White-lipped Peccary Tayassu Pecari Research Articles

Effect of free-ranging cattle on mammalian diversity: an Austral Yungas case study

AbstractExtensive cattle ranging is an important economic activity in mountains, with diverse effects on native mammal communities. The effects of cattle Bos taurus can be negative, positive or neutral, mostly depending on the stocking rate. We examined the effect of cattle on the diversity and abundance of native mammalian species in the Austral Yungas region of Argentina, considering environmental variables, land protection status, and human influence. Using 12,512 trap-nights from 167 camera-trap stations over 11 years (2009–2019), we calculated a relative abundance index using camera events and used generalized linear models to estimate the effect of cattle on small mammals, large herbivores, species of conservation concern and felids. Cattle had different effects on each group of native mammals. We observed a lower abundance of large native herbivores and the absence of small mammals in areas with high cattle abundance. The tapir Tapirus terrestris, jaguar Panthera onca and white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari are rare in the Yungas and therefore potentially vulnerable to extinction there. Conservation of small felids and low cattle abundance could be compatible, but felids are threatened by other anthropogenic influences. Native mammalian diversity and richness were related to land protection status. The entire ecoregion is potentially suitable for cattle, suggesting the potential for further threats, and that cattle should be excluded from strictly protected areas. To ensure extensive cattle ranging is compatible with wildlife conservation in areas where exclusion is not possible, we recommend improved management of cattle and moderate stocking rates.

Rural–urban mobility influences wildmeat access and consumption in the Brazilian Amazon

AbstractResearch demonstrates substantial urban consumption of wildmeat and the existence of trade networks in the Brazilian Amazon. Yet rural–urban mobility persists in this urbanized region, with the circulation of people, goods and ideas, blurring boundaries between rural and urban lives. Here we examined the relationships between rural–urban mobility and wildmeat access in highly forested areas of central Brazilian Amazonia. We surveyed 798 urban households in four towns and 311 rural households in 63 riverine communities. Rural–urban mobility was common amongst urban households: 49.7% maintained rural livelihoods and 57.3% were headed by rural in-migrants. Although many urban consumers purchased wildmeat, gifting was equally important. Urban households with greater rural–urban mobility consumed more wildmeat and were less likely to purchase it. Buying wildmeat was rare in rural areas but emergent in larger rural communities. Rural consumption was greater in remote areas, non-floodplain communities and during the high-water season. Urban populations placed particular pressure on three preferred species: the lowland pacaCuniculus paca, tapirTapirus terrestrisand white-lipped peccaryTayassu pecari. Rural consumption was more diverse, and per-capita wildmeat consumption was four times greater in rural than urban households (21 vs 5 kg/person/year). Total estimated annual wildmeat consumption was 3,732 t across 43 riverine urban centres compared to 11,351 t in surrounding rural areas. Because of poverty in these towns and socially mediated wildmeat acquisition, it is debatable whether urban consumers should or could be denied access to wildmeat. Nonetheless, the probable future increase in urban demand and related risks to sustainable, equitable resource use necessitate the monitoring and management of rural–urban wildmeat flows.

A conservation landscape for the Dry Chaco based on species habitat suitability

The Dry Chaco (DCH) is a biodiversity-rich region that contains the largest dry forest in the world. It is seriously endangered and has one of the fastest deforestation rates. Yet, very few conservation efforts have been undertaken to protect this ecosystem, and information to develop efficient and sustainable land-use plans is scarce. This study aimed to design a conservation landscape that would maximize the conservation of the DCH’s ecological integrity, endangered species, and ecological and evolutionary processes. Five focal species of high conservation value were chosen based on their ecological roles, conservation status, or endemism: white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, chacoan peccary Catagonus wagneri, giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla, tapir Tapirus terrestris, and giant armadillo Priodontes maximus. We used interviews with local informants to obtain information on species presence and location. Their habitat suitability was modelled and ranked using Maxent software. A conservation landscape was designed by overlapping these spatially explicit models. A systematic conservation planning framework was followed, considering habitat connectivity using Zonation. Interviews proved to be useful for conservation planning in this region with longstanding close ethnozoological relationships. The spatial design obtained was compared with existing land-use policies and protected areas to discuss conservation strategies that could be efficient if applied in the DCH and considering land sharing vs. land sparing conservation strategies. There is a large surface of suitable habitat for the studied species, but their conservation cannot be ensured with the present conservation schemes. We consider land-sharing as a feasible conservation strategy for this region and its species, and identified areas that should be preserved and their optimal connections to increase conservation opportunities for the Dry Chaco.

