The jaguar is the top predator of the Atlantic Forest (AF), which is a highly threatened biodiversity hotspot that occurs in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. By combining data sets from 14 research groups across the region, we determine the population status of the jaguar and propose a spatial prioritization for conservation actions. About 85% of the jaguar’s habitat in the AF has been lost and only 7% remains in good condition. Jaguars persist in around 2.8% of the region, and live in very low densities in most of the areas. The population of jaguars in the AF is probably lower than 300 individuals scattered in small sub-populations. We identified seven Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs) and seven potential JCUs, and only three of these areas may have ≥50 individuals. A connectivity analysis shows that most of the JCUs are isolated. Habitat loss and fragmentation were the major causes for jaguar decline, but human induced mortality is the main threat for the remaining population. We classified areas according to their contribution to jaguar conservation and we recommend management actions for each of them. The methodology in this study could be used for conservation planning of other carnivore species.

Although highly diverse (Fonseca et al. 1996), the Atlantic forest mammal fauna is still poorly known, with very few sites exhaustively inventoried or subjected to long-term studies (Passamani et al. 2000). Although the first surveys using camera traps were carried out in the 1920s (e.g. Chapman 1927), most studies are rather recent (Karanth & Nichols 1998). This is not different in Brazil, where few studies have been published (Marques & Ramos 2001, Santos-Filho & Silva 2002, Silveira et al. 2003, Trolle 2003, Trolle & Kéry 2003). Given this, the objective of this paper is to assess the efficiency of camera trapping as an inventory technique for Neotropical forests in general and Atlantic forest in particular. The study was conducted at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station (SLBS), a biologically rich Atlantic Forest preserve located in south-eastern Brazil (Mendes & Padovan 2000) where mammals have been intensively live-trapped, observed from line-transects or had indirect evidence of their presence (faeces, footprints, scratches, etc.) recorded in earlier years (Passamani et al. 2000).

Presence of exotic species in forest remnants is a major concern for the conservation of wild species, not only on islands, where potential impact is higher. Although the problem is widespread and increasing, there are few studies on Neotropical forests. Here we quantify the occurrence of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in an Atlantic forest reserve in south-eastern Brazil (Santa Lúcia Biological Station -SLBS). Throughout two years of monitoring with camera traps (2,142 camera-days), 25 records of 16 individual dogs were obtained in the interior of SLBS, making dogs the fourth most frequently recorded species of mammals in general and the first-ranking among Carnivora, ahead of the ocelot and puma, the top two terrestrial predators present in SLBS. Dogs entered the forest year round, in almost half of the sampled months (48%), and predominantly during daytime (89%). They were detected in various trails inside the reserve, but mostly in areas nearest to the reserve's border (<200 m from the edge). Record rates of domestic dogs did not correlate significantly with climate variables, with frequency of mammal records and richness in general, or with any particular mammal species (Spearman rank correlation, p > 0.05 in all cases), suggesting an erratic, nonseasonal pattern of entrance in the reserve. Data indicate that domestic dogs can be abundant and frequent visitors to little disturbed Atlantic forest reserves even when these are located in regions of low density of human population. The potential impact to native fauna is discussed.Keywords: Atlantic forest, camera traps, Canis lupus familiaris, domestic dogs, exotic species.Cães-domésticos em remanescentes de Mata Atlântica no sudeste do Brasil: padrões de entrada e de ocupação obtidos a partir de armadilhas fotográficas Resumo A presença de espécies exóticas em remanescentes florestais é um dos maiores problemas para a conservação de táxons silvestres, não apenas em ilhas, onde o impacto potencial do contato entre os grupos citados revela-se mais significativo. Apesar deste problema ser amplo e crescente, poucos são os estudos desenvolvidos em florestas Neotropicais. Neste sentido, o presente estudo objetivou caracterizar a presença de cães-domésticos (Canis lupus familiaris) em uma reserva de Mata Atlântica localizada no Sudeste do Brasil (Estação Biológica de Santa Lúcia -EBSL). A partir de dois anos de monitoramento com armadilhas fotográficas (2.142 câmeras-dia), foram obtidos 25 registros de 16 indivíduos no interior da EBSL. Com relação ao número de registros obtidos, o cão-doméstico foi a quarta espécie mais registrada, considerando a mastofauna de maneira geral, e a primeira entre os Carnivora, estando à frente da jaguatirica e da onça-parda, os dois principais predadores terrestres presentes na EBSL. Os cães-domésticos entraram na reserva durante todo o ano, apresentando registros em quase metade dos meses de amostragem (48%), predominantemente ao longo do dia (89%). Os espécimes foram detectados em várias trilhas no interior da EBSL, ...

