IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Horn, P.E. | |
| Spatio-temporal ecology of _Leopardus wiedii_ (Schinz, 1821) populations in southern areas of the Atlantic Forest | |
| 2019 Full Book | |
The margay (_Leopardus wiedii_) is a small neotropical arboreal wild cat that seems to be forest-dependent, although few studies have evaluated the relation of spatio-temporal aspects of its ecology with landscape characteristics. We aim to estimate density and activity patterns of margay populations in six areas with different habitat types and anthropogenic disturbance levels in the southernmost Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Our hypothesis is that density and activity patterns will differ between areas in response to differences in forest cover and anthropogenic disturbance. Margay records were obtained in the six areas through camera trapping, during spring and summer from 2017 to 2019. We used the same camera trap grid size and effort for every area (20 stations, each with paired cameras, un-baited, placed 1km apart). We obtained 66 margay records, but we excluded two areas from the statistical analyses due to the small number of records. Potential effects of environmental, including anthropogenic, factors on margay density, rate of detection and space use were assessed by comparing nine candidate spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models. The density estimated through the top-ranked model varied from 9.6ñ6.4 individuals/100kmý in an area of higher human disturbance to 37.4ñ15.1 individuals/100kmý in a more preserved area. This model also indicated that margay densities respond positively to vegetation cover, reinforcing the thesis of forest dependence by the species. Margay revealed to be mostly nocturnal, aswere its potential preys, small rodents and marsupials. Activity of margay overlapped with that of the ocelot, _Leopardus pardalis_, and with mammals associated to human presence(wild boar, cattle, dogs, cats, and humans themselves). We provide the first multi-area study on patterns of density and activity of the margay in the southernmost Atlantic Forest, highlighting the importance of vegetation cover for the species and revealing that some areas of human use should also be the focus of conservation actions towards the margay cat. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |