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Rubalcava‐Castillo FA, Valdivia‐Flores AG, Luna‐Ruíz JDJ, Íñiguez‐Dávalos LI, Martínez‐Calderón VM, Meraz Jiménez ADJ, Sosa‐Ramírez J. Effects of endozoochory and diploendozoochory by captive wild mammals on Juniperus deppeana seeds. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10262. [PMID: 37408625 PMCID: PMC10319472 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivorous mammals disperse seeds through endozoochory and diploendozoochory. The former consists of ingestion of the fruit, passage through the digestive tract, and expulsion of the seeds, a process that allows scarification and dispersal of the seeds over long or short distances. The latter is typical of predators that expel seeds that were contained in the prey and the effects of which may differ from those of endozoochory with respect to the retention time of the seeds in the tracts, as well as their scarification and viability. The objective of this study was to conduct an experimental evaluation comparing the capacity of each mammal species in terms of the dispersal of Juniperus deppeana seeds and, at the same time, to compare this capacity through the two dispersal systems: endozoochory and diploendozoochory. We measured dispersal capacity using indices of recovery, viability, changes in testas, and retention time of seeds in the digestive tract. Juniperus deppeana fruits were collected in the Sierra Fría Protected Natural Area in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and were administered in the diet of captive mammals: gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), coati (Nasua narica) and domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). These three mammals represented the endozoochoric dispersers. For the diploendozoochoric treatment, seeds excreted by rabbits were incorporated into the diets of captive mammals: bobcat (Lynx rufus) and cougar (Puma concolor), in a local zoo. Seeds present in the scats were then collected, and recovery rates and retention times were estimated. Viability was estimated by X-ray optical densitometry and testa thicknesses were measured and surfaces checked using scanning electron microscopy. The results showed a recovery of seeds greater than 70% in all the animals. The retention time was <24 h in the endozoochory but longer at 24-96 h in the diploendozoochory (p < .05). Seed viability (x ¯ ± SD) was decreased in rabbits (74.0 ± 11.5%), compared to fruits obtained directly from the canopy (89.7 ± 2.0%), while gray fox, coati, bobcat, and cougar did not affect seed viability (p < .05). An increase in the thickness of the testas was also observed in seeds excreted from all mammals (p < .05). Through evaluation, our results suggest that mammalian endozoochory and diploendozoochory contribute to the dispersal of J. deppeana by maintaining viable seeds with adaptive characteristics in the testa to promote forest regeneration and restoration. In particular, feline predators can provide an ecosystem service through scarification and seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Luis Ignacio Íñiguez‐Dávalos
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Centro Universitario de la Costa SurUniversidad de GuadalajaraAutlán de NavarroMexico
| | | | | | - Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMexico
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The Ecological Roles of Medium and Small Carnivores in the Terrestrial Animal Community in Liancheng National Nature Reserve, China. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12243518. [PMID: 36552438 PMCID: PMC9774181 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It is vitally important to understand the ecological roles of medium and small carnivores in the context of the massive decline in the number of large carnivores around the world. Based on a spatial association network of terrestrial birds and mammals, this study analyzed the ecological roles of medium and small carnivores in the community in Liancheng National Nature Reserve. From October 2019 to June 2020, we obtained 3559 independent detections of 20 terrestrial birds and mammals from 112 camera traps. There are seven species that are medium and small carnivores present in the study area, including red fox (Vulpes vulpes), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti), stone marten (Martes foina), Asian badger (Meles leucurus), Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) and mountain weasel (Mustela altaica). By calculating the Phi coefficient of all species pairs, a spatial association network composed of twelve species was constructed. We analyzed the characterization of spatial associations by the Shannon-Wiener index and Lambda statistic. The results showed that: (1) the status of the network reflects the changes of community composition and structure after the decline in large carnivores and other species; (2) with the exception of the Chinese mountain cat and stone marten, the other five medium and small carnivores were located in the network, which played an important role in the complexity of the network and the maintenance of the community; (3) the medium and small carnivores could not take the place of the large carnivores in order to control the population of herbivores, such as Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana). The results of this study provide guidance for determining the direction and focus of conservation efforts.
