Cepeda,Laura Lozano,Andrea Delgado

doi:10.11144/javeriana.sc22-1.mpfm

Germán Jiménez, Ana María Guevara + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.sc22-1.mpfm

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Abstract

Between the second semester of 2009 and the first semester of 2011, camera traps were set up in conserved and disturbed habitats in the Otún Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. From a sampling effort of 2,066 camera-days, 673 photographs of 157 independent events were obtained for eight species of wild mammals and a domestic one. Their activity patterns were mainly nocturnal even for those species reported as diurnal. The impact of human interference and exotic species was evident for two species: Tapirus pinchaque and Cerdocyon thous. The former was observed below its altitudinal range with activity patterns mainly crepuscular and nocturnal. The second was observed in the same habitats where domestic dogs were found, with activity patterns mainly crepuscular and nocturnal. These findings suggest that both species have altered their activity patterns. Actions must be focused on decreasing the interaction of these mammals with humans and domestic dogs.

Highlights

Information on medium- and large-sized mammals that inhabit protected areas in Colombia is increasingly necessary to promote actions aimed to their protection, both at the regional and national scales (Springer et al 2012, Gonthier & Castañeda 2013)
When it is compared with that reported by Alberico et al (2000) for this region it is only 42 % of it, as well as 44 % of that listed in the SFFOQ Management Plan (Guerrero et al 2004) (Table 2)
Of the total species reported, two are in some category of risk according to the Red Book of Colombian Mammals (Rodríguez-Mahecha et al 2006); one species is considered of high conservation value (HCV) for the SFFOQ (Guerrero et al 2004); and C. paca was identified as such by its morphological characteristics instead of as C. taczanowskii (Bonilla-Morales et al 2013) (Figure 4)

Summary

Introduction

Information on medium- and large-sized mammals that inhabit protected areas in Colombia is increasingly necessary to promote actions aimed to their protection, both at the regional and national scales (Springer et al 2012, Gonthier & Castañeda 2013). Camera traps have proven to be a valuable tool for doing inventories and monitoring programs for wildlife species (Lira-Torres & Briones Salas 2012, Gonthier & Castañeda 2013, Lynam et al 2013) This technique enables the assessment of mammal species diversity in a given location, including rare and elusive ones (Osbar 1999, Jackson et al 2005, Walker & Novaro 2009, Ilemin & Gürkan 2010, Castellanos 2011, Springer et al 2012, Gonthier & Castañeda 2013), while overcoming constraints related to cost, logistics and time (Lira-Torres & Briones-Salas 2012, Cove et al 2013). This approach can help determine the mammals’ activity patterns (Tobler et al 2009, Ordeñana et al 2010, Bridges & Noss 2011, Lynam et al 2013) (Lenth et al 2008, Delgado & Zurc 2007, Kays et al 2009, Torres & Prado 2010, Saito & Koike 2013)

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