1
|
Cuesta Hermira AA, Michalski F. Crop damage by vertebrates in Latin America: current knowledge and potential future management directions. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13185. [PMID: 35356474 PMCID: PMC8958972 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Crop farming contributes to one of the most extensive land use activities in the world, and cropland areas continue to rise. Many vertebrate species feed on crops, which has caused an increase in human-wildlife conflicts in croplands. Crop-feeding damages the economy of local communities and causes retaliation against the responsible vertebrates in several forms, including lethal practices such as hunting and poisoning. Lethal control may cause the local extirpation of some species, affecting ecological processes and patterns. Therefore, it is necessary to find non-lethal alternatives that can protect both local economies and wildlife. Research has been conducted in Africa and Asia, focusing on elephants and primates, and the effectiveness of some non-lethal alternatives, such as chili-based repellents and beehives, is being investigated. However, there has been very little research on this topic in Central and South America. The goal of this review is to assess the current knowledge on crop damage by vertebrates in Central and South America and indicate future research directions. Survey methodology We reviewed the available scientific literature reporting crop damage by vertebrates in Central and South America, and the Caribbean, published between 1980 and 2020, through systematic searches on Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. We analyzed the temporal and geographical distributions of the studies, the crops and vertebrate species these studies considered, the crop protection techniques used, and their effectiveness. Results We retrieved only 113 studies on crop damage by vertebrates in Latin America, but there was an increasing trend in the number of studies published over time. Most of the studies were conducted in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Four orders of mammals (Rodentia, Carnivora, Artiodactyla, and Primates) and four orders of birds (Passeriformes, Columbiformes, Psittaciformes, and Anseriformes) were the most common groups of crop-feeding vertebrates. The most prominent crop was corn, which was featured in 49% of the studies. Other notable crops include rice, sorghum, and sugarcane. The most reported method for protecting crops was lethal control through hunting or poisoning. Non-lethal techniques were found to be less prevalent. Less than half of the studies that mentioned the use of protection techniques indicated their effectiveness, and only 10 studies evaluated it by performing scientific experiments and reporting their results. Conclusions Central and South America is still underrepresented in research on vertebrate crop-feeding. There is a need for experimentation-based robust research to find crop protection techniques that minimize harm to vertebrates while effectively reducing damage to crops. While this is being studied, habitat loss and fragmentation need to be halted to prevent the native vertebrates from turning to crops for food.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Alejandro Cuesta Hermira
- Ecology Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil,Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Michalski
- Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,Postgraduate Programme in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil,Pro-Carnivores Institute, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martins CB, Norris D, Michalski F. Diversity and activity of bird fauna in ephemeral river-created habitats in Amazonia. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2021.2005410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cassiano Bueno Martins
- Postgraduate Programme in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
- Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Darren Norris
- Postgraduate Programme in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
- Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
- School of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Michalski
- Postgraduate Programme in Tropical Biodiversity, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
- Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Brazil
- Pro-Carnivores Institute, Atibaia, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Miranda EBP, Peres CA, Downs CT. Landowner perceptions of livestock predation: implications for persecution of an Amazonian apex predator. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12727] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- E. B. P. Miranda
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - C. A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
- Instituto Juruá Manaus Brazil
| | - C. T. Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tropical deforestation induces thresholds of reproductive viability and habitat suitability in Earth's largest eagles. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13048. [PMID: 34193882 PMCID: PMC8245467 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92372-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Apex predators are threatened globally, and their local extinctions are often driven by failures in sustaining prey acquisition under contexts of severe prey scarcity. The harpy eagle Harpia harpyja is Earth’s largest eagle and the apex aerial predator of Amazonian forests, but no previous study has examined the impact of forest loss on their feeding ecology. We monitored 16 active harpy eagle nests embedded within landscapes that had experienced 0 to 85% of forest loss, and identified 306 captured prey items. Harpy eagles could not switch to open-habitat prey in deforested habitats, and retained a diet based on canopy vertebrates even in deforested landscapes. Feeding rates decreased with forest loss, with three fledged individuals dying of starvation in landscapes that succumbed to 50–70% deforestation. Because landscapes deforested by > 70% supported no nests, and eaglets could not be provisioned to independence within landscapes > 50% forest loss, we established a 50% forest cover threshold for the reproductive viability of harpy eagle pairs. Our scaling-up estimate indicates that 35% of the entire 428,800-km2 Amazonian ‘Arc of Deforestation’ study region cannot support breeding harpy eagle populations. Our results suggest that restoring harpy eagle population viability within highly fragmented forest landscapes critically depends on decisive forest conservation action.
Collapse
|
5
|
Matuoka MA, Benchimol M, Morante‐Filho JC. Tropical forest loss drives divergent patterns in functional diversity of forest and non‐forest birds. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maísa A. Matuoka
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| | - Maíra Benchimol
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| | - José Carlos Morante‐Filho
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Palmeirim AF, Santos-Filho M, Peres CA. Marked decline in forest-dependent small mammals following habitat loss and fragmentation in an Amazonian deforestation frontier. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230209. [PMID: 32160257 PMCID: PMC7065764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Agricultural frontier expansion into the Amazon over the last four decades has created million hectares of fragmented forests. While many species undergo local extinctions within remaining forest patches, this may be compensated by native species from neighbouring open-habitat areas potentially invading these patches, particularly as forest habitats become increasingly degraded. Here, we examine the effects of habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation on small mammal assemblages in a southern Amazonian deforestation frontier, while accounting for species-specific degree of forest-dependency. We surveyed small mammals at three continuous forest sites and 19 forest patches of different sizes and degrees of isolation. We further sampled matrix habitats adjacent to forest patches, which allowed us to classify each species according to forest-dependency and generate a community-averaged forest-dependency index for each site. Based on 21,568 trap-nights, we recorded 970 small mammals representing 20 species: 12 forest-dependents, 5 matrix-tolerants and 3 open-habitat specialists. Across the gradient of forest patch size, small mammal assemblages failed to show the typical species-area relationship, but this relationship held true when either species abundance or composition was considered. Species composition was further mediated by community-averaged forest-dependency, so that smaller forest patches were occupied by a lower proportion of forest-dependent rodents and marsupials. Both species richness and abundance increased in less isolated fragments surrounded by structurally simplified matrix habitats (e.g. active or abandoned cattle pastures). While shorter distances between forest patches may favour small mammal abundances, forest area and matrix complexity dictated which species could persist within forest fragments according to their degree of forest-dependency. Small mammal local extinctions in small forest patches within Amazonian deforestation frontiers are therefore likely offset by the incursion of open-habitat species. To preclude the dominance of those species, and consequent losses of native species and associated ecosystem functions, management actions should limit or reduce areas dedicated to pasture, additionally maintaining more structurally complex matrix habitats across fragmented landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filipa Palmeirim
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Manoel Santos-Filho
- Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso - UNEMAT, Centro de Pesquisa de Limnologia, Biodiversidade, Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Cáceres – Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dynamics of Forest Fragmentation and Connectivity Using Particle and Fractal Analysis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12228. [PMID: 31439903 PMCID: PMC6706383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48277-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ever decreasing area of forests has lead to environmental and economical challenges and has brought with it a renewed interest in developing methodologies that quantify the extent of deforestation and reforestation. In this study we analyzed the deforested areas of the Apuseni Mountains, which has been under economic pressure in recent years and resulted in widespread deforestation as a means of income. Deforested surface dynamics modeling was based on images contained in the Global Forest Database, provided by the Department of Geographical Sciences at Maryland University between 2000 and 2014. The results of the image particle analysis and modelling were based on Total Area (ha), Count of patches and Average Size whereas deforested area distribution was based on the Local Connected Fractal Dimension, Fractal Fragmentation Index and Tug-of-War Lacunarity as indicators of forest fragmentation or heterogeneity. The major findings of the study indicated a reduction of the tree cover area by 3.8%, an increase in fragmentation of 17.7% and an increase in heterogeneity by 29%, while fractal connectivity decreased only by 0.1%. The fractal and particle analysis showed a clustering of forest loss areas with an average increase from 1.1 to 3.0 ha per loss site per year. In conclusion, the fractal and particle analysis provide a relevant methodological framework to further our understanding of the spatial effects of economic pressure on forestry.
