IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Machaca, H.A.L. | |
| Diet, habitat selection of the puma (_Puma concolor_) and livestock conflict in the national reserve Salinas y Aguada Blanca (Dieta, selecci¢n de h bitat del puma (_Puma concolor_) y su conflicto con la ganader¡a en la reserva nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca) | |
| 2016 Full Book | |
The puma (_Puma concolor_) of nocturnal, crepuscular and solitary habits, is a species of difficult collection of data on its ecology; Its diet and habitat selection in high Andean ecosystems, have been scarcely studied in Peru, to this is added the conflict between this carnivore and human communities due to the predation on livestock, a recurrent problem throughout its geographical distribution, compromising the conservation of this carnivore and the economy of people engaged in livestock activities. The study was carried out in the high Andean region of the departments of Arequipa and Moquegua during the years 2013 and 2015. The objectives were: a) To characterize the diet composition and trophic niche amplitude of the puma in the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve (RNSAB), (b) Determine the habitat selection of the puma according to the availability of habitat within the RNSAB, and (c) Obtain records on the perceptions and attitudes of the herdsmen towards the puma in the RNSAB; Non-digestible residues (hairs, feathers, etc.) were separated in the laboratory, which were analyzed microscopically; The percentage and frequency of occurrence of prey was calculated; The relative biomass consumed was estimated using the Ackerman correction factor, the trophic niche amplitude was determined by the Levins index and its standardized value. Habitat selection was assessed by delineating four habitat types according to the terrain slope (H1: 0 ø -3 ø), (H2: 3 ø -12 ø), (H3: 12 ø -30 ø) and (H4: 30 ø to more), we estimated the available proportion of each type of habitat, where trails were searched. With the use and availability data the habitat selection was evaluated using the Manly selection coefficient and its standardized value. In order to evaluate the human dimension of the conflict, a structured questionnaire was developed, with the aim of interviewing as many cattlemen as possible within the study area. The instrument inquired about the cougar's attacks on cattle and human perceptions and attitudes towards this feline. The results were presented by frequency distributions. From 21 scats 13 prey species were identified; The rodents are the group with the highest frequency of occurrence in the diet, however the largest contribution of biomass are Vicugna vicugna and Lama guanicoe. The trophic niche analysis indicated that the puma tends to be a generalist animal. On the selection of habitats, it was determined that the puma selects habitats with slopes of between 3 ø and 30 ø whose main characteristic is the greater offer of refuges and little accessibility to humans, H3 (Wi = 1,836, Bi = 0.481), and H2 (Wi = 1,803, Bi = 0.472). Finally, it was determined that 50.53% of the cattlemen interviewed considered the puma as a harmful animal, between 2013-2015 the puma depred, 192 llamas, 78 alpacas and 15 sheep; Resulting in losses of approximately US $ 261.82. Finally it is concluded that to conserve this carnivore it is important to promote its coexistence with human communities, to monitor it and to establish how it is adapted to changes in the environment, to avoid its possible extinction. |
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(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |