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

Lombardi, Jason V.; Perotto‐Baldivieso, Humberto L.; Tewes, Michael E.

doi:10.3390/rs12040659

Cited by 22 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(93 reference statements)

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“…This has important implications for the future of ocelot conservation in South Texas. Increased road density and expanding lanes to accommodate growing human populations in the valley could affect the availability of quality habitat for ocelots (Lombardi et al, 2021; Lombardi, Perotto‐Baldivieso, & Tewes, 2020). Of the area predicted as high‐quality ocelot habitat over time, ≥79% occurred on private ranchlands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

et al. 2022

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Evaluating temporal trends in habitat and behavioral responses is critical for conservation, yet long‐term monitoring studies are rare. We used a 35‐year dataset (1982–2017) to assess multiscale habitat use and selection by an endangered carnivore, the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), in South Texas, USA. We used a time series of remotely sensed imagery to map changes in availability of woody cover, habitat critical to ocelots that has diminished due to anthropogenic development and increased road infrastructure. Our objectives were to characterize habitat relationships, predict high‐quality habitat, and assess behavior with changing environmental conditions. We fit functional response (third order) and individual‐specific resource selection (second order) functions to assess multiscale habitat use of vegetation cover and roads. Within home ranges, ocelots used woody cover greater than availability. Ocelots used areas near roads in proportion to availability, with minor exceptions. We observed changes in habitat use by ocelots across time with higher proportions of woody and non‐woody cover used in later time periods. Average availability of woody cover decreased in the study area between the 1980s and 2010s (0.44 in 1985 to 0.39 in 2015, p < 0.001), and ocelots used areas with a higher proportion of woody cover (≥0.48) farther from high‐traffic roads compared to availability. High‐quality ocelot habitat was consistently predicted in areas with high proportions of woody cover, while areas closer to high‐traffic roads were consistently predicted as non‐habitat. The extent of predicted habitat never exceeded 47% (1515 km2) of the study area, illustrating the confined nature of ocelot habitat. Our assessment of multiscale habitat use demonstrated that higher order selection processes likely truncate resource gradients within home ranges. Ocelots did not avoid roads as expected within home ranges, which is a likely mechanism for vehicle‐induced mortality. Private lands contained ≥79% of predicted high‐quality habitat over time. Therefore, the future of ocelots in the United States relies on private land stewardship. Insights gained from these analyses can advance habitat conservation and mitigation of road mortality for ocelot populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

et al. 2022

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“…This subpopulation is more secluded from urbanization but not completely without the threat of road-related mortality. Private rangelands contain the largest remaining patches of woody cover (e.g., thornshrub and live oak) in the Coastal Sand Plain and Lower Rio Grande Valley [ 23 ], which promotes ocelot recovery efforts. However, with vehicle collisions still a threat to ocelot survival, additional crossing structures in this area could aid in their conservation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We created land-use cover maps by grouping each image into four land cover classes: woody cover, herbaceous cover (i.e., non-woody vegetation), bare ground, and water using unsupervised classification methods [ 23 , 36 ] in ERDAS IMAGINE 2018 (Hexagon Geospatial, Norcross, GA). We manually digitized crop fields for each image and fused these layers to the classified imagery.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, land modification from urbanization and agriculture has continued to reduce quality ocelot habitat within the southernmost 13 Texas counties to <1% of the area [ 22 ]. With the expansion of human population centers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, ocelots face greater pressure to survive in an increasingly fragmented landscape [ 23 ]. Their fate is exacerbated by the development and expansion of road networks, as previous research suggests that vehicle collisions are one of the highest sources of mortality for ocelots in South Texas, representing about 40% of all mortalities [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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If you build it, will they come? A comparative landscape analysis of ocelot roadkill locations and crossing structures

et al. 2022

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Wildlife-vehicle collisions can have a substantial influence on the mortality rates of many wildlife populations. Crossing structures are designed to mitigate the impact of road mortality by allowing safe passage of wildlife above or below roads, and connect to suitable areas on both sides of the road. Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are a federally endangered felid in the United States, with remnant populations of <80 individuals remaining in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Vehicle collisions are the greatest known source of mortality for ocelots in Texas. Crossing structures designed for ocelot use have been implemented throughout South Texas since the 1990s, however, ocelots rarely use them. We compared landscape characteristics between ocelot crossing structures and ocelot-vehicle collision sites. We quantified the spatial distribution of woody and herbaceous cover types surrounding ocelot crossing structures (n = 56) and ocelot-vehicle collision sites (n = 26) at multiple spatial extents and compared landscape metrics between these location types. The landscape surrounding ocelot crossing structures had 17–22% more open herbaceous cover >1,050 m from the road, and 1.2–5.8 ha larger herbaceous patches >450 m from the road compared to ocelot-vehicle collision sites. Additionally, many crossing structures installed during the 1990’s are situated >100 km away from an extant ocelot population. Results from this study can guide conservation planners to place future road crossing structures in areas more likely to be used by ocelots. Our results also emphasize that reliable scientific data must be used for effective mitigation efforts. In the absence of data, post-installation assessments can improve the placement of future structures.

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“…As urbanization and road networks in the adjacent LRGV increase over the next three decades, large private working ranches like our study area will provide important habitat for ocelots and other carnivore species (Lombardi, Perotto‐Baldivieso, & Tewes, 2020). The use of multiseason, multispecies models with two or more interacting species gives biologists and wildlife managers the ability to conduct long‐term analyses of interspecific interactions of endangered species, potential competitors, prey species, or economically valuable species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Cited by 22 publications

References 42 publications

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

If you build it, will they come? A comparative landscape analysis of ocelot roadkill locations and crossing structures

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

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