Ravines as conservation strongholds for small wildcats under pressure from free-ranging dogs and cats in Mediterranean landscapes of Chile

Abstract

To analyze the spatial distribution and validate the minimum distance between camera sites, we applied L-function (Besag's transformation of Ripley's K-function). This analysis identifies whether the spatial distribution of the camera sites follows a random, clustered or dispersed process, and identifies the average distance at which the respective process begins. In summary, the algorithm determines when the distribution process of camera sites passes from scattered to clustered considering a theoretical curve of a Poisson process. Given the special distribution of the 80 camera sites in this experimental design, the L-function yielded an average distance of 2,503.374 meters (Appendix Fig. S1.1). Below this distance, it is considered that the spatial process of camera site locations follows a random distribution.

Native Carnivore Diversity and Relative Abundance in Landscapes of the Coast Range in Central Chile: Insights for Conservation Decision-Making

“…Our study is coincident with previous records showing the ability of L. guigna to tolerate different landscapes [45,47,50,76], including exotic monocultures and fruit tree plantations (this study). Some of these habitats may be occupied only as hunting or transit sites between areas of dense native vegetation, where permanent refuges and reproductive sites are located.…”

Body size modulates demographic patterns of top predators and their native and invasive prey: A biomathematical approach

“…Figure 7 revealed that only the invasive species could establish when the resource availability was 0.7 kg, contrasting with scenarios where the native species predominated and became the sole prey of the superior predator. Finally, Figure 8 explores the b>1 and c>1 scenario, with a constant body mass of the superior predator (100 kg) and temporal variations in basal resource availability, coexistence between native and invasive species was observed as a resource for the superior predator in the initial 10 seasons, aligning with prior findings (Osorio et al 2021).…”

“…The definition and description of the variables and parameters are summarized in Table 1. The conceptual model is presented in Figure 4 and is based on an ecological community studied in central-southern Chile by (Osorio et al 2021). The production rates, predation rates, conversion coefficients and all traits present in the model parameters depend on body size and are based on general principles as proposed by metabolic theory (Marquet 2022;Delong 2014).…”

“…Our modeling approach may be relevant for research endeavors seeking to identify realistic demographic patterns (Gobin et al 2022) or to make general predictions about how the species community structure evolves in the long term concerning body size. This becomes particularly pertinent in human-wildlife conflict scenarios (Inskip and Zimmermann 2009), where theoretical models offer novel insights into domestic animal control policies (Beltrami et al 2021) and native species conservation strategies.…”

“…Our main goal encompasses two essential aspects: firstly, to investigate the implications of changes in the body size of apex predators on community structure; secondly, to explore long-term coexistence patterns between native and invasive prey species through simulations of realistic scenarios akin to those documented by Osorio et al (2021). Additionally, through simulations within dynamic systems, we demonstrate how modeling age structure provides a foundation for understanding the long-term demographic patterns observed in natural environments (Gobin et al 2022).…”