Abstract:The Pantanal is the largest inland wetland in the world and is under increasing anthropogenic threats, including long-term regionally intensive gold mining practices. Gold mining activities are known to cause the release of harmful pollutants such as mercury (Hg) to the surrounding environment. Jaguars (Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758)) are apex predators, and therefore show great potential to accumulate Hg by biomagnification. We hypothesize that total Hg content in the fur of jaguars from two sites within the … Show more
“…We have not found existing reports on levels of trace elements in the hair of European wildcats. Measured THg in felids in non-contaminated areas does not exceed 30 mg kg −1 dw (May Júnior et al 2017), while in contaminated areas it ranges from 46 to 673 mg kg −1 dw (Kitamura 1968;May Júnior et al 2017). In this study, average THg concentration in European wildcats was 0.73 mg kg −1 dw, about 40x lower than in the hair of jaguars from a reference area in Brazil.…”
This study examined the concentration of total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se), as well as the molar ratio of Se:THg in hair samples of terrestrial animals. THg and Se concentrations were measured from the hair of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and European wildcats (Felis s. silvestris) from Germany and Luxembourg. Median THg concentrations in hair from raccoons and wildcats were 0.369 and 0.273 mg kg −1 dry weight (dw), respectively. Se concentrations were higher in the hair of raccoons than of wildcats (0.851 and 0.641 mg kg −1 dw, respectively). Total mercury concentration in hair of raccoons from Luxembourg was almost 5× higher that found in hair of raccoons from Germany; however, Se concentration was similar. Thus, molar ratio of Se:THg was~4× higher in the hair of raccoons from Germany than those from Luxembourg. Significant negative correlation was found between THg concentration and Se:THg molar ratio in both wildcats and raccoons.
“…We have not found existing reports on levels of trace elements in the hair of European wildcats. Measured THg in felids in non-contaminated areas does not exceed 30 mg kg −1 dw (May Júnior et al 2017), while in contaminated areas it ranges from 46 to 673 mg kg −1 dw (Kitamura 1968;May Júnior et al 2017). In this study, average THg concentration in European wildcats was 0.73 mg kg −1 dw, about 40x lower than in the hair of jaguars from a reference area in Brazil.…”
This study examined the concentration of total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se), as well as the molar ratio of Se:THg in hair samples of terrestrial animals. THg and Se concentrations were measured from the hair of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and European wildcats (Felis s. silvestris) from Germany and Luxembourg. Median THg concentrations in hair from raccoons and wildcats were 0.369 and 0.273 mg kg −1 dry weight (dw), respectively. Se concentrations were higher in the hair of raccoons than of wildcats (0.851 and 0.641 mg kg −1 dw, respectively). Total mercury concentration in hair of raccoons from Luxembourg was almost 5× higher that found in hair of raccoons from Germany; however, Se concentration was similar. Thus, molar ratio of Se:THg was~4× higher in the hair of raccoons from Germany than those from Luxembourg. Significant negative correlation was found between THg concentration and Se:THg molar ratio in both wildcats and raccoons.
“…Bioaccumulation of MMHg to top predators from aquatic sources is well documented 30–33 , which is largely due to the prevalence of anaerobic microbes in aquatic systems, plus the numerous food web positions that allow for efficient trophic transfer of MMHg. For terrestrial predators within food webs of terrestrial origins, the risk is thought to be lower, with the exception of sites close to highly polluted active mines 34 and runoff from legacy mining activity 35 .…”
Coastal marine atmospheric fog has recently been implicated as a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems through the process of sea-to-land advection of foggy air masses followed by wet deposition. This study examined whether pumas (Puma concolor) in coastal central California, USA, and their associated food web, have elevated concentrations of MMHg, which could be indicative of their habitat being in a region that is regularly inundated with marine fog. We found that adult puma fur and fur-normalized whiskers in our marine fog-influenced study region had a mean (±SE) total Hg (THg) (a convenient surrogate for MMHg) concentration of 1544 ± 151 ng g−1 (N = 94), which was three times higher (P < 0.01) than mean THg in comparable samples from inland areas of California (492 ± 119 ng g−1, N = 18). Pumas in California eat primarily black-tailed and/or mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and THg in deer fur from the two regions was also significantly different (coastal 28.1 ± 2.9, N = 55, vs. inland 15.5 ± 1.5 ng g−1, N = 40). We suggest that atmospheric deposition of MMHg through fog may be contributing to this pattern, as we also observed significantly higher MMHg concentrations in lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii), a deer food and a bioindicator of atmospheric deposition, at sites with the highest fog frequencies. At these ocean-facing sites, deer samples had significantly higher THg concentrations compared to those from more inland bay-facing sites. Our results suggest that fog-borne MMHg, while likely a small fraction of Hg in all atmospheric deposition, may contribute, disproportionately, to the bioaccumulation of Hg to levels that approach toxicological thresholds in at least one apex predator. As global mercury levels increase, coastal food webs may be at risk to the toxicological effects of increased methylmercury burdens.
“…On the other hand, considering the sum of the HR extents and the total area overlapped with the PAs, we found that 20% of the HR extent matched the PAs. Notably, jaguars coexist with different levels of anthropic pressures outside the PAs [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] . Jaguar distribution range has been restricted to 63% of the Pantanal 5 and even more restricted in the UPRB 77 .…”
Section: Fires As a Threat To Jaguarsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, jaguar populations are increasingly threatened due to the accelerated intensification of land use in these areas. The main threats to jaguar conservation 1,5 are habitat loss 4 , prey poaching 4 , retaliation for livestock depredation [6][7][8] , pollution from mining and pesticides 9 , increased agricultural activities 10 and human infrastructure (e.g., increased roadkill rates) [11][12][13] . Although fire is typically considered a threat to a small proportion of the overall jaguar population 1 , the unprecedented severity of the 2020 fires in the Pantanal [14][15][16][17][18] suggests that fire may be an unaccounted risk to jaguar conservation in this biome.…”
The Pantanal wetland harbours the second largest population of jaguars in the world. Alongside climate and land-use changes, the recent mega-fires in the Pantanal may pose a new threat to the jaguars’ long-term survival. To put these growing threats into perspective, we addressed the reach and intensity of fires that have affected jaguar conservation in the Pantanal ecoregion over the last 16 years. The 2020 fires were the most severe in the annual series, followed by 2019, burned 31% of the Pantanal and affected (I) 45% of the estimated jaguar population (87% of these affected in Brazil); II) 79% of the home range (HRs) areas, and (III) 54% of the protected areas (PAs) within HRs. Fires consumed core habitats and injured several individual jaguars, the Pantanal’s apex predator and umbrella species. Displacement, hunger, dehydration, territorial defence, and lower fecundity are among the impacts that may affect the abundance of the species. These impacts are likely to affect other less mobile species and, therefore, the ecological stability of the region. A solution to prevent the recurrence of mega-fires lies in combating the anthropogenic causes that intensify drought conditions, such as implementing actions to protect springs, increasing the number and area of PAs, regulating the use of fire, and allocating fire brigades before dry seasons.
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