Thresholds of riparian forest use by terrestrial mammals in a fragmented Amazonian deforestation frontier

Abstract

Species persistence in fragmented landscapes is intimately related to the quality, structure, and context of remaining habitat remnants. Riparian vegetation is legally protected within private landholdings in Brazil, so we quantitatively assessed occupancy patterns of terrestrial mammals in these remnants, examining under which circumstances different species effectively use them. We selected 38 riparian forest patches and five comparable riparian sites within continuous forest, at which we installed four to five cameratraps per site (199 camera-trap stations). Terrestrial mammal assemblages were sampled for 60 days per station during the dry seasons of 2013 and 2014. We modelled species occupancy and detection probabilities within riparian forest remnants, and examined the effects of patch size, habitat quality, and landscape structure on occupancy probabilities. We then scaled-up modelled occupancies to all 1915 riparian patches throughout the study region to identify which remnants retain the greatest potential to work as habitat for terrestrial vertebrates. Of the ten species for which occupancy was modelled, six responded to forest quality (remnant degradation, cattle intrusion, palm aggregations, and understorey density) or structure (remnant width, isolation, length, and area of the patch from which it originates). Patch suitability was lower considering habitat quality than landscape

First confirmed record of Jaguarundi, Herpailurus yagouaroundi (É. Geoffroy, 1803) (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae), on the western slope of the Peruvian Andes

“…In camera trap studies, a rare species is one with low habitat occupancy and low detection probability (Shannon et al 2014). The rarity of Jaguarundi in the LWR is consistent with other studies (Tobler et al 2008;Di Bitetti et al 2010;Hodge and Arbogast 2016;Briceño et al 2017;Zimbres et al 2018) and could be attributed to its low density (Giordano 2016) or to the presence of other carnivores within the Wildlife Refuge, i.e., Ocelot, Pampas Cat, Puma Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771), Andean Bear Tremarctos ornatus (Cuvier, 1825), Tayra Eira barbara (Linnaeus, 1758), Sechuran Fox Lycalo pex sechurae (Thomas, 1900), and Striped Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus semistriatus (Boddaert, 1785), which were more common than Jaguarundi and may compete with it (Linnell and Strand 2000;Giordano 2016). Furthermore, the "ocelot effect" could also explain the low events of Jaguarundi in the LWR.…”

“…Camera trap studies conducted in montane and lowland rainforests in Central and South America recorded few captures of Jaguarundi (Tobler et al 2008;Di Bitetti et al 2010;Hodge and Arbogast 2016;Briceño et al 2017;Zimbres et al 2018). They found that Jaguarundi was among the species with fewer independent records among the carnivore community, suggesting that it occurs at low densities throughout its range (Giordano 2016).…”

Riqueza de mamíferos de médio e grande porte em Área de Preservação Permanente do distrito de Jaci Paraná, Rondônia

“…A presença de espécies exóticas dentro das APPs pode influenciar na diminuição da vida selvagem ou até mesmo na extinção local de espécies nativas (Zimbres et al, 2018). Embora não existam dados publicados sobre o impacto de gatos ferais nos vertebrados terrestres na região neotropical (Galetti & Sazima, 2006), especialmente na região Amazônica, evidenciando a necessidade de estudos sobre os efeitos causados por essa espécie, especialmente devido a potencialidade das espécies S. scrofa domesticus e F. catus se tornarem ferais (Boitani & Ciucci, 1995).…”

“…Os impactos causados por herbívoros de grande porte decorrem do excessivo pastejo, pisoteio e compactação do solo, afetando a regeneração natural (Parente & Maia, 2011), impacto similar observado com porcos ferais (Nogueira-Filho et al, 2009). Essas atividades podem influenciar na ausência das espécies nativas nas APPs, em decorrência dos impactos no solo, na flora e indiretamente na fauna, devido a limitação dos recursos alimentares (Zimbres et al, 2018) havendo a necessidade de estudos mais aprofundados.…”

Mapping legal authority for terrestrial conservation corridors along streams

“…On private lands, the mechanism of protection and manner of compliance varies by parcel (Pannell 2008), influencing the distribution of high‐quality habitat (Zimbres et al. 2018). For instance, timber harvest restrictions along headwater streams on public forested lands aimed at fish recovery are inadequate due to downstream conditions (mainly under private ownership) that limit survival and completion of the anadromous life cycle (Grantham et al.…”