Anthropogenic Disturbances Drive Domestic Dog Use of Atlantic Forest Protected Areas

Abstract

Domestic dog is the most successful invasive mammalian predator species, and reducing its ecological impacts on wildlife is a central conservation goal globally. Free-ranging dogs can negatively interact with wildlife at multiple levels, posing issues for biodiversity conservation in tropical forests, especially in fragmented Atlantic Forest. To optimize future control programs, it is necessary to identify the main factors influencing their habitat use, particularly in natural reserves. We combined camera trapping data and occupancy models to characterize habitat use of dogs in six Atlantic Forest protected areas (134-36,000 ha). Our results show that dogs were more likely to use sites (É ! 0.90) having higher housing density (!4.00 houses/km 2 ) or higher proportion of croplands and pasture (!75%) relative to sites with no houses (É ¼ 0.23 AE 0.10) or lower proportion of croplands and pasture (É ¼ 0.34 AE 0.08). In addition, dogs had higher detection probability at camera locations on unpaved roads (p ¼ 0.33 AE 0.05) relative to off-road sites (p ¼ 0.18 AE 0.04), and in small protected areas with high housing density, that is, more disturbed sites, dogs had higher detection probabilities. Our findings indicate that the probability of dogs using a site within protected area is mainly driven by type and intensity of human activity in the surroundings. Given the urgent need to control free-ranging dogs within protected areas, we strongly recommend that managers target sites/areas within and near protected areas that have a rural housing density ! 4.00 houses/km 2 or higher proportion of croplands and pasture (!75%).

The triad “dogs, conservation and zoonotic diseases” – An old and still neglected problem in Brazil

“…Also, the absence of dog pups in the park area indicated that dogs were probably derived from regions around the park, suggesting a steady flow of these animals between the park and urban areas. These results, together with other fundamental studies (Galetti and Sazima, 2006;Srbek-Araujo and Chiarello, 2008;Lacerda et al, 2009;Torres and Prado, 2010;Curi et al, 2016;Lessa et al, 2016;Paschoal et al, 2016;Fernandez et al, 2017;Rosa and Souza, 2017;Vieira et al, 2017;Paschoal et al, 2018), clearly confirm that Brazilian forest areas (mainly those close to urban centers) are strongly influenced by the activity of domestic/free-ranging dogs.…”

Does stress mess with rodents’ heads? Influence of habitat amount and genetic factors in mandible fluctuating asymmetry in South American water rats (Nectomys squamipes, Sigmodontinae) from Brazilian Atlantic rainforest remnants

“…In addition, proximity to humans may promote the occurrence of epizootic events in wild populations, as observed with malaria and yellow fever in non-human primates (Buery et al, 2017;Moreno et al, 2013). Another threat is the extensive presence of domestic cats and dogs in remnant forest patches in proximity to human houses and cropland/pasture (Paschoal et al, 2018). These large domestic animals compete with the local fauna for territory, increase predation of small to medium size vertebrates, and transmit pathogens ( de Almeida Curi et al, 2010;Lessa et al, 2016;Paschoal et al, 2016;Srbek-Araujo & Chiarello, 2008).…”

Using camera traps to investigate spatial co‐occurrence between exotic predators and native prey species: a case study from northeastern Madagascar

“…It is well known that habitat degradation tends to make it easier for exotic species to invade native ecosystems (e.g. Hradsky et al ., ; Paschoal et al ., ). We've recorded a higher exotic predator occupancy in more degraded sites (Farris et al ., ), suggesting that as habitat degradation increases, native species face decreased habitat quality and increased exotic predator presence, which can amplify negative effects on native species (Brook, Sodhi & Bradshaw, ; Anson et al ., ; Doherty et al ., ; McDonald et al ., ).…”