Impact of deforestation on habitat connectivity thresholds for large carnivores in tropical forests

Zemanova, Miriam A.; Perotto‐Baldivieso, Humberto L.; Dickins, Emily L.; Gill, Andrew B.; Leonard, John P.; Wester, David B.

doi:10.1186/s13717-017-0089-1

Cited by 45 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Because camera stations were placed 1 km apart, we placed 500 m buffers (hereafter, sampling unit) around each station, to avoid potential spatial pseudoreplication among sampling units (Lombardi et al, 2017). Within each buffer, we used FRAGSTATS 4.2 to examine three landscape metrics: woody patch density (PD; # patches/100 ha), edge density (ED; m/ha), and percent landscape (PLAND; %) (Zemanova et al, 2017). Due to previous research linking the occurrence of these species with canopy cover and distance to paved roads (Cain, Tuovila, Hewitt, & Tewes, 2003; Haines, Tewes, & Laack, 2005; Hinton, Manen, & Chamberlain, 2015; Horne et al, 2009), we attempted to examine the effect of each using a representative measurement for each sampling unit.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using long‐term camera trap monitoring, habitat metrics, and occupancy modeling (Rota et al, 2016), we can now study the interactions (i.e., avoidance or coexistence patterns) of such unique carnivore guilds and discern potential effects of habitat variables. Such results can aid in explaining potential thresholds for occurrence, habitat use, and help guide management or recovery strategies (Crooks, 2002; Meek et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2019; Zemanova et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Co‐occurrence of bobcats, coyotes, and ocelots in Texas

Lombardi

MacKenzie

Tewes

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Interspecific competition among carnivores has been linked to differences in behavior, morphology, and resource use. Insights into these interactions can enhance understanding of local ecological processes that can have impacts on the recovery of endangered species, such as the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). Ocelots, bobcats (Lynx rufus), and coyotes (Canis latrans) share a small geographic range overlap from South Texas to south‐central Mexico but relationships among the three are poorly understood. From May 2011 to March 2018, we conducted a camera trap study to examine co‐occurrence patterns among ocelots, bobcats, and coyotes on the East Foundation's El Sauz Ranch in South Texas. We used a novel multiseason extension to multispecies occupancy models with ≥2 interacting species to conduct an exploratory analysis to examine interspecific interactions and examine the potential effects of patch‐level and landscape‐level metrics relative to the occurrence of these carnivores. We found strong evidence of seasonal mutual coexistence among all three species and observed a species‐specific seasonal trend in detection. Seasonal coexistence patterns were also explained by increasing distance from a high‐speed roadway. However, these results have important ecological implications for planning ocelot recovery in the rangelands of South Texas. This study suggests a coexistence among ocelots, bobcats, and coyotes under the environmental conditions on the El Sauz Ranch. Further research would provide a better understanding of the ecological mechanisms that facilitate coexistence within this community. As road networks in the region expand over the next few decades, large private working ranches will be needed to provide important habitat for ocelots and other carnivore species.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co‐occurrence of bobcats, coyotes, and ocelots in Texas

Lombardi

MacKenzie

Tewes

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Today, more than three billion people live in urbanized areas worldwide, with mid-century projections expected to surpass four billion [5,6]. As habitat fragmentation and degradation rates increase, the ability of certain wildlife species to survive or disperse into new areas will be affected [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In southern California, increasing urban development, increased traffic volumes, and increased road construction has been linked to genetic isolation and lack of gene flow in mountain lion populations [15,16]. Further, persistence and connectivity among jaguar populations have been severely limited due to deforestation caused by agriculture, human development, and rangeland conversion [7,14,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land Cover Trends in South Texas (1987–2050): Potential Implications for Wild Felids

2020

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The Rio Grande Delta and surrounding rangelands in Texas has become one of the fastest urbanizing regions in the United States over the last 35 years. We assessed how land cover trends contributed to the large-scale processes that have driven land cover change since 1987. We classified LANDSAT imagery from 1987 to 2016 to quantify different rates of land cover change and used housing density scenarios to project changes in the amount and spatial distribution of woody cover until 2050 and its potential impact on wild felid habitat. Since 1987, woody cover increased from 3.9% along with patch and edge density, whereas mean patch area and Euclidean nearest neighbor decreased. Closer inspection revealed that woody encroachment of small patches (<1 ha) was the leading cause of woody cover increase by a magnitude of 4, with an observed significant skewness and kurtosis in the frequency distribution of patch size across years. By 2050, urbanization will be the dominant landscape type and at least 200 km2 of woody cover may be lost, thereby affecting felid populations in South Texas. These results provide important information for predicting future woody cover fragmentation and its potential impact on the connectivity of wild felid populations.

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“…These metrics were percentage cover (PLAND; %), mean patch area (MPA; ha), patch density (PD; number of patches/100 ha), mean shape index (MSI), largest patch index (LPI; %), aggregation index (AI), and edge density (ED; m/ha) (Perotto-Baldivieso et al 2011;Young et al 2014;Zemanova et al 2017). We used PLAND to measure the overall changes in tanglehead cover present in the landscape.…”

Section: Data Collection and Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the spatial and temporal distribution of tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) on South Texas rangelands

et al. 2018

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Introduction: Tanglehead is a grass native to southwestern US rangelands; however, its prevalence as a native invasive on South Texas rangelands has increased rapidly during the last decade. Large areas of monotypic stands have emerged in Jim Hogg, Duval, Brooks, and Kleberg counties. The aim of this research is to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of these invasions as a model for the assessment of native invasive species. Our specific objectives were to (1) evaluate the feasibility of classifying tanglehead using 1-m resolution imagery data, (2) assess the spatial and temporal distribution of tanglehead in relation to soil type and distance from roads, and (3) quantify the temporal and spatial distribution of tanglehead on our study sites. We combined remote sensing approaches with landscape metrics to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of tanglehead in five locations across our study area. We calculated the normalized difference vegetation index and combined it with the original aerial imagery to conduct an unsupervised classification with the following land cover classes: woody vegetation, tanglehead, non-tanglehead herbaceous, and bare ground. Soil type and the distance from roads were assessed to determine the relationship between these factors and tanglehead spatial distribution. Results: We were able to successfully map tanglehead using the 1-m imagery. Our image classification approach resulted in accuracies greater than 85% for all sites. Tanglehead occurred in sandy, loamy sand, and sandy loam soils. Over 70% of tanglehead cover occurred within the first 150 m from the edge of roads. This cover increased from 7.1% (SE = 1.1%) in 2008 to 17.8% (SE = 5.4%) in 2014. Once established, small patches of tanglehead began aggregating or coalescing with existing stands, thereby creating larger patches over larger areas. Conclusions: Our study has shown the value of analyzing spatiotemporal dynamics of tanglehead with remote sensing techniques and landscape metrics to improve our understanding of establishment and dispersal processes of a native invasive. This study provides useful information to improve rangeland management decisions as well as assessing native invasive dynamics with potential applications for assessing its effects on wildlife habitat, livestock operations, and habitat restoration strategies.

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Impact of deforestation on habitat connectivity thresholds for large carnivores in tropical forests

Cited by 45 publications

References 60 publications

Co‐occurrence of bobcats, coyotes, and ocelots in Texas

Co‐occurrence of bobcats, coyotes, and ocelots in Texas

Land Cover Trends in South Texas (1987–2050): Potential Implications for Wild Felids

Quantifying the spatial and temporal distribution of tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus) on South Texas rangelands

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