Influential factors on gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) activity and movement in the Pantanal, Brazil

Grotta‐Neto, Francisco; Peres, Pedro Henrique de Faria; Piovezan, Ubiratan; Passos, Fernando C.; Duarte, José Maurício Barbanti

doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz056

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Gray Brocket Deer ecology.— This study represents the most intense and systematic sampling effort to date to monitor forest deer spatial use in the Neotropical region. The same GPS-monitored animals had their activity and movement data explored in a separate study focused on fine-scale GPS monitoring (each location minutes apart) that recovered trajectory information (Grotta-Neto et al 2019), and a methodological study that compared daily activity budget measured by camera traps and GPS collars (Grotta-Neto et al 2020). Here, we add to this body of knowledge the first results on habitat selection of a brocket deer using both GPS data and proposed a noninvasive fecal sampling framework.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, preference or avoidance does not necessarily represent the value of that feature for the species because this information is related to its availability in the landscape (Johnson 1980). Despite the avoidance of open grassland, this habitat was the most used by the Gray Brocket Deer at our site and has been directly linked to food intake, thus representing a key feature for the species (Grotta-Neto et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Pantanal landscape represents an appropriate location to test the reliability of fecal sampling because it comprises a mosaic of different vegetation habitats (open grasslands, shrubland savanna, and forest patches) that should evidence the influence of habitat type on the distribution and detectability of fecal samples. In addition, the gray brocket deer in Pantanal offers a unique opportunity to conduct a comparative study not only because the species uses all habitat-types in the region but also because its capture is feasible, influenced by factors including local abundance, behavior, and tendency to feed on open grasslands (Grotta-Neto et al 2019). Therefore, we conducted two independent but synchronous habitat selection analyses using GPS and fecal sampling data on the same site and tested habitat utilization convergency between both methods.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Comparing GPS collar and fecal sampling using detection dogs for habitat selection analysis in brocket deer (Mazama)

Peres

Grotta‐Neto

Nascimento

et al. 2023

Journal of Mammalogy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Habitat use data are key to understanding species ecology and extinction risk. However, such information is lacking for the elusive deer species of Neotropical region. In this context, fecal sampling has emerged as an alternative tool, in which development and evaluation are essential to obtaining unbiased ecological data. We aimed to compare data from GPS-tracked animals and fecal sampling using scat detection dogs to evaluate the noninvasive performance of this method in habitat selection analysis. We carried out the study in the Brazilian Pantanal, where we monitored six free-living Gray Brocket Deer (Mazama gouazoubira) with GPS collars for 1 year (average of 584 GPS locations/animal) and collected fecal samples (n = 649) simultaneously along a set of transects designed for a scat detection dog survey. We evaluated habitat selection using the chi-square test in an availability/utilization analysis and submitted both data to a bootstrap procedure to assess its precision and accuracy with increasing sample size. GPS data indicated habitat selection at a fine utilization scale, in which savanna and cerrado were preferred and open grassland habitat was avoided. Exclusive fecal sampling also indicated habitat selection, revealing the preference for cerrado and avoidance of open grassland. The GPS and fecal habitat utilization estimates did not differ significantly and fecal sampling increased precision and accuracy with increased sample size, reaching minimal values once n = 200 which should be considered a sufficient survey effort. The similarity between the two methods suggested the reliability of fecal sampling, as long as a standardized sampling design is used. This noninvasive sampling framework can provide previously unavailable ecological data for threatened Neotropical deer as well as other elusive species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Comparing GPS collar and fecal sampling using detection dogs for habitat selection analysis in brocket deer (Mazama)

Peres

Grotta‐Neto

Nascimento

et al. 2023

Journal of Mammalogy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is common for wildlife researchers to place camera traps on trails in closed land‐cover types, in order to maximize records (Karanth et al 2011). Specific habitat use might be related to different behaviors performed by the species, such as rest, traveling, and foraging, which might vary in intensity or be exclusive to a habitat type (Grotta‐Neto et al 2019). These behavioral variations will likely overrepresent use of habitat types that the animals typically use to travel and underrepresent other habitat types used for feeding or resting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Camera Trap Feasibility for Ecological Studies of Elusive Forest Deer

Grotta‐Neto

Peres

Piovezan

et al. 2020

Wildlife Society Bulletin

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The difficulty in observing and capturing elusive species in the wild is one of the main reasons for the limited number of studies on such species. This knowledge gap affects the development of conservation and management plans. Hence, testing the feasibility of research tools is essential for the future use and reliability of such tools. Camera traps increasingly are used as an alternative to capturing animals for wildlife research, and to generate important data for the management and conservation of many species. We identified individual free-ranging gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) from the Brazilian Pantanal by their natural markings. From October 2011 through September 2012, we investigated the feasibility of using camera traps for home range, habitat use, and activity period studies based on individuals with natural marks compared with the concurrent data collected from Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Home range studies based on camera traps have limitations related to the quantity of individuals with natural marks and need for population premonitoring to detect them. The irregular performance of camera traps and lower detection probability in open habitats restricted its application in the habitat use study, especially among highly heterogeneous habitats. However, the positive correlation (r = 0.98, P < 0.001) between the frequency of photographic records and distances travelled by deer with GPS locations indicated reliable use of camera traps for research into activity periods. Camera traps can be used as an alternative to telemetry, potentially expanding the perspective and scope of noninvasive ecological studies for elusive and cryptic species.

show abstract

“…Movement is a fundamental characteristic of animals with each species adjusting the movement patterns differently with time and season to meet various ecological needs ( Nathan et al 2008 ) such as foraging ( Grotta-Neto et al 2019 ; Hanya et al 2020 ); mating and reproduction ( Mizumoto et al 2020 ); thermoregulation ( Spitz et al 2018 ; Zollner et al 2020 ); and avoidance of predators ( Pokallus and Pauli 2016 ; Picardi et al 2019 ), parasites ( Kärvemo et al 2020 ), and human disturbance ( Tucker et al 2018 ; Hertel et al 2021 ). Researchers have used different methods to study animal movement.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonality in daily movement patterns of mandrills revealed by combining direct tracking and camera traps

Hongo

Nakashima

Akomo-Okoue

et al. 2021

Journal of Mammalogy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Movement is a fundamental characteristic of animals, but challenging to measure noninvasively. Noninvasive methods for measuring travel have different weaknesses, so multiple techniques need to be applied multiple techniques for reliable inferences. We used two methods, direct tracking and camera trapping, to examine the variation in time and seasonal differences in movement rates of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), an elusive primate that lives in large groups in central Africa. In a 400-km2 rainforest area in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon, we tracked unidentified groups 46 times from 2009 to 2013. We systematically placed 157 terrestrial camera traps in the same area from 2012 to 2014 and recorded groups 309 times. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) of the tracking data indicated that the group travel speed varied with time and season. In the fruiting season, the movement rate fluctuated with time in a bimodal pattern, whereas in the nonfruiting season, it increased monotonously with time. The predicted day range was longer in the fruiting season (6.98 km) than in the nonfruiting season (6.06 km). These seasonal differences suggest responses to changes in food resources and temperature. Camera-trap detection rates showed similar temporal and seasonal patterns to the tracking data, allowing us to generalize our findings to the population level. Moreover, cameras never detected mandrills at night, and we observed that they slept high in trees and hardly moved until the next morning, all suggesting their strict avoidance of nighttime movement. This study demonstrated the significance of the multiple-method approach in drawing robust conclusions on temporal patterns of animal movement.

show abstract

Influential factors on gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) activity and movement in the Pantanal, Brazil

Cited by 15 publications

References 25 publications

Comparing GPS collar and fecal sampling using detection dogs for habitat selection analysis in brocket deer (Mazama)

Comparing GPS collar and fecal sampling using detection dogs for habitat selection analysis in brocket deer (Mazama)

Camera Trap Feasibility for Ecological Studies of Elusive Forest Deer

Seasonality in daily movement patterns of mandrills revealed by combining direct tracking and camera traps

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About