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LaBarge LR, Evans MJ, Miller JRB, Cannataro G, Hunt C, Elbroch LM. Pumas
Puma concolor
as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships. Mamm Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. LaBarge
- Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, Department of Environment and Sustainability, The State University of New York University at Buffalo Amherst NY14260USA
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Bücklestraße 5 Konstanz DE78467Germany
| | - Michael J. Evans
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University 4400 University Dr Fairfax VA22030USA
| | - Jennifer R. B. Miller
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University 4400 University Dr Fairfax VA22030USA
| | - Gillian Cannataro
- Center for Conservation Innovation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
- Conservation, Management and Welfare Sciences Association of Zoos and Aquariums 8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 710 Silver Spring MD20910‐3314USA
| | - Christian Hunt
- Field Conservation Defenders of Wildlife Washington DC20036USA
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Schuett GW, Reiserer RS, Salywon AM, Blackwell S, Hodgson WC, Foster CD, Hall J, Zach R, Davis MA, Greene HW. Secondary Seed Ingestion in Snakes: Germination Frequency and Rate, Seedling Viability, and Implications for Dispersal in Nature. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.761293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of vertebrate animals as seed dispersers (zoochory) has received increasing attention from researchers over the past 20 years, yet one category in particular, diploendozoochory, remains understudied. As the term implies, this is a two-phase seed dispersal system whereby a secondary seed predator (carnivorous vertebrate) consumes a primary seed predator or granivore (rodent and bird) with undamaged seeds in their digestive tract (mouth, cheek pouch, crop, stomach, or other organ), which are subsequently eliminated with feces. Surprisingly, although snakes are among the most abundant predators of granivorous vertebrates, they are the least studied group insofar as our knowledge of seed rescue and secondary dispersal in a diploendozoochorous system. Here, using live snake subjects of the Sonoran Desert (one viperid and two colubrid species) and seeds of the Foothill Palo Verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), a dominant tree of the same region, we experimentally tested germination frequency and rate, and seedling viability. Specifically, to mimic rodents with seed-laden cheek pouches, we tested whether wild-collected P. microphylla seeds placed in the abdomen of thawed laboratory mice and ingested by the snakes would retain their germination viability. Second, we examined whether seeds exposed to gut transit germinated at a greater frequency and rate than the controls. While we found strong statistical support for our first hypothesis, both aspects of the second one were not significant. Accordingly, we provide an explanation for these results based on specific life-history traits (dormant and non-dormant seeds) of P. microphylla. Our study provides support for the role of snakes as important agents of seed rescue and dispersal in nature, their potential as ecosystem engineers, and crucial evidence for the investment of field-based studies on diploendozoochorous systems in deserts and other ecosystems.
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Zanón Martínez JI, Seoane J, Kelly MJ, Sarasola JH, Travaini A. Assessing carnivore spatial co-occurrence and temporal overlap in the face of human interference in a semiarid forest. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02482. [PMID: 34674337 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Apex predators drive top-down effects in ecosystems and the loss of such species can trigger mesopredator release. This ecological process has been well documented in human-modified small areas, but for management and conservation of ecological communities, it is important to know which human factors affect apex predator occurrence and which mediate mesopredators release at large scales. We hypothesized that mesopredators would avoid spatial and temporal overlap with the apex predator, the puma; but that human perturbations (i.e., cattle raising and trophy hunting) would dampen top-down effects and mediate habitat use. We installed 16 camera traps in each of 45, 10 × 10 km grid cells in the Caldén forest region of central Argentina resulting in 706 total stations covering 61,611 km2 . We used single-season occupancy and two-species co-occurrence models and calculated the species interaction factor (SIF) to explore the contributions of habitat, biotic, and anthropic variables in explaining co-occurrence between carnivore pairs. We also used kernel density estimation techniques to analyze temporal overlap in activity patterns of the carnivore guild. We found that puma habitat use increased with abundance of large prey and with proximity to protected areas. Geoffroy's cats and skunks spatially avoided pumas and this effect was strong and mediated by distance to protected areas and game reserves, but pumas did not influence pampas fox and pampas cat space use. At medium and low levels of puma occupancy, we found evidence of spatial avoidance between three pairs of mesocarnivores. All predators were mostly nocturnal and crepuscular across seasons and mesopredators showed little consistent evidence of changing activity patterns with varying levels of puma occupancy or human interference. We found potential for mesopredator release at large scale, especially on the spatial niche axis. Our results suggest that a combination of interacting factors, in conjunction with habitat features and intervening human activities, may make mesopredator release unlikely or difficult to discern at broad scales. Overall, we believe that promoting the creation of new protected areas linked by small forest patches would likely lead to increased predator and prey abundances, as well as the interactions among carnivores inside and outside of protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan I Zanón Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avenida Uruguay 151, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
