Walking on their own legs: unassisted population growth of the agoutiDasyprocta leporina, reintroduced to restore seed dispersal in an Atlantic Forest reserve

Abstract

Reintroduction of locally extirpated species is an increasingly popular conservation tool. However, few initiatives focus on the restoration of ecological processes. In addition, many reintroductions fail to conduct post-release monitoring, hampering both assessment of their success and implementation of adaptive management actions. In 2009 a reintroduction effort was initiated to re-establish a population of the red-rumped agouti Dasyprocta leporina, a scatter-hoarding rodent known to be an important disperser of large seeds, with the aim of restoring ecological processes at Tijuca National Park, south-east Brazil. To assess whether this reintroduced population established successfully we monitored it using mark–resighting during November 2013–March 2015. Population size and survival were estimated using a robust design Poisson-log normal mixed-effects mark–resight model. By March 2015 the number of wild-born individuals fluctuated around 30 and overall growth of the population was positive. As the reintroduced population is capable of unassisted growth, we conclude that the reintroduction has been successful in the medium term. We recommend the cessation of releases, with efforts redirected to continued monitoring, investigation and management of possible threats to the species’ persistence, and to quantification of the re-establishment of ecological processes. Reintroduction of D. leporina populations can be a cost-effective tool to restore ecological processes, especially seed dispersal, in Neotropical forests.

The selection of indicator species of birds and mammals for the monitoring of restoration areas in a highly fragmented forest landscape

“…A similar situation is found for the Atlantic Forest, although recent efforts have focused on taxonomic recovery and the increase in the ecological process (e.g. Audino et al 2014, Alexandrino et al 2016, Santos Junior et al 2016, Kenup et al 2017, Batisteli et al 2018, Genes et al 2018). In the present study we select indicator species of birds and mammals for a long-term monitoring program that is currently underway in the highly fragmented north of the state of Paraná, southern Brazil.…”

Estimating interaction credit for trophic rewilding in tropical forests

“…They committed to protect the remaining habitat while reintroducing individuals [51]. Proportional efforts in terms of resources are not always required when the focal species is a relatively common one, as in the case of rewilding projects that aim to restore ecological processes and not to protect a given endangered species [52].…”

Sowing forests: a synthesis of seed dispersal and predation by agoutis and their influence on plant communities

“…In such locations, agouti reintroduction programs might be appropriate to reverse the loss of seed dispersers. For instance, in Tijuca National Park (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) agoutis have been successfully reintroduced (Cid et al, 2014), resulting in a well-established and growing population (Kenup et al, 2018) and on the restoration of dispersal interactions with large-seeded species (Zucaratto, 2013;Mittelman et al, 2020).…”