Movement ecology of the neotropical apex predator and their interplay with preys

• Grant number: 20/07586-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 15, 2022
• Effective date (End): May 24, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Grantee: Vanesa Fabiola Bejarano Alegre
• Supervisor: Luca Borger
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Swansea University, Wales
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/13037-3 - Movement ecology of the neotropical apex predator through different habitats and their interplay with preys, BP.DR

Abstract

Large carnivores are especially sensitive to landscape changes due to their high home range requirements, low abundance, and low birth rates. Therefore, the jaguar (Panthera onca) - one of the largest carnivores in the Neotropics -, is facing population declines associated with decreased prey density in natural areas, fragmentation, poaching, and conflict humans due to loss of habitat. Therefore, to improve our understanding of the environmental requirements of jaguars and the challenges they face in landscape and prey interaction, we will discriminate how Jaguar - Peccary interactions are affected by landscape structure in the Pantanal. Through the analysis of movement patterns and interspecific distances over time and space of occurrence of both species. This would be the first study conducted with movement data from both species. Therefore our academic objective is to develop new analysis studies that help us understand predator-prey interactions through the ecology of the movement of both. This Research Abroad Internship (BEPE) will be at Swansea University, supervised by Professor Luca Börger (Movement Ecology Experience). This international collaboration is essential to achieve the objectives of the Ph.D. draft. In addition, this internship project will have accurate results for the conservation of the species in the regions of Brazil and publications in high-impact scientific journals. (AU)