Ecology of Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in a Mexican tropical forest: adaptation to environmental disturbances
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| Formato: | Artículo científico |
| Lenguaje: | en |
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Universidad de Costa Rica
2018
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| _version_ | 1876469733980635136 |
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| author | Dulce María Ávila-Nájera |
| author_facet | Dulce María Ávila-Nájera |
| contents | Ecology of Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in a Mexican tropical forest: adaptation to environmental disturbances Dulce María Ávila-Nájera Cuauhtémoc Chávez Sergio Pérez-Elizalde Remigio A. Guzmán-Plazola Germán David Mendoza Marco Antonio Lazcano-Barrero Biología fair cougar Acahual human effect activity patterns Worldwide big cats are at risk of extinction, and anthropogenic factors and natural habitat disturbances represent the biggest threats for their survival. It is essential to know the natural resources use by these predators and the way these big felids can adapt to changes. It is unknown how the puma (Puma concolor) selects and uses resources, what environmental factors determine its presence and how this species is affected by natural disturbances in Mexican tropical forests. This study was performed in the Eden ecological reserve and surroundings, in the North of Quintana Roo, Mexico, an area dominated by tropical semideciduous (medium forest) and secondary forest (acahual). Camera samplings were carried out during 2008, and from 2010 to 2012. Habitat variables, activity patterns and species associations were also spatially and temporally analyzed using achi-squared test and overlapping coefficients. General Linear Models (GLM) were used in order to determine which variables influence the presence of cougars in the study area. Cougars used vegetation and paths in different proportions as the availability of these resources. The years with more changes (P < 0.05) were 2008 and 2011. This predator was active throughout the day, but changed its activity patterns over the years. The cougar was spatio-temporally associated with six mammals and two big terrestrial birds: Pecari tajacu (∆ = 0.52), Meleagris ocellata (∆ = 0.55), Crax rubra (∆ = 0.58), Didelphis sp. (∆ = 0.64), Mazama temama (∆ = 0.66), Leopardus pardalis (∆ = 0.68), Dasypus novemcinctus (∆ = 0.73) and Panthera onca (∆ = 0.87). After testing 90 GLM models, the model with a lower AIC value described the activity patterns of prey and co-predators. The vegetation and water in the reserve were important variables for the cougar. However the variables that determined and modified the presence of the species were activity patterns of co-predators and the potential preys. The factors that negatively affected the presence of the species were fire, human presence, and habitat displacement to less favorable habitats to avoid jaguar. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(1): 78-90. Epub 2018 March 01. 2018 artículo científico 0034-7744 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44955366007 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/44955366007.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/movil 10.15517/rbt.v66i1.27862 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=449 Revista de Biología Tropical application/pdf Universidad de Costa Rica Revista de Biología Tropical (Costa Rica) Num.1 Vol.66 |
| format | Artículo científico |
| id | redalyc_44955366007 |
| institution | Redalyc |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| spellingShingle | Ecology of Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in a Mexican tropical forest: adaptation to environmental disturbances Dulce María Ávila-Nájera Biología fair cougar Acahual human effect activity patterns Ecology of Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in a Mexican tropical forest: adaptation to environmental disturbances Dulce María Ávila-Nájera Cuauhtémoc Chávez Sergio Pérez-Elizalde Remigio A. Guzmán-Plazola Germán David Mendoza Marco Antonio Lazcano-Barrero Biología fair cougar Acahual human effect activity patterns Worldwide big cats are at risk of extinction, and anthropogenic factors and natural habitat disturbances represent the biggest threats for their survival. It is essential to know the natural resources use by these predators and the way these big felids can adapt to changes. It is unknown how the puma (Puma concolor) selects and uses resources, what environmental factors determine its presence and how this species is affected by natural disturbances in Mexican tropical forests. This study was performed in the Eden ecological reserve and surroundings, in the North of Quintana Roo, Mexico, an area dominated by tropical semideciduous (medium forest) and secondary forest (acahual). Camera samplings were carried out during 2008, and from 2010 to 2012. Habitat variables, activity patterns and species associations were also spatially and temporally analyzed using achi-squared test and overlapping coefficients. General Linear Models (GLM) were used in order to determine which variables influence the presence of cougars in the study area. Cougars used vegetation and paths in different proportions as the availability of these resources. The years with more changes (P < 0.05) were 2008 and 2011. This predator was active throughout the day, but changed its activity patterns over the years. The cougar was spatio-temporally associated with six mammals and two big terrestrial birds: Pecari tajacu (∆ = 0.52), Meleagris ocellata (∆ = 0.55), Crax rubra (∆ = 0.58), Didelphis sp. (∆ = 0.64), Mazama temama (∆ = 0.66), Leopardus pardalis (∆ = 0.68), Dasypus novemcinctus (∆ = 0.73) and Panthera onca (∆ = 0.87). After testing 90 GLM models, the model with a lower AIC value described the activity patterns of prey and co-predators. The vegetation and water in the reserve were important variables for the cougar. However the variables that determined and modified the presence of the species were activity patterns of co-predators and the potential preys. The factors that negatively affected the presence of the species were fire, human presence, and habitat displacement to less favorable habitats to avoid jaguar. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(1): 78-90. Epub 2018 March 01. 2018 artículo científico 0034-7744 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44955366007 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/44955366007.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/movil 10.15517/rbt.v66i1.27862 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=449 Revista de Biología Tropical application/pdf Universidad de Costa Rica Revista de Biología Tropical (Costa Rica) Num.1 Vol.66 |
| title | Ecology of Puma concolor (Carnivora: Felidae) in a Mexican tropical forest: adaptation to environmental disturbances |
| topic | Biología fair cougar Acahual human effect activity patterns |
| url | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44955366007 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/44955366007.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366007/movil |