Spatial and temporal ecology of Cerdocyon thous: a mesopredator canid coping with habitat loss, fragmentation, and chronic anthropogenic disturbances

Abstract

Context Human activities are reducing the amount and quality of natural landscapes. Understanding how such changes affect the spatial and temporal ecology of mammal populations will enable us to foresee how communities will be structured in the Anthropocene. Objectives Here, we evaluated how the occupancy, intensity of use, and activity patterns of the mesopredator canid Cerdocyon thous are affected by topographic variation, habitat amount, fragmentation and chronic anthropogenic disturbances. Methods Camera trapping data were obtained between May and September 2014 in 179 sampling points within ten priority areas for conservation in a seasonally dry tropical forest (Caatinga) in Brazil, totaling an effort of 6,701 camera.days. We use occupancy models for analyzed occupancy, generalized linear models (GLM) for the intensity of use and kernel density curve for activity pattern. Results Cerdoyon thous benefited from human disturbance, showing greater occupancy and intensity of use near anthropogenic habitats, fragmentation, human density and cattle density. Moreover, temporal analyses showed that it modulates its daily activity according to habitat amount, human density, cattle density and altitude. However, C. thous tends to avoid areas with excess of fire, logging and infrastructures. Conclusions These results allow us to understand the mechanisms that contribute to the dominance of generalist mesocarnivores in human-dominated environments.