Effects of human-induced habitat changes on site-use patterns in large Amazonian Forest mammals

Quintero, Simón, Abrahams, Mark I., Beirne, Christopher, Blake, John, Carvalho, Elildo, Costa, Hugo C. M., de Paula, Milton José, Endo, Whaldener, Haugaasen, Torbjørn, Lima, Marcela Guimarães Moreira, Michalski, Fernanda, Mosquera, Diego, Norris, Darren, Oliveira, Tadeu, Paemelaere, Evi, Peres, Carlos A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1588-8765, Pezzuti, Juarez, Romero, Sheila, Santos, Fernanda, Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio, Whitworth, Andrew, Zwicker, Samantha, Maffei, Leonardo, Sahley, Catherine, Tuesta, Cinthya, Valdez, Fernando, Macdonald, David W. and Tan, Cedric Kai Wei (2023) Effects of human-induced habitat changes on site-use patterns in large Amazonian Forest mammals. Biological Conservation, 279. ISSN 0006-3207

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Abstract

The Amazon is one of the most diverse biomes around the globe, currently threatened by economic and industrial development and climate change. Large mammals are keystone species, playing an important role in ecosystem structure and function as ecological engineers, while being highly susceptible to deforestation, habitat degradation, and human exploitation. Using a unifying hierarchical Bayesian spatial approach, we examine the site-use patterns of four large Amazonian Forest mammals and their relationships to anthropogenic factors at a biome-wide scale. Our results showed that species’ patterns of site use are correlated with human induced habitat changes, and that this correlation is species-specific. The white-lipped peccary shows highest site-use estimates within strict protected areas, affected by proximity to urban areas and benefiting from indigenous territories, the tapir responding slightly to proximity to burned forested areas, while the giant armadillo and the jaguar were primarily affected by vegetation cover loss; disturbances related to the colonization of the Amazon. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how human-induced environmental changes influence the site-use patterns of these four large mammals, and inform future conservation and land use planning. Transboundary conservation efforts, empowering and integrating native (indigenous and non-indigenous) communities in land governance schemes, involving the private sector and securing the commitment of developed countries are important paths for the protection and sustainability of the globally-crucial Amazon rainforest.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding Information: This work was part of the PGDip in International Wildlife Conservation Practice delivered by WildCRU and supported by the Recanati-Kaplan Foundation, and partially funded by the Robertson Foundation through a post-diploma scholarship. Work at GBR and TMES study areas in Brazil was financed by Programa ARPA and conducted as part of the National Biodiversity Monitoring Program of the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (Programa Monitora ICMBio). CAX data in Brazil was provided by the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network, a collaboration between Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Conservation International, Smithsonian Institution, and Wildlife Conservation Society which is partially funded by these organizations, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and other donors. Research in Guyana was supported by WWF Guianas, Global Wildlife Conservation and the Liz Clayborne Art Ortenberg Foundation through Panthera. MAL data in Peru was provided by the Camisea Biodiversity Monitoring Program, funded by the Camisea Consortium.
Uncontrolled Keywords: amazon biome,bayesian hierarchical spatial occupancy models,panthera onca,priodontes maximus,tapirus terrestris,tayassu pecari,ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics,nature and landscape conservation,sdg 11 - sustainable cities and communities,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 15 - life on land ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1105
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 27 Jan 2023 15:30
Last Modified: 12 Jun 2023 09:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/90837
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109904

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