Collapse
|
8
|
Iglesias-Merchan C, Ortiz-Urbina E, Ezquerro M, Diaz-Balteiro L. Incorporating acoustic objectives into Forest Management Planning when sensitive bird species are relevant. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6922. [PMID: 31143544 PMCID: PMC6526013 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The potentially negative effects of timber harvesting on biodiversity and habitat conservation leads to the consideration of a wide range of restrictions to forest logging in natural areas. In particular, high noise levels produced by forest machinery present a challenge to developing sustainable forest management plans. The Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), the largest bird of prey whose nests are located in mature trees, is considered to be appropriate as an indicator species for environment-friendly forest planning. In this work, we evaluated spatially differences in sound propagation between stands. We hypothesized that differences due to the influence of orography in mountainous forests would allow the relaxation of spatial and temporary restrictions to timber logging, without causing any great disturbance at nesting sites of sensitive species. Methods Our study was conducted in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest of Spain, where an important colony of the Western European population of Cinereous vulture is located. We built 62 noise maps to characterize noise pollution due to tree logging at planning level. We modeled two different scenarios, in order to characterize; (i) the effect of a chainsaw operator during a complete cycle for felling a tree (Scenario 1), and (ii) the effect of the peak level produced by the breaking noise emitted by the trunk of the tree and its impact on the ground (Scenario 2). A strategy of three logical steps was designed; (i) landscape-scale analysis of noise propagation in stands, (ii) hierarchical cluster analysis of stands, (iii) assessment of the potentially significant influence of noise management in timber harvesting. Results The minimum distance (DIST) from chainsaw operator sites to the 40 dB(A) contour lines was the only variable that had a significant influence on the clustering results. On the other hand, mean values of a newly proposed metric called average radius or radial distance (ARD) oscillated between 174 m in cluster #1 (Scenario 1) and 407 m in cluster #2 (Scenario 2). Discussion Our results highlight the convenience of considering noise modeling tools at a forest planning level in order to address the compatibility of forest logging and the necessity of protecting nature. We found that spatial propagation of noise made by chainsaws at felling sites does not differ between stands even in a mountainous terrain, contrary to what we initially hypothesized. However, temporary logging restrictions could be excluded in about 36% of the current conditioned management areas according to ARD results in Scenario 2 (400 m). This proposal could be based on a sound pressure level (in decibels) criteria instead of conventional buffer protection distance criteria. In addition, it is suggested that the current size of restricted management areas could be generally extended from a 100 m radius to a 200 m one around the Cinereous vulture nest sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Iglesias-Merchan
- Department of Forest and Environmental Engineering and Management, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CENERIC Research Centre, Tres Cantos, Spain
| | - Esther Ortiz-Urbina
- Department of Forest and Environmental Engineering and Management, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Ezquerro
- Department of Forest and Environmental Engineering and Management, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Diaz-Balteiro
- Department of Forest and Environmental Engineering and Management, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tirelli FP, de Freitas TR, Michalski F, Percequillo AR, Eizirik E. Using reliable predator identification to investigate feeding habits of Neotropical carnivores (Mammalia, Carnivora) in a deforestation frontier of the Brazilian Amazon. MAMMALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2018-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Accurate identification of predator species is a critical requirement to investigate their diet using faecal samples. We used non-invasive sampling and two methods of predator identification to investigate the diets of sympatric carnivores in a highly deforested region of the Brazilian Amazon. Of 108 scats, 81 could be identified at the species level using DNA sequencing and/or trichology. The former performed better than the latter (81.5% vs. 54.3% of the identified samples), and results were quite congruent (89.7% concordance in the 29 samples that could be assessed with both approaches). Nine species were identified, out of which four (crab-eating fox, ocelot, puma and jaguar) presented a sufficient number of samples to allow dietary analyses. The crab-eating fox was the most generalist (BA=0.92); ocelots focused on small- to medium-sized prey; pumas fed mostly on medium-sized items; and jaguars mostly targeted large-sized prey. A considerable overlap was observed between ocelots and pumas in all estimations (O=0.47–0.83). The presence of jaguars in the same region could be driving pumas to select medium- and small-sized prey. The results of this study highlight the importance of reliable predator identification and the need for in-depth ecological studies in areas where carnivore species are sympatric.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flávia P. Tirelli