Human disturbance and shifts in vertebratecommunity compositionin a biodiversity hotspot.

Understanding how human modification of the landscape shapes vertebrate community composition is vital to understanding the current status and future trajectory of wildlife. Using a participatory approach, we deployed the largest camera-trap network in Mesoamerica to date to investigate how anthropogenic disturbance shapes the occupancy and co-occurrence of terrestrial vertebrate species in a tropical biodiversity hotspot: the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. We estimated species richness in different categories of land protection with rarefaction analysis and estimated the expected occupancy with a joint species distribution model that included covariates for anthropogenic disturbance, land protection, habitat quality, and habitat availability. Areas with the most stringent land-use protections (e.g., Corcovado National Park, 24 species [95% CI 23-25]) harbored significantly more species than unprotected areas (20 species [19.7-20.3]), mainly due to a reduced presence of large-bodied species of conservation concern in unprotected areas (e.g., jaguar Panthera onca and white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari). Small-bodied generalist species, such as opossums (Didelphidae) and armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), in contrast, were more common at disturbed sites, resulting in a significant difference in vertebrate community composition between sites with low and high disturbance. Co-occurrence of species was also mainly associated with response to disturbance. Similar responses to disturbance create two groups of species, those whose site-level occupancy usually increased as anthropogenic disturbance increased and those whose estimated occupancy decreased. The absence of large-bodied species entails an important loss of ecological function in disturbed areas and can hinder forest development and maintenance. Efforts to protect and restore forested landscapes are likely having a positive effect on the abundance of some threatened species. These efforts, however, must be sustained and expanded to increase connectivity and ensure the long-term viability of the wildlife community.

Towards the restoration of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor for large mammals in Panama: comparing multi-species occupancy to movement models

BackgroundHabitat fragmentation is a primary driver of wildlife loss, and the establishment of biological corridors is a conservation strategy to mitigate this problem. Identifying areas with high potential functional connectivity typically relies on the assessment of landscape resistance to movement. Many modeling approaches exist to estimate resistance surfaces but to date only a handful of studies compared the outputs resulting from different methods. Moreover, as many species are threatened by fragmentation, effective biodiversity conservation requires that corridors simultaneously meet the needs of multiple species. While many corridor planning initiatives focus on single species, we here used a combination of data types and analytical approaches to identify and compare corridors for several large mammal species within the Panama portion of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.MethodsWe divided a large mammal assemblage into two groups depending on the species sensitivity to habitat disturbance. We subsequently used cost-distance methods to produce multi-species corridors which were modeled on the basis of (i) occupancy of nine species derived from camera trapping data collected across Panama, and (ii) step selection functions based on GPS telemetry data from white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, puma Puma concolor, and ocelot Leopardus pardalis. In addition to different data sources and species groups, we also used different transformation curves to convert occupancy and step-selection results into landscape resistance values.ResultsCorridors modeled differed between sensitive and tolerant species, between the data sets, and between the transformation curves. There were more corridors identified for tolerant species than for sensitive species. For tolerant species, several corridors developed with occupancy data overlapped with corridors produced with step selection functions, but this was not the case for sensitive species.ConclusionOur study represents the first comparison of multispecies corridors parametrized with step selection functions versus occupancy models. Given the wide variability in output corridors, our findings underscore the need to consider the ecological requirements of several species. Our results also suggest that occupancy models can be used for estimating connectivity of generalist species. Finally, this effort allowed to identify important corridors within the MBC (i) at a country scale and (ii) for several species simultaneously to accurately inform the local authorities in conservation planning. The approach we present is reproducible in other sites and/or for other species.

New altitudinal record for white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari (Link, 1795) in Ecuador, with notes about activity patterns and herd size.

White-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) represent a key element of trophic networks in tropical rainforest ecosystems by playing the dual role of consumer and prey. Despite their importance, pressures on their populations have increased during the last few decades due to hunting and deforestation across its distributional range. These pressures may have led the remaining populations to move into new territories and to change their migratory and gregarious behaviour. In this study, we used photographic records from camera traps to collect data on biogeography of white-lipped peccaries in order to answer some questions about the demography, distribution and population size of the species in Ecuador’s western Amazonia. We present new altitudinal records for the species (2,000 metres above sea level), along with some notes on herd size and activity patterns. This information is valuable for obtaining a better understanding of the species distribution and population status in order to achieve better conservation plans.

Hunters´ landscape accessibility and daily activity of ungulates in Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador

Ungulates are one of the most important groups in terrestrial ecosystems across the tropics. Also, ungulates are an important source of protein for people who inhabit tropical forests, and numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of hunting on the size of ungulate populations. However, little is known about other potential effects of hunting on these species. This study aims to analyze the effect of landscape accessibility to hunters on the daily activities of ungulates in Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, a protected area located in the Amazon region of Ecuador. We compared activity patterns (i. e., distribution of hours of activity along the day) and activity levels (i. e., proportion of hours of the day that an animal is active) for five ungulate species (white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, collared peccary Pecari tajacu, red brocket deer Mazama americana, brown brocket deer M. nemorivaga, and tapir Tapirus terrestris) in four sites differing in the degree of access to hunters. To this end, in each of the four study areas, a grid of camera traps was placed within a polygon of approximately 100 km2; traps operated continuously for three to four consecutive months. We recorded the date and time of detection for each species. Daily activity patterns and activity levels were estimated with kernel density analysis for circular data. Our work included a total of 9,506 effective trapping days for the four study sites, resulting in 1,063 separate records of the five ungulate species. In the four study areas, the brown brocket deer and the two species of peccaries concentrated their activity in daytime hours. The red brocket deer was most active in twilight hours, and the tapir was primarily nocturnal. At sites most accessible to hunters, the activity patterns of the collared peccary included a higher proportion of nighttime hours. The red brocket deer also seemed to increase the proportion of nighttime hours of its daily activity. The overall daily activity level was higher in the site with higher accessibility, but was statistically significant only for the collared peccary and the red brocket deer. Our findings include moderate statistically significant evidence suggesting that the access of hunters to the landscape influences the daily activity of ungulates in Yasuni. One species that is clearly affected by the access of hunters is the collared peccary, which becomes more nocturnal and increases its nighttime hours of activity when accessibility to hunters is higher. When our results are compared with other studies, it is evident that the species may display different behavioral responses to hunting, and that these responses may vary with the scale of analysis. This study was limited by sample sizes, which did not allow performing comprehensive analyses for all five species. To further understand the effects of hunting and other human activities on animal behavior, additional studies specifically designed for this purpose should be conducted.

Jaguar Panthera onca in its southernmost range: use of a corridor between Bolivia and Argentina

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 26:167-177 (2014) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00640 Jaguar Panthera onca in its southernmost range: use of a corridor between Bolivia and Argentina Griet An Erica Cuyckens1,2,*, Fernando Falke3, Lisanne Petracca4 1Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Buenos Aires, Argentina 2Centro de Estudios Territoriales Ambientales y Sociales (CETAS), Alberdi 47, 4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina 3Red Yaguareté, Los Toldos s/calle, 4531 Salta, Argentina 4Panthera, 8 West 40th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10018, USA *Corresponding author: grietcuyckens@yahoo.com ABSTRACT: Corridors can prevent local extinction of particular species by connecting populations and are crucial for the long-term conservation of large animals and species with large home-ranges such as jaguars. To assess the functionality of the proposed Tariquía-Baritú corridor between Bolivia and Argentina, we used the jaguar as a focal species. We conducted 254 interviews with local residents in 103 of 117 sampling units (each 36 km2) from November 2009 to February 2012, regarding the presence of the jaguar Panthera onca and 6 prey species: the white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, collared peccary Pecari tajacu, red brocket deer Mazama americana, gray brocket deer Mazama gouazoubira, capybara Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris and agouti Dasyprocta punctata. We applied site occupancy modeling using environmental co-variables. Sampling units effective for jaguar and for the future of the corridor were selected based on having a minimum 65% likelihood that the jaguar and at least 4 of 6 prey species use habitat within that unit. The final corridor was 3168 km2 and encompassed 88 of the sampling units, suggesting that connectivity still exists between Tariquía Reserve and Baritú National Park and, therefore, that this corridor qualifies for long-term conservation. Changes in human land use, direct hunting and the presence of a route bisecting the study area are considered the main threats to the future of the corridor. Corridors are an effective conservation measure but must be accompanied by other conservation solutions. KEY WORDS: Connectivity · Conservation planning · Detection probability · Interviews · Occupancy · Prey Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Cuyckens GAE, Falke F, Petracca L (2014) Jaguar Panthera onca in its southernmost range: use of a corridor between Bolivia and Argentina. Endang Species Res 26:167-177. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00640 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 26, No. 2. Online publication date: December 10, 2014 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2014 Inter-Research.

Wild meat: a shared resource amongst people and predators

AbstractMillions of people throughout the tropics consume wild meat. Overhunting reduces food security for people and large predators, yet little is known of the impact of hunting in systems where people and predators target the same prey species. We collate published data on predator diet in Belize with interview data about the consumption of wild and domestic meat by Belizeans, to compare the wild-meat diets of humans, jaguarsPanthera oncaand pumasPuma concolorand assess the sustainability of the combined offtake by humans and jaguars. Six wild mammal species (nine-banded armadilloDasypus novemcinctus, pacaCuniculus paca, collared peccaryPecari tajacu, white-lipped peccaryTayassu pecari, red brocket deerMazama americanaand white-tailed deerOdocoileus virginianus) comprised 7% of the animal-protein meals eaten by Belizeans. Overall, 80% of these meals were eaten by 20% of interviewees, suggesting a necessary role of wild meat for the minority. The same species were found in 69 and 86% of jaguar and puma scats, respectively. We estimate a national annual harvest of c. 4,000 tonnes of these six wild mammals by humans and jaguars, of which 78% is hunted by people. Sustainability is difficult to evaluate because prey population data are lacking in Belize. However, simple models suggest that a sustainable harvest at this rate would require higher prey population densities than averages recorded in hunted Neotropical forests. We emphasize the need for robust regional estimates of game species densities, to improve assessments of sustainability and inform hunting regulations. We recommend that the requirements of predators as well as those of people be considered when assessing wild meat harvests.

Range-wide declines of a key Neotropical ecosystem architect, the Near Threatened white-lipped peccaryTayassu pecari

AbstractWe report a range-wide status assessment of a key Neotropical ecosystem architect, the white-lipped peccaryTayassu pecari, categorized as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, using published information and unpublished data from 41 scientists in 15 range countries. We estimate that the white-lipped peccary has been extirpated in 21% of its historical range over the last 100 years, with reduced abundance and a low to medium probability of long-term survival in another 48% of its current range. We found major range declines in Argentina, Paraguay, southern Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, north-east Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica. This species is particularly at risk in more xeric ecosystems, especially the caatinga, cerrado and pampas. Hunting and habitat destruction are the most severe threats, although there are also unexplained sudden die-offs suggestive of disease. We evaluate our results in light of this species’ important interspecific interactions and its role as an ecosystem architect. One of our recommendations is that conservation efforts should focus on landscape conservation of large, continuous and ecologically intact areas containing a mosaic of different habitat types.

Invasive species and bushmeat hunting contributing to wildlife conservation: the case of feral pigs in a Neotropical wetland

AbstractAn unusual combination of two major conservation threats, invasive species and bushmeat hunting, has had a positive outcome for wildlife conservation in the Brazilian Pantanal. The Pantanal is a wetland and one of the few non-protected areas in the Neotropics where people live but rarely hunt native wildlife. To understand why wildlife hunting is not a major conservation issue in the Pantanal an exploratory survey, semi-structured interviews, skull collection and tooth wear analysis of feral pig Sus scrofa, white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari and collared peccary Pecari tajacu were conducted, and hunting registers distributed, in the central region of the Pantanal. The results showed that feral pigs are the main hunting target. Feral pigs are effectively acting as a replacement species for hunting of native wildlife because the pigs provide a constant, culturally acceptable, readily available and free source of meat and oil to remote ranches. We cannot evaluate, however, if the buffer from hunting that feral pigs provide to native wildlife outweigh this species’ potential negative ecological impacts.

Using ungulate occurrence to evaluate community-based conservation within a biosphere reserve model

Conservation areas in tropical forests protect the most diverse and threatened ecosystems on the planet. In the Amazon, ungulates are important determinants of forest structure and plant diversity, as well as being a resource for rural communities. Using occupancy-based methods, we estimated the occurrence of white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, collared peccary Pecari tajacu, lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris and red brocket deer Mazama americana in and around protected areas reserve in Tambopata, Peru, to evaluate how different management designation, anthropogenic influences and habitat type influenced the occurrence of each species. We used a combination of track surveys (n=258) and camera surveys (n=256) to estimate ungulate presence at 55 sites in a national reserve, a native community and adjacent buffer areas from May 2008 to March 2009. We found that prediction of the occurrence of white-lipped peccary, lowland tapir and red brocket deer was best accomplished using travel time from the nearest city (a measure of an area's accessibility). The occurrence of ungulates differed little between buffer and reserves, but community lands managed by indigenous peoples showed reduced probabilities of ungulate occurrence. Our results indicate that passive protection afforded by inaccessibility might be an effective management strategy for this region; however, we doubt that this is tenable as a long-term solution.

