Physiological implications of landscape use by free-ranging maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Brazil

Abstract

Wide-ranging species with large spatial requirements can rarely be supported in protected areas alone, yet most species face greater threats outside reserves. The need to consider conservation of large mammals in landscape mosaics is very relevant to the Brazilian Cerrado, which is the world’s most biologically diverse and threatened savanna. The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), South America’s largest canid, has been proposed as a flagship species for the Cerrado. The majority of the maned wolf’s distribution overlaps croplands, whereas , 4% of its range overlaps with a protected area. To understand how landscape use influences maned wolf physiological health and likelihood of persistence, we collected scat samples (n ¼ 974) from a 4,000-km 2 area encompassing national park, cropland, cattle pasture, and remnant vegetation. From these samples, we measured fecal hormone metabolites of glucocorticoids (indicative of stress), thyroid hormone (indicative of nutritional status), and progesterone (indicative of reproductive health). Glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations increased with distance from natural habitat patches and during times of peak harvest activity. Thyroid hormone metabolite levels were higher in areas with more cropland, indicating good nutritional status. Progesterone metabolite levels in females were higher inside than outside the park, suggesting females residing in the park have higher reproductive success. Results indicate that maned wolves make extensive use of the landscape matrix and are able to tolerate modified agricultural fields despite being sensitive to disturbance. Ensuring their conservation for the long-term will require increased monitoring and incentivizing conservation on private lands that compose much of the Cerrado.