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS , Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Prédio 43435 , Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970 , Brazil
- PUCRS, Escola de Ciências, Laboratório de Biologia Genômica e Molecular , 6681 Ipiranga Av. , Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900 , Brazil
| | - Thales R.O. de Freitas
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS , Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Prédio 43435 , Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970 , Brazil
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Campus do Vale , Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43323 , Porto Alegre, RS 9150197 , Brazil
| | - Fernanda Michalski
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Vertebrados , Universidade Federal do Amapá , Rodovia Juscelino Kubitschek, km 02, Bloco T , Macapá, AP 68903-419 , Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros , C.P. 10, Atibaia, SP 12940-970 , Brazil
| | - Alexandre R. Percequillo
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” , Universidade de São Paulo , Av. Pádua Dias 11, Caixa Postal 9 , Piracicaba, São Paulo 13418-900 , Brazil
- Department of Life Sciences , The Natural History Museum , Cromwell Road , London SW7 5BD , UK
| | - Eduardo Eizirik
- PUCRS, Escola de Ciências, Laboratório de Biologia Genômica e Molecular , 6681 Ipiranga Av. , Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900 , Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros , C.P. 10, Atibaia, SP 12940-970 , Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Leite GA, Farias IP, Gonçalves ALS, Hawes JE, Peres CA. Coarse- and fine-scale patterns of distribution and habitat selection places an Amazonian floodplain curassow in double jeopardy. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4617. [PMID: 29785338 PMCID: PMC5960267 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of habitat selection are influenced by local productivity, resource availability, and predation risk. Species have taken millions of years to hone the macro- and micro-habitats they occupy, but these may now overlap with contemporary human threats within natural species ranges. Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa), an endemic galliform species of the western Amazon, is threatened by both hunting and habitat loss, and is restricted to white-water floodplain forests of major Amazonian rivers. In this study conducted along the Juruá River, Amazonas, Brazil, we quantified the ranging ecology and fine-scale patterns of habitat selection of the species. We estimated the home range size of C. globulosa using conventional VHF telemetry. To estimate patterns of habitat selection, we used geo-locations of day ranges to examine the extent and intensity of use across the floodplain, which were then compared to a high-resolution flood map of the study area. We captured two females and one male, which we monitored for 13 months between September 2014 and September 2015. Average home range size was 283 ha, based on the 95% aLoCoH estimator. Wattled Curassows selected areas of prolonged flood pulses (six to eight months/year) and had a consistent tendency to be near open water, usually in close proximity to river banks and lakes, especially during the dry season. Amazonian floodplains are densely settled, and the small portions of floodplain habitat used by Wattled Curassows are both the most accessible to hunters and most vulnerable to deforestation. As a result, the geographic and ecological distribution of Wattled Curassows places them at much higher extinction risk at multiple spatial scales, highlighting the need to consider habitat preferences within their conservation strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Leite
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Conservação e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Laboratório de Evolucão e Genética Animal, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Izeni P Farias
- Laboratório de Evolucão e Genética Animal, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - André L S Gonçalves
- Grupo de Pesquisas em Mamíferos Amazônicos (GPMA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Joseph E Hawes
- Applied Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carlos A Peres
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| |
Collapse
|