IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service, | |
| Jaguar draft recovery plan | |
| 2016 Full Book | |
In 2014, six critical habitat units, as defined under the ESA, were designated for the jaguar in the U.S., which encompass approximately 309,263 hectares (764,207 acres) in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties, Arizona, and Hidalgo County, New Mexico (USFWS 2014). There are seven primary constituent elements of critical habitat that make up the habitat features included in the physical and biological feature that meets the physiological, behavioral, and ecological needs of the species. This physical and biological feature, including these seven elements, is: Expansive open spaces in the southwestern U.S. of at least 100 km2 (38.6 mi2) in size, which: 1) Provide connectivity to Mexico; 2) Contain adequate levels of native prey species, including deer and javelina, as well as medium-sized prey such as coatis, skunks, raccoons, or jackrabbits; 3) Include surface water sources available within 20 km (12.4 mi) of each other; 4) Contain from greater than 1 to 50 percent canopy cover within Madrean evergreen woodland, generally recognized by a mixture of oak (Quercus spp.), juniper (Juniperus spp.), and pine (Pinus spp.) trees, on the landscape, or semidesert grassland vegetation communities, usually characterized by Pleuraphis mutica (tobosagrass) or Bouteloua eriopoda (black grama) along with other grasses; 5) Are characterized by intermediately, moderately, or highly rugged terrain; 6) Are below 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) in elevation; and 7) Are characterized by minimal to no human population density, no major roads, or no stable nighttime lighting over any 1-km2 (0.4-mi2) area. The jaguar was addressed in the 1990 "Listed Cats of Texas and Arizona Recovery Plan (with Emphasis on the Ocelot)," but only general information and recommendations to assess jaguar status in the U.S. and Mexico, and to protect and manage occupied and potential habitat in the U.S., were presented. No specific recovery recommendations or objectives for the jaguar were provided. Thus, the approach in this recovery plan is as follows: Focus exclusively on the jaguar. Two recovery units are included, the NRU and the PARU (Figures 1 and 2). The NRU extends from south-central Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico, U.S., south to Colima, Mexico (Figure 1). The PARU encompasses 18 countries from Mexico to Argentina (Figure 2). See more information on these units in section 2.1 Recovery Units. These units are further divided into Core, Secondary, and Peripheral areas as defined in section 2.1.3 Core, Secondary, and Peripheral Areas. Detailed criteria and actions necessary to recover jaguar populations in the NRU are provided. We submit that the approach described above meets our statutory requirements to address recovery of the species throughout its range to the maximum extent practicable. As our knowledge of the jaguar rangewide increases and as the recovery actions described in this plan are implemented, the plan may be revised and refined. The status of and threats to jaguars in the PARU are summarized and general actions and criteria for addressing these threats and evaluating rangewide recovery are recommended. |
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