Jaguar at the Edge: movement patterns in human-altered landscapes

Author(s)

Alegre, Vanesa Bejarano ; Kanda, Claudia Zukeran ; Oshima, Julia Emi de Faria ; Niebuhr, Bernardo Branda ; Morato, Ronaldo Gonsalves ; Thompson, Jeffrey J. ; Borger, Luca ; Ribeiro, Milton Cezar

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION; v. 22, n. 4, p. 9-pg., 2024-12-24.

Abstract

Human-caused habitat loss and fragmentation have significantly impacted the natural environments of large carnivores, altering their movement patterns and increasing risks such as hunting and road collisions. This study aims to understand the movement of jaguars ( Panthera onca) through forests, agriculture of varying patch sizes, their distances to these structures, and roads and drainages. By analyzing movement speed, revisits, time spent inside these structures, and the timing of the last visit, data from 54 GPS-tagged jaguars in South America reveal a pronounced tendency to revisit the edges of these landscape variables. Additionally, jaguars showed a stronger affinity for natural areas, spending more time in large forest patches and reducing their speed in natural drainages. Areas with extensive agriculture had fewer revisits, and jaguars moved faster near roads. These results demonstrate the level of tolerance and the dangers this species faces in a landscape with anthropogenic aspects. This comprehensive assessment of movement patterns and landscape use provides valuable insights into how landscape structure influences habitat preference and mobility rates, which is crucial for future jaguar conservation and management strategies. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/50421-2 - New sampling methods and statistical tools for biodiversity research: integrating animal movement ecology with population and community ecology
• Grantee: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/04851-1 - Influence of landscape structure in movement patterns and the population density of the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous)
• Grantee: Claudia Zukeran Kanda
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 20/01779-5 - Biodiversity in the Anthropocene: agroecosystem effects on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem function maintenance
• Grantee: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/13037-3 - Movement ecology of the neotropical apex predator through different habitats and their interplay with preys
• Grantee: Vanesa Fabiola Bejarano Alegre
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 22/10760-1 - Biodiversity in the Anthropocene: a synthesis on the effect of agriculture expansion within Cerrado and Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - Brazil
• FAPESP's process: 20/07586-4 - Movement ecology of the neotropical apex predator and their interplay with preys
• Grantee: Vanesa Fabiola Bejarano Alegre
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 21/08322-3 - Visual analytics of environmental data collected with passive acoustic monitoring
• Grantee: Maria Cristina Ferreira de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 21/02132-8 - Assessing turbine collision hazard for the Lear's macaw and four vulture species in the Caatinga
• Grantee: Julia Emi de Faria Oshima
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 21/10195-0 - Contribution of payment for ecosystem services on multi-dimensions within Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/11595-3 - Influence of landscape structure in movement patterns and population density of the Crab-Eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous)
• Grantee: Claudia Zukeran Kanda
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change
• Grantee: Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 21/08534-0 - Biodiversity and associated ecosystem services: LTER Corridor of Cantareira Mantiqueira
• Grantee: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants