El caso del tapir y el G e o r g i n a O F a r r i l l , S o p h i e C a l m é y A n d r e w G o ... more El caso del tapir y el G e o r g i n a O F a r r i l l , S o p h i e C a l m é y A n d r e w G o n z á l e z abemos que los mamíferos provocan efectos importantes en la estructura física de los sitios dónde viven, ya que con sus hábitos comunes de vida y alimentación (concretamente a través de sus actividades de forrajeo, polinización y dispersión de semillas) pueden alterar los procesos del ecosistema y hasta cierto grado influir en la diversidad de especies que ahí habitan. Por esta razón, la actual disminución global de las poblaciones de mamíferos, que se traduce en una contracción de su distribución espacial y un aumento en sus tasas de extinción, repercutiría directamente en otras especies de plantas y animales. A pesar de su relevancia para el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas, los efectos de las extinciones de los ma
A failure to address social concerns in biodiversity conservation can lead to feelings of injusti... more A failure to address social concerns in biodiversity conservation can lead to feelings of injustice among some actors, and hence jeopardise conservation goals. The complex socio-cultural and political context of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, has historically led to multiple biodiversity conflicts. Our goal, in this case study, was to explore perceptions of justice held by local actors in relation to biodiversity conflicts. We then aimed to determine the following: 1) people's definitions of their feelings of justice; 2) the criteria used in this assessment; 3) variability in the criteria influencing them; and 4) implications for environmental management in the region and beyond. We worked with five focus groups, exploring three examples of biodiversity conflict around forest, water and jaguar management with a total of 41 ranchers, farmers and representatives of local producers. Our results demonstrated that people constructed their feelings of justice around four dimensions of justice: recognition (acknowledging individuals' rights, values, cultures and knowledge systems); ecological (fair and respectful treatment of the natural environment), procedural (fairness in processes of environmental management), distributive (fairness in the distribution of costs and benefits). We identified a list of criteria the participants used in their appraisal of justice and sources of variation such as the social scale of focus and participant role, and whom they perceived to be responsible for resource management. We propose a new framework that conceptualizes justice-as-recognition and ecological justice as forms of conditional justices, and procedural and distributive justices as forms of practical justice. Conditional justice allows us to define who is a legitimate source of justice norms and if nature should be integrated in the scope of justice; hence, conditional justice is salient to other dimensions of justice. On the other hand, procedural and distributive address the daily practices of fair processes and distribution. We propose that the perception of justice is a neglected but important aspect to include in integrative approaches to managing biodiversity conflicts. Addressing demands of justice in environmental management will require us to consider more than the distribution of costs and benefits among actors. We also need to respect the plurality of fairness perspectives and to recognise the benefits of dialogical approaches to achieve more successful environmental management.
Selective logging can have negative effects on biodiversity and on key ecological processes such ... more Selective logging can have negative effects on biodiversity and on key ecological processes such as seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Yet, the effect that timber extraction has on animal behavior and habitat use is poorly known. We tested whether the density, distribution, and composition of sleeping sites used by spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) differed between two logged and two unlogged forest sites in the Calakmul region, southeastern Mexico. We recorded a total of 74 sleeping sites (0.11 sleeping sites/ha). The density of sleeping sites did not differ between forest conditions. Most (97%) sleeping sites were located in medium-stature semievergreen forest, and only 3% in low-stature seasonally inundated forest. In three of four sites, the number of sleeping sites in core areas was significantly greater than expected by chance, showing an aggregated spatial distribution, particularly in areas containing a greater density of feeding trees. About half (51%) of the sleeping sites were composed of a single large tree (mean ± SD diameter at breast height, 42.2 ± 21.9 cm) from a small number of tree species, such as Lonchocarpus castelloi, Bucida buceras, and Lysiloma latisiliquum. These results suggest that the current level of timber extraction seems to have no effect on the density, distribution, and composition of sleeping sites. Nevertheless, because the species that were selected as sleeping trees are subject to Int J Primatol
Although well studied, the role of spider webs in attracting prey and the role of web ornaments r... more Although well studied, the role of spider webs in attracting prey and the role of web ornaments remain open questions. We carried out a field study to determine whether webs of Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus 1767) attract insects. Nephila builds large orb-webs with debris-decoration that host kleptobiotic Argyrodes spiders. We studied the potential prey of Nephila with sticky traps placed in two similar linear plots. One plot contained 20 Nephila webs, and the other was cleared of Nephila webs. We measured the number and size of the insects caught in the traps. We compared the size of the trapped insects with prey caught by Nephila and gleaned by Argyrodes. In the plot with Nephila webs we collected 314 individuals versus 105 individuals in the plot without Nephila. Species of Diptera and Coleoptera were captured most frequently. Four saprophagous families, Phoridae and Sciaridae (both Diptera), Staphylinidae and Elateridae (both Coleoptera), were more abundant in the plot with Nephila webs. We show for the first time under natural conditions that prey attraction is most efficient for saprophagous insects, suggesting that the debris-decoration in Nephila webs attracts this guild. We also found that the size of some insects captured does not correspond to the range of prey consumed by Nephila, but to that of kleptobiotic Argyrodes spiders. We hypothesize that the debris-decoration may be used by Nephila as a strategy to limit food competition with Argyrodes.
