Demography, biology, ecology and conservation of large carnivores in the Ecological Park of Jataí, São Paulo, based on non-invasive DNA analysis

• Grant number: 09/16906-3
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: February 01, 2010 - February 28, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Manoel Galetti Junior
• Grantee: Pedro Manoel Galetti Junior
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project is part of a more wide study which aims to understand how habitat losses can be related to populacional size, genetic variation reduction and populational organization of large carnivores in the Atlantic forest and Cerrado remanescents in the São Paulo State, using non-invasive DNA analysis. This project comprises part of a PhD (Renata A. Miotto)and a Master theses (Fernanda do Passo Ramalho) and a undergraduate monography (Niara Martins), and aims demographic estimating of maned-wolf (C. brachyurus) and puma (P. concolor) in the Ecological Park of Jataí through genetic individualization of field collected feacal samples. Parentage, sex ratio and how are the animals distributed throughout the study area will be also addressed. We aim contribute to the ecology and biology knowledge of these animals, as well as produce useful genetic basis for conservation of these large carnivores. (AU)