Use of space by collared pecaries (Pecari tajacu) in a silvicultural landscape of Central-Southern São Paulo

• Grant number: 11/06697-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2011
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Luciano Martins Verdade
• Grantee: Cecilia Kruszynski de Assis
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 06/60954-4 - Socio-environmental changes in the state of São Paulo and perspectives for conservation, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

The change of land use may alter the pattern of distribution and abundance of species of fauna and flora, besides the processes in which they participate. For this reason, the trophic approach is useful for understanding the impacts of such land use changes. The collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is an important source of biomass for large carnivores besides being seed dispersers, in different habitats. This study aims at estimating the population density and the use of space by collared peccaries at Fazenda Tres Lagoas and Fazenda Arca, located in the city of Angatuba, Sao Paulo, on landscape whose matrix is formed by eucalyptus plantation recently estlabished over areas of exotic pasture (Brachyarya spp.). According to the local human population, the peccaries have become rare since the deforestation occurred in the 1970s for the establishment of pasture land. The present hypothesis is that the eucalyptus plantations form a more permeable matrix than the pasture, allowing the peccaries to travel more and use a greater number of local forest fragments, as consequence, its local carrying capacity increases. The present collared peccary survey will be carried out on monthly campaigns from April 2011 to March 2012. We will use two linear transects (8 and 12 km) located the two local watersheds. The use of space by the collared peccaries at the eucalyptus plantations and the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA) and the Legal Reserve (LR) will be compared using the Chi-square. Population density of the total study area will be estimated by software DISTANCE 6.0.