Aim The state of peatlands in eastern Canada is of growing concern. This habitat is in decline du... more Aim The state of peatlands in eastern Canada is of growing concern. This habitat is in decline due to urban sprawl, agriculture, forestry, and peat mining. Moreover, reduction and fragmentation have led to increasing isolation of remaining peatlands. We determined how bird species distribution in peatlands conforms to expectations drawn from island dynamics. We also determined the factors influencing the occurrence of 10 common peatland bird species, two of which rely mainly on peatlands for nesting in the study region. Location We sampled sixty-three peatlands in southern Québec, Canada, within a landscape characterized by a mosaic of forest stands and farmland. Methods We sampled nesting bird populations within peatlands from 4 June to 14 July 1995, using both transect lines and fixed-radius point counts. Each sampled peatland was characterized by area, vegetation structure (microhabitats), and isolation. We used multiple regression to test the relationship between bird species richness, peatland area, heterogeneity, microhabitat richness, and relative isolation, after correction for sampling effort. Relationships between bird species abundances and the variables the environmental variables were investigated with Canonical Correspondence Analyses. We calculated probabilities of occurrence of individual species in peatlands by logistic regression, with the same explanatory variables as mentioned previously. Results Bird species richness was mainly explained by microhabitat richness, and to a lesser extent, by sampling effort. By contrast, the occurrence of more than half of the species was mainly explained by peatland microhabitat heterogeneity. Palm warbler Dendroica palmarum (Gmelin) and upland sandpipers Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein) were the only species less frequent in small and isolated peatlands than in other peatlands. Main conclusions The results for species richness support both the habitat diversity, and passive sampling hypotheses for patchy distribution of birds. By contrast, results from individual species emphasized the difference between factors affecting total species richness and individual species distribution. The distribution of palm warbler, the only species restricted to peatlands regionally, was consistent with expectations from island dynamics.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
h i g h l i g h t s • We surveyed 105 urban areas in the United States regarding coyotes and conf... more h i g h l i g h t s • We surveyed 105 urban areas in the United States regarding coyotes and conflicts. • Larger urban areas were more likely to have coyotes and conflicts. • Urban areas in the western regions were more likely to have conflicts. • Cities with less forest and more development were more likely to have conflicts. • Landscape design and citizen education may reduce human-coyote conflicts.
1. Most animals need to actively search for food to meet energetic requirements and live in heter... more 1. Most animals need to actively search for food to meet energetic requirements and live in heterogeneous environments where food resources have complex spatio-temporal patterns of availability. Consequently, foraging animals need to find a balance between effort and resource allocation while accounting for intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which are often overlooked when modelling foraging behaviour. 2. We identified the decision rules for foraging in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra), according to food preferences, locations of high-quality patches and previously eaten trees, phenology of food resources and hunger state. We depicted foraging in two stages: (i) the choice of the immediate next tree and (ii) the time spent on this tree. We used a recently developed model for inference of movement processes, incorporating resource selection functions into a Markov chain framework. 3. We found that monkeys tend to move to preferred tree species at each step. However, we did not find conclusively that, at each step, monkeys direct their movements to reach highquality patches. In fact, they were using these patches intensively, thus limiting the possibility to move towards other high-quality patches. Time spent on a tree was positively and strongly affected by the presence of preferred food items, but not by its species. We also showed that time spent on trees increased as a function of satiation state. We suggest that the strategy adopted by black howlers tends to be efficient because choosing preferred trees at each step and spending spend more time where preferred resources are available should favour energy intake and restrain movement costs. 4. This study showcases a modelling framework that can be widely used in ecology to describe movements as a combination of multiple attraction and repulsion sources, such as mates and competitors.
