Density and activity patterns of pumas in hunted and non-hunted areas in central Argentina

Abstract

Context Hunting has demographic effects on large and medium carnivores, causing population reductions and even extinctions worldwide. Yet, there is little information on carnivore demographic parameters and spatial and temporal land-use patterns in areas experiencing sport hunting, thus hindering effective conservation plans for such areas. Aims We estimated densities and determined activity patterns of pumas (Puma concolor) from camera-trapping surveys in a protected area and in a game reserve with sport hunting, in the Caldén forest of central Argentina. Methods We used both non-spatial and spatial mark–resight techniques to estimate and compare puma densities and we used kernel-density estimation (KDE) techniques to analyse and compare puma activity patterns between study sites. Key results Puma densities estimated from spatial models were lower than densities estimated from non-spatial mark–resight techniques. However, estimated density of pumas in the protected area was always higher (range = 4.89–9.32 per 100 km2) than in the game reserve (range = 0.52–1.98 per 100 km2), regardless of the estimation technique used. Trapping rates for large mammal prey were similar across sites. Pumas exhibited more nocturnal behaviour and high activity peaks at 0600 hours and 1100 hours in the hunted game reserve, whereas puma activity was spread more evenly around the clock in the protected area. Conclusions The higher puma densities in the protected area reflect the potential for such areas to function as refugia in a human-dominated landscape. However, the game reserve had a lower puma density than the protected area despite high trap rates of large prey, indicating that these areas may function as attractive sinks. Implications Our results could indicate that puma sport hunting in the Caldén forest should be managed at a metapopulation, regional level, and include both no-hunting areas (protected area, as potential sources) and hunting areas (game reserves, as potential sinks). Considering that our study areas were small and that this was an unreplicated study, we urge more research to be conducted, so as to determine whether sport hunting is compatible with puma conservation in the region.

Response of pumas (Puma concolor) to migration of their primary prey in Patagonia

“…In addition to increasing understanding of the role of migration in predator-prey dynamics in this system, baseline data on densities of pumas are important for conservation and management. Pumas are heavily controlled outside protected areas in Patagonia because of their impact on livestock, and sport hunting occurs in some regions of Argentina [ 41 , 82 ]. For elusive species such as pumas, obtaining density estimates can be challenging, particularly in non-forested habitats that lack trails and roads to help guide animals between cameras.…”

“…For elusive species such as pumas, obtaining density estimates can be challenging, particularly in non-forested habitats that lack trails and roads to help guide animals between cameras. To date, only a few studies have used spatial mark-resight models to estimate densities for pumas (e.g., [ 32 , 41 , 83 ]. However, comparisons of approaches for estimating density in tropical and subtropical forests demonstrated that traditional non-spatial approaches likely over estimate densities and that a mark-resight framework increases precision compared to other analyses [ 32 ].…”

“…Although pumas do not have as obvious marks as some felids that are surveyed with cameras [e.g., jaguars ( Panthera onca ) and tigers ( P . tigris )], Kelly et al [ 39 ] and subsequent studies [e.g., 41 , 43 , 49 ] demonstrated that individual pumas can be reliably identified based on natural marks such as ear nicks, scars, and kinked tails. However, given that SECR analyses can incorporate data for images of known and unknown individuals and some pumas were photographed by only one camera from long distances in this open landscape, we took a conservative approach and assigned individual identification only to pumas that were photographed clearly from both sides (43% of the independent records).…”

Increases in Midwestern cougars despite harvest in a source population

“…If density‐dependent factors and the rebound of cougars in the West has now brought populations to the edge of their current range in North America, perhaps our findings (specifically that of greater female dispersal rates and distances) are simply previously unseen observations. Recent research from South America (Zanón‐Martínez et al ) suggests that cougars use areas with less suitable characteristics during movements and Elbroch and Wittmer () reported cougars used open spaces with aggregate prey in the absence of other terrestrial predators. Given much of the grassland and agricultural landscape throughout the Midwest is largely devoid of other large, competing predators (i.e., gray wolves [ Canis lupus ], black bears [ Ursus americanus ]), perhaps this is an indication of what we might expect in the future, although much unoccupied habitat exists in the region for gray wolves and bears (Smith et al ).…”

Is the zooplankton of mesosaline lakes in protected areas in the semiarid Pampa of Argentina different from those in lakes with high anthropic influence?

“…The existence of a temporary saline lake in a protected area (Parque Luro Provincial Reserve), where the current anthropogenic influence is relatively low, provides the opportunity to make comparisons with the most impacted lakes previously studied and to assess the magnitude of human influence. Several aspects of the ecology of the terrestrial flora and fauna of the reserve have been studied (Cano 1980;Maceda et al 2001;Sosa et al 2010;González-Roglich et al 2012;Zanón-Martínez et al 2016), and most of this information has been applied in its management (Subsecretaría de Ecología 2004). However, it is not the case for its aquatic ecosystems, on which only some hydrological information exists.…”