Effect of fragment size and landscape heterogeneity on Puma yagouaroundi diet

• Grant number: 14/15464-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Grantee: Mitra Katherina Ferreira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Felines depend on abundant food resources for their survival, and the understanding of it diets can contribute to the establishment of landscape management strategies for biodiversity maintenance. This study aims to determine if the landscape structure influences on feeding habits of Puma yagouaroundi, based on feces analysis. The study area comprises landscapes around eight fragments of semideciduous forest within the Matropolitan Region of Campinas, with patch sizes ranging from 40 to 240 ha in different spatial contexts. The fragment size and the landscape heterogeneity will be used to explain the following response variable: (I) percentages of feces with determined feeding item, (II) biomass of feces and (III) frequency of feeding items. The analysis will be performed with the use of model selection with multiple competing hypotheses. Akaike Information Criterion Corrected (AICc) will be used to select the best model. I expect that the species adapt its diet in different habitats and that it have generalist feeding habit. However, I also expect that the diversity of eaten items will be positively correlated with patch size and landscape heterogeneity. With the better understanding of the landscape use and diet of felines, we believe that we will contribute to the development of better and more supported action plans for biodiversity maintenance. (AU)