- Centro para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Avenida Uruguay 151, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Javier Seoane
- Terrestrial Ecology Group-TEG, Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcella J Kelly
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 146 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061-0321, USA
| | - José Hernán Sarasola
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avenida Uruguay 151, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
- Centro para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Avenida Uruguay 151, 6300, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Travaini
- Centro de Investigación de Puerto Deseado, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, CONICET, Avenida Prefectura Naval s/n, 9050, Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz, Argentina
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Alternative 2070: Mitigating the effects of projected sea level rise and urbanization on Florida black bear and Florida panther habitat. J Nat Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Bou N, Soutullo Á, Hernández D, Mannise N, González S, Bartesaghi L, Pereira J, Merino M, Espinosa C, Trigo TC, Cosse M. Population structure and gene flow of Geoffroy’s cat ( Leopardus geoffroyi) in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Felids are among the species most threatened by habitat fragmentation resulting from land-use change. In the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion, about 30% of natural habitats have been lost, large felids have been eradicated from most of the region, and the impact of anthropogenic threats over the smaller species that remain is unknown. To develop management strategies, it is important to enhance knowledge about species population structure and landscape connectivity, particularly when land-use change will continue and intensify in the next years. In this study, we evaluate the population structure and gene flow of Geoffroy’s cat in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion. We generated a matrix of 11 microsatellite loci for 70 individuals. Based on Bayesian approaches we found that within the Uruguayan Savanna, Geoffroy’s cat shows high levels of genetic variability and no population structure. However, we observed genetic differences between individuals from the Uruguayan Savanna and those from the contiguous ecoregion, the Argentinian Humid Pampa. Four first-generation migrants from Humid Pampa were identified in the Uruguayan Savanna, suggesting a stronger gene flow in the west-east direction. We detected a past bottleneck followed by a subsequent recovery in Geoffroy’s cat populations in both ecoregions. These results lay the groundwork to understand the population dynamics and conservation status of Geoffroy’s cat in the Uruguayan Savanna ecoregion, and provide baseline data to establish population monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bou
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Álvaro Soutullo
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Calle Tacuarembó esquina Bvar. Artigas, 20000 Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - Daniel Hernández
- Laboratorio de Control Ambiental, Polo Educativo Tecnológico Arrayanes, Camino de los Arrayanes km 7, 20200 Piriápolis, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Mannise
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Susana González
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Bartesaghi
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Javier Pereira
- Grupo de Genética y Ecología en Conservación y Biodiversidad, División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Angel Gallardo 470, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina
| | - Mariano Merino
- Centro de Bioinvestigaciones, Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, CICPBA, Monteagudo 2772, Pergamino, Provincia de Buenos Aires, B2700KIZ, Argentina
| | - Caroline Espinosa
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43435, Bairro Agronomia, 91501-970Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tatiane C Trigo
- Setor de Mastozoologia, Museu de Ciências Naturais, Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Infraestrutura, Rua Dr. Salvador França, 1427, CEP 90.690-000 - Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariana Cosse
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable-Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Avenida Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