Hunting and the conservation of a social ungulate: the white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari in Calakmul, Mexico

The white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari is a social ungulate that forms the largest groups documented for any tropical forest ungulate species. Since the 1950s the species has become increasingly rare in Mesoamerica, and the more frequent reporting of smaller groups may be related to increased hunting pressure. Here we address the conservation status of this species in terms of its group size and structure, breeding season, population density, and relationship with hunting patterns in the Calakmul region of southern Mexico. Group sizes, age structure and breeding season were recorded in one large non-hunted site (Calakmul Biosphere Reserve) and four adjacent hunted sites. Population density was estimated in the Reserve and hunting patterns were recorded from three adjacent villages. Results indicate that hunting pressure affects peccary populations by reducing group size. White-lipped peccary groups were larger in the Reserve (median = 25) than in the hunted areas (median = 16) but groups were generally smaller than those reported in other forests. These smaller group sizes indicate conservation concern for this species in the Calakmul region. In addition, the estimated population (0.43 km2) is one of the lowest reported for this species. Hunting occurs mainly in the dry season, which is the peak of the breeding season and when peccary groups visit water bodies, where they are more easily hunted.

Foraging ecology of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) in hunted and non‐hunted sites within the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala

AbstractSubsistence hunting and commercial exploitation directly influence wildlife populations in many regions of Central and South America. Where prey populations are exploited, the foraging ecology of top‐level predators can be effected negatively. This study assessed the food habits and prey selection of jaguar Panthera onca and puma Puma concolor within hunted and non‐hunted segments of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), Guatemala. Food habits were determined from analysis of 76 jaguar and 145 puma scats collected within hunted and non‐hunted areas of the MBR from February 2000 to August 2001. Diets of jaguar and puma were compared (1) within species between areas with and without hunting to evaluate effects of subsistence hunting, and (2) between species to evaluate resource partitioning between these sympatric carnivores. Origin of predator scats was determined from mitochondrial DNA, diets were determined from prey remnants found within scats, and frequency of prey in scats was compared to expected values based on prey density estimates to test the hypothesis that diets of jaguar and puma were selective. Densities of major prey species were estimated using line‐transect sampling. White‐lipped peccary Tayassu pecari, collared peccary Tayassu tajacu and brocket deer Mazama sp. were less abundant, and coatis Nasua nasua more abundant, in the hunted area than in the non‐hunted area. Jaguar and puma in both hunted and non‐hunted sites obtained similar dietary contributions from large prey to their respective diets despite differences in the abundance of these prey species. Diets of jaguar and puma, as measured by percentage biomass occurrence of prey species, did not differ between hunted and non‐hunted areas. Jaguar diets were dominated by medium‐sized prey, particularly armadillos Dasypus novemcinctus and coatis, in both hunted and non‐hunted areas. Medium‐sized mammals also were prominent in puma diets, but large mammals constituted approximately 50% of prey biomass in both hunted and non‐hunted areas. Deer Odocoileus virginianus and Mazama sp. and large rodents Agouti paca and Dasyprocta punctata were the most important prey of puma. Dietary overlap between jaguar and puma in both hunted and non‐hunted areas was low.

Population status of white-lipped Tayassu pecari and collared peccaries T. tajacu in hunted and unhunted Amazonian forests

Data on the local abundance and residency status are presented for two of the most important game species of terrestrial vertebrates in neotropical forests, the white-lipped peccary Tayassu pecari and collared peccary Tayassu tajacu. These data are based on a long-term series (1987–1994) of line-transect censuses conducted at forest sites in central-western and eastern Brazilian Amazonia using transects of 4–5 km at each site. Surveys were conducted in four unhunted sites and 19 sites subject to varying degrees of hunting. Censued sites consisted of different types of unflooded ( terra firme) and flooded ( várzea) forest, giving a combined census distance of 2368 km. Evidence of the larger-bodied white-lipped peccary was detected at only 13 of the 23 sites surveyed, even though these forests had not been subject to habitat disturbance. Collared peccaries, on the other hand, persisted even in the most heavily hunted sites, though the numbers recorded were inversely related to hunting intensity. The large herds of white-lipped peccaries appear to be rare and move widely even in remote terra firme forests, even those which have been entirely spared of hunting, perhaps because of low density of key resource patches. In contrast, the ubiquitous collared peccaries live in small herds and appear to be year-round residents in presumably much smaller home ranges at both hunted and unhunted sites. The implications of peccary residency status and herd size are discussed in the context of differential susceptibility to hunting.