The jaguar's spots are darker than they appear: assessing the global conservation status of the jaguarPanthera onca

Abstract

The IUCN Red List is widely used to guide conservation policy and practice. However, in most cases the evaluation of a species using IUCN Red List criteria takes into account only the global status of the species. Although subpopulations may be assessed using the IUCN categories and criteria, this rarely occurs, either because it is difficult to identify subpopulations or because of the effort involved. Using the jaguar Panthera onca as a model we illustrate that wide-ranging species that are assigned a particular category of threat based on the IUCN Red List criteria may display considerable heterogeneity within individual taxa in terms of the level of risk they face. Using the information available on the conservation status of the species, we evaluated the jaguar's current geographical range and its subpopulations. We identified the most threatened subpopulations, using the extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, population size and the level of threat to each subpopulation. The main outcome of this analysis was that although a large subpopulation persists in Amazonia, virtually all others are threatened because of their small size, isolation, deficient protection and the high human population density. Based on this approach, future conservation efforts can be prioritized for the most threatened subpopulations. Based on our findings we recommend that for future Red List assessments assessors consider the value of undertaking assessments at the subpopulation level. For the jaguar, sub-global assessments should be included on the Red List as a matter of urgency.

What threatens Brazilian endangered species and how they are Red-Listed

“…These regional Red Lists can better identify threatened populations or those more likely to decline on a more detailed spatial scale (e.g. De la Torre et al 2018), allowing the development of a strategy to prevent local population declines that eventually lead an entire species to become threatened with extinction on a wider level. However, currently, only eight of the 27 Brazilian states (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo) have their state Red Lists.…”

Modeling the effects of deforestation on the connectivity of jaguar Panthera onca populations at the southern extent of the species’ range

“…Moreover, the need for data-based reassessments of the delineation of JCUs (such as that by De Angelo et al 2013) is evident in the face of the rapid and extensive changes in land use that are occurring in the region, and in the updated delineations of JCUs that we used in this analysis. There is also a need for robust population estimates and evaluations of habitat quality and connectivity within JCUs (Cuyckens et al 2014, Paviolo et al 2016, de la Torre et al 2017.…”

“…However, the species has been extirpated from > 50% of its original distribution, > 80% of its former distribution outside of the Ama-zon, and is threatened throughout the majority of its range, mainly from habitat loss and persecution (Sanderson et al 2002, Zeller 2007, de la Torre et al 2017. Concerns over declining jaguar populations led to the designation of conservation priority areas throughout the species' range (Jaguar Conservation Units, JCUs) based upon expert opinion (Sanderson et al 2002, Zeller 2007.…”

Effects of human‐induced prey depletion on large carnivores in protected areas: Lessons from modeling tiger populations in stylized spatial scenarios

“…,Somers, Hoven, & Dalerum, 2013;de la Torre, González-Maya, Zarza, Ceballos, & Medellen, 2017). We would expect based on our model results that territorial carnivore species will have different space-use patterns outside protected areas compared to inside them, given the effects TA B L E 4 Generalized linear models (gamma distribution, log-link) for female territory size in the simulated stylized and real landscapes Note: Moran's I and landscape-level depletion (percentages) included as covariates.…”