What do we know about the life-history traits of widely hunted tropical mammals?

Abstract

We synthesize information on parameters useful for managing the hunting of two common mammal species that are important for local people in the Neotropics and Africa: Cuniculus paca and Philantomba monticola, respectively. We highlight the scarcity of data available on the parameters needed to manage these two species sustainably. As most of the studies were conducted > 40 years ago, we stress the need to supplement the information available using methodological and technical innovations. In particular, we call for new assessments covering the possible variations in parameter values across the species’ distribution ranges, and covering various anthropogenic contexts, to test density-dependent and compensatory processes that may explain the resilience of these species to hunting.

Modelling parameter uncertainty reveals bushmeat yields versus survival trade-offs in heavily-hunted duiker Cephalophus spp.

“…dorsalis and blue duiker C . monticola (also known under the scientific name Philantomba monticola ) [ 36 , 37 ] were selected as our case study based on availability of independent and published empirical estimates of population parameters and their relative importance for wild meat supply in sub-Saharan Africa [ 38 ]. Candidate studies were identified using Google Scholar and Web of Science (using search terms: bushmeat, wild meat, tropical, Africa), and by searching the cited references in the collated papers.…”

Toward a sustainable, participatory and inclusive wild meat sector

“…Hunting by women and children is rarely recorded, as it is often opportunistic hunting, generally of small birds and mammals, crayfish and reptiles, within the course of other livelihood activities such as agriculture. Including their hunting offtake, however, can make a difference to calculations of overall use of wild meat and the social and ecological impacts (Goodman et al 1985;Hewlett 2005;Bonwitt et al 2017;Ingram et al 2018;van Vliet et al 2018).…”

“…This is particularly likely to happen in newly urbanized areas, where urban populations still retain the skills necessary for rural harvesting. Human populations that are displaced by conflict often become reliant on wild meat due to the loss of their normal sources of food and income, and an absence of alternatives (de Merode and Cowlishaw, 2006;Loucks et al 2009;Nackoney et al 2014;Takamura, 2015;van Vliet et al 2017bvan Vliet et al , 2018. For instance, a sizable illegal wild meat trade has emerged in Tanzania owing to the influx of refugees from neighboring Burundi, DRC and Rwanda; other sources of protein are scarce in the refugee camps (Jambiya et al 2007).…”

“…However, for most tropical and subtropical forest regions (where aerial surveys are impossible) methods for monitoring wild populations of species, such as line-transect surveys, have historically been both labor intensive and imprecise (although improvements in camera-trapping methodologies may be reducing the cost and effort, and improving the accuracy, of population estimates for nonarboreal species; Chauvenet et al 2017;Nakashima et al 2018). Similarly, our understanding of tropical forest species' life-history traits, such as mortality and fecundity rates, has suffered from a lack of field data (Bowler et al 2014;van Vliet and Nasi 2018). This makes long-term monitoring of population densities, or the creation of full demographic models for calculating sustainable offtakes, extremely challenging.…”

Temperament, Plasticity, and Emotions in Defensive Behaviour of Paca (Mammalia, Hystricognatha)

“…However, due to its wide distribution, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and presumed large population, the paca is unlikely to be declining and, consequently, it is categorized as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List [ 17 ]. Indeed, van Vliet and Nasi [ 18 ] suggest that the paca’s behavioural plasticity traits are important contributors to its resilience to hunting.…”