obtuvimos información sobre la cacería practicada por los miembros de una comunidad maya de Quint... more obtuvimos información sobre la cacería practicada por los miembros de una comunidad maya de Quintana Roo y las creencias asociadas a esta actividad. Describimos la dinámica de la cacería y los métodos utilizados en la obtención de presas. Encontramos que la cacería es realizada en mayor proporción (79% de las presas cazadas) por un grupo de cuatro cazadores que representan solamente 16% de todos los cazadores. Los demás cazadores (84%) practican la cacería como una actividad complementaria a otras como la milpa, para cubrir las necesidades básicas de sus familias. En general, la conservación de la fauna silvestre en la comunidad puede verse afectada por la cacería realizada por los cuatro cazadores. También mostramos datos que indican que la cacería probablemente afecta a varias especies, ya que la actividad no es selectiva y se realiza a lo largo de todo el año, incluyendo temporadas de reproducción. Exponemos información sobre la diversidad de especies aprovechadas por la comunidad y los usos de cada una de éstas, la cual indica que la fauna silvestre y sus productos son subutilizados. Con la recopilación de leyendas y experiencias, observamos que en Tres Reyes aún se guardan y se practican creencias y tradiciones que colaboran en el manejo de la fauna silvestre.
When landscape modification is advantageous for protected species. The case of a synanthropic tar... more When landscape modification is advantageous for protected species. The case of a synanthropic tarantula, Brachypelma vagans
Estimación multianual del ámbito hogareño de un tapir de Baird (Tapirus bairdii) en la Selva Maya... more Estimación multianual del ámbito hogareño de un tapir de Baird (Tapirus bairdii) en la Selva Maya Insights into the multiannual home range of a Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) in the Maya Forest
New World vultures are typically diurnal with only rare nocturnal activity reported. Tabor and Mc... more New World vultures are typically diurnal with only rare nocturnal activity reported. Tabor and McAllister (1988) observed nocturnal flight by Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) during migration, and Mandel and Bildstein (2007) observed small groups of Turkey Vultures regularly feeding until 23:00 H at a landfill site in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. We found no published reports of nocturnal activity for the six other species of New World vultures. Here we report an observation of nocturnal feeding by a group of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) in a limestone quarry in the Southern Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. Our observation occurred during an ongoing investigation of foraging behavior in Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, and King Vultures (Sarcoramphus papa). Between 9 September 2009 and 3 January 2010, we placed camera traps at 30 different sites baited with carcasses including both open (pastures, limestone quarries, and deforested areas) and closed (forested) habitats, within 50 km of Xpujil, Campeche, Mexico. Carcasses were collected as road kill or obtained at El Centro de Control de Chetumal (Chetumal, Quintana Roo). Each site was equipped with a Moultrie video camera (Moultrie Feeders inc., Alabaster, Alabama, U.S.A.) with digital video recording capability. At each site, the camera was placed 5 m from the carcass and left for 3-6 d (weather dependent). The camera was triggered by movement; once triggered, the camera would take one still photo, then videorecord for 30 sec during daylight or 5 sec in darkness, with a 1-min interval between successive still/video recordings. One camera trap was set at a quarry site 80 m from a road 20 km north of Xpujil (18u43.1699N, 89u23.9839W), baited with a dog carcass, and left for 3 d, after which time the camera was removed and the still photos and video recordings downloaded onto a portable computer. The phase of the moon, precipitation, and cloud cover were also recorded during the study as these variables may influence scavengers' activity patterns (Watakuni 1986). The phase of the moon was recorded by the camera; precipitation and cloud cover were acquired from the Zoh Laguna weather station (CONAGUA, Mexican National Water Commission). The camera recorded a group of vultures feeding continuously on the carcass from 11:15 H on 31 December until 14:40 H on 1 January 2010. A maximum of 10 Black Vultures, six Turkey Vultures, and two King Vultures fed at the carcass during the 27.25 hr of recording. One group, composed exclusively of Black Vultures, fed at the carcass
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