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Rubalcava‐Castillo FA, Sosa‐Ramírez J, Luna‐Ruíz JDJ, Valdivia‐Flores AG, Íñiguez‐Dávalos LI. Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3794-3807. [PMID: 33976775 PMCID: PMC8093685 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The seed dispersal mechanisms and regeneration of various forest ecosystems can benefit from the actions of carnivores via endozoochory. This study was aimed to evaluate the role of carnivores in endozoochory and diploendozoochory, as well as their effect on seed viability, scarification, and germination in two forest ecosystems: temperate and tropical dry forest. We collected carnivore scat in the Protected Natural Area of Sierra Fría in Aguascalientes, Mexico, for 2 years to determine the abundance and richness of seeds dispersed by each carnivore species, through scat analysis. We assessed seed viability through optical densitometry using X-rays, analyzed seed scarification by measuring seed coat thickness using a scanning electron microscope, and evaluated seed germination in an experiment as the percentage of seeds germinated per carnivore disperser, plant species, and forest type. In the temperate forest, four plant species (but mainly Arctostaphylos pungens) were dispersed by four mammal species. The gray fox dispersed the highest average number of seeds per scat (66.8 seeds). Bobcat dispersed seeds through diploendozoochory, which was inferred from rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) hair detected in their scats. The tropical dry forest presented higher abundance of seeds and richness of dispersed plant species (four species) than in the temperate forest, and the coati dispersed the highest number of seeds (8,639 seeds). Endozoochory and diploendozoochory did not affect viability in thick-testa seeds (1,480 µm) in temperate forest and thin-testa seeds (281 µm) in tropical dry forest. Endozoochory improved the selective germination of seeds. Nine plant species were dispersed by endozoochory, but only one species (Juniperus sp.) by diploendozoochory. These results suggest that carnivores can perform an important ecological function by dispersing a great abundance of seeds, scarifying these seeds causing the formation of holes and cracks in the testas without affecting viability, and promoting the selective germination of seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMexico
| | | | | | - Luis Ignacio Íñiguez‐Dávalos
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesCentro Universitario de la Costa SurUniversidad de GuadalajaraAutlán de NavarroMexico
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Abstract
The effects of human disturbance spread over virtually all ecosystems and ecological communities on Earth. In this review, we focus on the effects of human disturbance on terrestrial apex predators. We summarize their ecological role in nature and how they respond to different sources of human disturbance. Apex predators control their prey and smaller predators numerically and via behavioral changes to avoid predation risk, which in turn can affect lower trophic levels. Crucially, reducing population numbers and triggering behavioral responses are also the effects that human disturbance causes to apex predators, which may in turn influence their ecological role. Some populations continue to be at the brink of extinction, but others are partially recovering former ranges, via natural recolonization and through reintroductions. Carnivore recovery is both good news for conservation and a challenge for management, particularly when recovery occurs in human-dominated landscapes. Therefore, we conclude by discussing several management considerations that, adapted to local contexts, may favor the recovery of apex predator populations and their ecological functions in nature.
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10
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Native, exotic, and livestock prey: assessment of puma Puma concolor diet in South American temperate region. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00549-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Berlinck CN, Lima LHA, Carvalho Junior EARD. Historical survey of research related to fire management and fauna conservation in the world and in Brazil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Fire is a key ecological factor affecting biodiversity structure and composition. Fires' effects on biodiversity can be beneficial or harmful depending on how, where, when, and why they occur. The impacts of fire on fauna vary according to species ecology and the fire regime. To understand the research effort relating fire, fauna, and mammals, we surveyed papers published in World and in Brazil. Only 5% of the publications between 1970 and 2019 with fire subject dealt with fauna and 0.5% with mammal. For Brazil, we obtained 7% of papers for fauna and 3% for mammal. The Brazilian Biome with more papers was Cerrado, followed by Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Pampas, Caatinga and Pantanal. The United States of America and Australia stand out as protagonists in their continents with the largest papers number. The volume of research is related to investment in Research and Development and to occurrence of fires. The slope of temporal trend shows the terms related to wildfire have more papers than prescribed burn and there is less interest in fauna and mammal research. It is necessary to form research groups with these themes as research lines and intensify research relating fire ecology and mammals. There is yet no unified understanding of how fire may influence animal diversity and how it influences the vegetative structure and subsequently the resources which wildlife rely on. We consider this information is essential to establish efficient conservation policies.