The elusive nature and endangered status of most carnivore species imply that efficient approaches for their non-invasive sampling are required to allow for genetic and ecological studies. Faecal samples are a major potential source of information, and reliable approaches are needed to foster their application in this field, particularly in areas where few studies have been conducted. A major obstacle to the reliable use of faecal samples is their uncertain species-level identification in the field, an issue that can be addressed with DNA-based assays. In this study we describe a sequence-based approach that efficiently distinguishes jaguar versus puma scats, and that presents several desirable properties: (1) considerably high amplification and sequencing rates; (2) multiple diagnostic sites reliably differentiating the two focal species; (3) high information content that allows for future application in other carnivores; (4) no evidence of amplification of prey DNA; and (5) no evidence of amplification of a nuclear mitochondrial DNA insertion known to occur in the jaguar. We demonstrate the reliability and usefulness of this approach by evaluating 55 field-collected samples from four locations in the highly fragmented Atlantic Forest biome of Brazil and Argentina, and document the presence of one or both of these endangered felids in each of these areas.

The distribution of species and population attributes are critical data for biodiversity conservation. As a tool for obtaining such data, camera traps have become increasingly common throughout the world. However, there are disagreements on how camera-trap records should be used due to imperfect species detectability and limitations regarding the use of capture rates as surrogates for abundance. We evaluated variations in the capture rates and community structures of mammals in camera-trap surveys using four different sampling designs. The camera traps were installed on internal roads (in the first and fourth years of the study), at 100-200 m from roads (internal edges; second year) and at 500 m from the nearest internal road (forest interior; third year). The mammal communities sampled in the internal edges and forest interior were similar to each other but differed significantly from those sampled on the roads. Furthermore, for most species, the number of records and the capture success varied widely among the four sampling designs. A further experiment showed that camera traps placed on the same tree trunk but facing in opposing directions also recorded few species in common. Our results demonstrated that presence or non-detection and capture rates vary among the different sampling designs. These differences resulted mostly from the habitat use and behavioral attributes of species in association with differences in sampling surveys, which resulted in differential detectability. We also recorded variations in the distribution of records per sampling point and at the same spot, evidencing the stochasticity associated with the camera-trap location and orientation. These findings reinforce that for species whose specimens cannot be individually identified, the capture rates should be best used as inputs for presence and detection analyses and for behavior inferences (regarding the preferential use of habitats and activity patterns, for example). Comparisons between capture rates or among relative abundance indices, even for the same species, should be made cautiously.

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data.

Crypt dynamics Social media startupCREDIT: SANDRA CAVALCANTI Capping Progress on Invasive Species?THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION RECENTLY PUBlished its long-awaited draft legislation on invasive alien species (1). The proposed regulation implements a key target of the European Union Biodiversity Strategy (2), aiming to bring EU policy in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity targets for 2020, which obliges signatories to identify and prioritize invasive alien species and their pathways of invasion, to control or eradicate priority species, and to manage pathways to prevent the introduction and establishment of new invasive alien species (3). An EU-wide regulation that coordinates a preventative and responsive system across the member states is a welcome step forward. However, one aspect of the draft risks fundamentally compromising its capacity to tackle the issue: The list of species to which the system would apply is strictly capped at a maximum of 50 species, for at least an initial period of 5 years after adoption (realistically, until 2020). This is only 3% of the 1500 invasive alien species already recognized as present and problematic in the European Union (1, 4), which generate a minimum estimated cost of €12.5 billion annually (5, 6).The justifi cation for capping the number of priority species is "to provide member with certainty regarding the extent and Atlantic Rainforest's Jaguars in Decline IN HER NEWS FOCUS STORY "PREDATORS IN THE 'hood" (20 September, p. 1332), V. Morell reported that top predator populations are coming back across much of North America. Meanwhile, predators in Brazil continue to decline. A recent meeting of wildlife experts indicated that the Atlantic rainforest that once stretched along the coast of Brazil and parts of Argentina and Paraguay may soon be the fi rst tropical biome to lose its largest top predator, the jaguar (Panthera onca). Researchers estimated fewer than 250 mature jaguars alive in the entire biome, distributed in eight isolated populations (1). Even worse, molecular analyses demonstrate that local effective population size (a critical parameter for the maintenance of genetic diversity) is below 50 animals (2).Jaguars are persecuted for their potential impact on livestock, and their prey have been overhunted even in large protected areas (3). Jaguars provide a crucial service in controlling (capybaras, deer, and peccaries) and smaller predators (pumas, ocelots, foxes, and racoons), and their overall extinction will likely disrupt predator-prey interactions with unpredictable effects on ecosystem function (4). The Atlantic rainforest is a highly fragmented biodiversity hotspot, with less than 12% of the original area left (5). Although 24% of the remaining areas are large enough to support jaguars, jaguar populations can be found in only 7% of the rainforest (4).Population supplementation and reintroduction programs may provide new hope for jaguars, but uncontrolled hunting of jaguars and their prey is still widespread in most protected areas, threatening th...

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1–6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co‐occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.