Species-Specific Responses of Carnivores to Human-Induced Landscape Changes in Central Argentina

Abstract

The role that mammalian carnivores play in ecosystems can be deeply altered by human-driven habitat disturbance. While most carnivore species are negatively affected, the impact of habitat changes is expected to depend on their ecological flexibility. We aimed to identify key factors affecting the habitat use by four sympatric carnivore species in landscapes of central Argentina. Camera trapping surveys were carried out at 49 sites from 2011 to 2013. Each site was characterized by 12 habitat attributes, including human disturbance and fragmentation. Four landscape gradients were created from Principal Component Analysis and their influence on species-specific habitat use was studied using Generalized Linear Models. We recorded 74 events of Conepatus chinga, 546 of Pseudalopex gymnocercus, 193 of Leopardus geoffroyi and 45 of Puma concolor. We found that the gradient describing sites away from urban settlements and with low levels of disturbance had the strongest influence. L. geoffroyi was the only species responding significantly to the four gradients and showing a positive response to modified habitats, which could be favored by the low level of persecution by humans. P. concolor made stronger use of most preserved sites with low proportion of cropland, even though the species also used sites with an intermediate level of fragmentation. A more flexible use of space was found for C. chinga and P. gymnocercus. Our results demonstrate that the impact of human activities spans across this guild of carnivores and that species-specific responses appear to be mediated by ecological and behavioral attributes.

Characterization of puma–livestock conflicts in rangelands of central Argentina

“…However, the frequency of puma attacks was greater than expected in patches of croplands and grasslands with shrubs. Because grassland with shrubs was the habitat preferred by pumas in the same study area [ 18 , 65 ], this result is in agreement with the hypothesis that the distribution of puma habitat would largely explain sheep predation risk [ 53 , 66 , 67 ]. Although these findings need confirmation, they also suggest that failure to consider the values expected on the basis of livestock use of habitat may guide to misleading conclusions on the effect of habitat on predation risk.…”

“…It is difficult to imagine that a puma population in the rangelands of central Argentina could sustain such high mortality rates over the long term. Unsuitability of most habitats to pumas in this territory [ 18 ] and rarity of pumas in comparison with other carnivores [ 54 , 65 ] support this conclusion and suggest careful monitoring of this top predator and its ecological functions in central Argentina.…”

Summer habitat use and activity patterns of wild boar Sus scrofa in rangelands of central Argentina

“…Although there is little information about interactions between the wild boar and other species, L . gymnocercus is also a generalist species able to adjust its habitat use and diet to resource availability [ 52 , 80 ]. Thus, dietary overlap could explain the positive habitat association between the Pampas fox and wild boar, as has been suggested for other foxes [ 2 , 81 , 82 ].…”

“…The dark area in the general map of Argentina represents the Espinal ecorregion. Modified from [ 52 ].…”

“…Camera trap surveys were conducted from January to March in 2011, 2012, and 2013 as a part of a broader study of mammal occurrence. To select the sampling sites, we used a geographic information system (GIS) to select 100 random points with a distance among them of at least 6 km (see [ 52 , 53 ] for sampling design details) ( Fig 1 ). Then, we deployed cameras in 49 of those points (23 in 2011, 14 in 2012 and 12 in 2013; hereafter “sites”) because of logistical restrictions and adjustment of the survey design to the number of cameras available.…”