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Azevedo FC, Lemos FG, Freitas‐Junior MC, Arrais RC, Morato RG, Azevedo FCC. The importance of forests for an apex predator: spatial ecology and habitat selection by pumas in an agroecosystem. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. C. Azevedo
- Programa de Conservação Mamíferos do Cerrado Goiás Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal de Viçosa Minas Gerais Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Unidade Acadêmica Especial de Biotecnologia Universidade Federal de Catalão Goiás Brazil
| | - F. G. Lemos
- Programa de Conservação Mamíferos do Cerrado Goiás Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Unidade Acadêmica Especial de Biotecnologia Universidade Federal de Catalão Goiás Brazil
| | - M. C. Freitas‐Junior
- Programa de Conservação Mamíferos do Cerrado Goiás Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Unidade Acadêmica Especial de Biotecnologia Universidade Federal de Catalão Goiás Brazil
| | - R. C. Arrais
- Programa de Conservação Mamíferos do Cerrado Goiás Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte Brazil
| | - R. G. Morato
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade São Paulo Brazil
| | - F. C. C. Azevedo
- Departamento de Ciências Naturais Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei Minas Gerais Brazil
- Instituto Pró‐Carnívoros Atibaia SP Brazil
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Weiler A, Núñez K, Silla F. Forest matters: Use of water reservoirs by mammal communities in cattle ranch landscapes in the Paraguayan Dry Chaco. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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14
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Yoshimura H, Qi H, Kikuchi DM, Matsui Y, Fukushima K, Kudo S, Ban K, Kusano K, Nagano D, Hara M, Sato Y, Takatsu K, Hirata S, Kinoshita K. The relationship between plant-eating and hair evacuation in snow leopards (Panthera uncia). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236635. [PMID: 32736376 PMCID: PMC7394552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although most felids have an exclusive carnivore diet, the presence of plant matter in scat has been reported among various species. This indicates that there may be an adaptive significance to the conservation of plant-eating behavior in felid evolution. Some studies have hypothesized that felids consume plants for self-medication or as a source of nutrition. In addition, it is thought that plant intake helps them to excrete hairballs, however, no scientific work has confirmed these effects. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between plant intake and hair evacuation in felid species. We selected snow leopards (Panthera uncia) as the study species because they have longer and denser hair than other felids. The behavior of 11 captive snow leopards was observed and scat samples from eight of them and two other captive individuals were analyzed. Snow leopards evacuate hair possibly by vomiting and excreting in scats. The frequency of plant-eating and vomiting and the amount of hair and plant in scat were evaluated. We found that the frequency of vomiting was much lower than the frequency of plant-eating. In addition, there was no significant relationship between the amount of plant matter contained in scats and the amount of hair in scats. Contrary to the common assumption, our results indicate that plant intake has little effect on hair evacuation in felid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Yoshimura
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail: (HY); (KK)
| | - Huiyuan Qi
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Dale M. Kikuchi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Sai Kudo
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | | | - Keisuke Kusano
- Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Daisuke Nagano
- Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Mami Hara
- Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Sato
- Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | | | - Satoshi Hirata
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kodzue Kinoshita
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail: (HY); (KK)
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Rubalcava‐Castillo FA, Sosa‐Ramírez J, Luna‐Ruíz JJ, Valdivia‐Flores AG, Díaz‐Núñez V, Íñiguez‐Dávalos LI. Endozoochorous dispersal of forest seeds by carnivorous mammals in Sierra Fría, Aguascalientes, Mexico. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2991-3003. [PMID: 32211171 PMCID: PMC7083659 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Some carnivorous mammals ingest fruit and disperse seeds of forest plant species capable of colonizing disturbed areas in ecosystems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the dissemination of Arctostaphylos pungens and Juniperus deppeana seeds by the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), coyote (Canis latrans), and other carnivores in the Protected Natural Area Sierra Fría, in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Scat collection was undertaken via transects using the direct search method, while the seasonal phenology of A. pungens and J. deppeana was evaluated by recording flower and fruit abundance on both the plant and the surrounding forest floor ground. Seed viability was assessed by optical densitometry via X-ray and a germination test. It was found that the gray fox, coyote, ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), and bobcat (Lynx rufus) disseminated seeds of A. pungens (212 ± 48.9 seeds/scat) and J. deppeana (23.6 ± 4.9 seeds/scat), since a large proportion of the collected scat of these species contained seeds (28/30 = 93.33%, 12/43 = 27.9%, 6/12 = 50% and 7/25 = 28% respectively). The gray fox, coyote, ringtail, and bobcat presented an average of seed dispersion of both plant species of 185.4 ± 228.7, 4.0 ± 20.0, 12.1 ± 30.4, and 0.8 ± 1.5 per scat; the seed proportions in the gray fox, coyote, ringtail, and bobcat were 89.6/10.4%, 82.3/17.7%, 90.4/9.6%, and 38.1/61.9% for A. pungens and J. deppeana, respectively. The phenology indicated a finding related to the greater abundance of ripe fruit in autumn and winter (p < .01). This coincided with the greater abundance of seeds found in scats during these seasons. Endozoochory and diploendozoochory enhanced the viability and germination of the seeds (p > .05), except in those of A. pungens dispersed by coyote. These results suggest that carnivores, particularly the gray fox, the coyote, and the bobcat, play an important role in forest seed dissemination, and thus forest regeneration, by making both a quantitative and qualitative contribution to the dispersal of the two pioneer species under study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMéxico
| | - José J. Luna‐Ruíz
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMéxico
| | | | - Vicente Díaz‐Núñez
- Centro de Ciencias AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de AguascalientesAguascalientesMéxico
| | - Luis I. Íñiguez‐Dávalos
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesCentro Universitario de la Costa SurUniversidad de GuadalajaraAutlán de NavarroJaliscoMéxico
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Reiserer RS, Schuett GW, Greene HW. Seed ingestion and germination in rattlesnakes: overlooked agents of rescue and secondary dispersal. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2017.2755. [PMID: 29436500 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal is a key evolutionary process and a central theme in the population ecology of terrestrial plants. The primary producers of most land-based ecosystems are propagated by and maintained through various mechanisms of seed dispersal that involve both abiotic and biotic modes of transportation. By far the most common biotic seed transport mechanism is zoochory, whereby seeds, or fruits containing them, are dispersed through the activities of animals. Rodents are one group of mammals that commonly prey on seeds (granivores) and play a critical, often destructive, role in primary dispersal and the dynamics of plant communities. In North America, geomyid, heteromyid and some sciurid rodents have specialized cheek pouches for transporting seeds from plant source to larder, where they are often eliminated from the pool of plant propagules by consumption. These seed-laden rodents are commonly consumed by snakes as they forage, but unlike raptors, coyotes, bobcats, and other endothermic predators which eat rodents and are known or implicated to be secondary seed dispersers, the role of snakes in seed dispersal remains unexplored. Here, using museum-preserved specimens, we show that in nature three desert-dwelling rattlesnake species consumed heteromyids with seeds in their cheek pouches. By examining the entire gut we discovered, furthermore, that secondarily ingested seeds can germinate in rattlesnake colons. In terms of secondary dispersal, rattlesnakes are best described as diplochorous. Because seed rescue and secondary dispersal in snakes has yet to be investigated, and because numerous other snake species consume granivorous and frugivorous birds and mammals, our observations offer direction for further empirical studies of this unusual but potentially important channel for seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall S Reiserer
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA .,Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA
| | - Gordon W Schuett
- Chiricahua Desert Museum, Rodeo, NM, USA.,Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Harry W Greene
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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17
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Hämäläinen A, Broadley K, Droghini A, Haines JA, Lamb CT, Boutin S, Gilbert S. The ecological significance of secondary seed dispersal by carnivores. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Kate Broadley
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Amanda Droghini
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Jessica A. Haines
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Clayton T. Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
| | - Sophie Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alberta; Edmonton Alberta T6G 2M9 Canada
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences; University of Idaho; Moscow Idaho 83843 USA
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