RESUMO

Understanding wildlife behavior, including accurate identification, processing, and interpretation of activities or cues, is important to behavioral biology and corresponding conservation strategies. We characterized the breeding activities of the critically endangered White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis following a sequential pattern from courtship to fledging. We recorded 4,160 visual observations of 20 behaviors of eight pairs of White-rumped Vultures from September 2021­April 2022 and constructed Markov chain models to model three composite behaviors (i.e., breeding, foraging, and roosting). We found that vultures at four nests displayed >70% of the time in breeding behavior, and each nest produced offspring, indicating a potential correlation between breeding behavior and successful reproductive outcomes. Our model explained each composite behavior with high accuracy. Identifying behaviors White-rumped Vulture have practical applications for developing management plans for their conservation, including the timing of critical reproductive events. Our findings and approach can improve our understanding of White-rumped Vulture behavioral ecology and conservation and have applications for other species.(AU)

Assuntos

RESUMO

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) population is decreasing, with less than 10,000 individuals in the wild because of habitat destruction, fragmentation, and illegal hunting. Captive breeding has become an increasingly crucial strategy for conserving endangered species, but efforts to generate self-sustaining populations have failed despite ample resources being allocated. Animals are often stressed in captivity, and it is necessary to examine reproductive behavior relating to the complexity of habitat requirements, dietary preferences, and, in particular, pregnant mothers and their sensitivity to disruptions. Using videography, we observed the reproductive behavior of two red pandas along with other behavioral activities in the Central Zoo, Kathmandu, Nepal. We collected behavioral data from December 2020 to June 2021 using scan and focal sampling. Reproductive behaviors (e.g., scent-marking, allogrooming, chasing, running, aggressiveness, mating, and feeding feces) were observed, along with behaviors like locomotion, climbing, standing, self-grooming, feeding, sleeping, self-play, and stretching. We observed 1­2% of reproductive behavior from total activity. Copulation was attempted on three occasions suggesting reproduction can be successful if animal husbandry is properly managed. We recommend zoo managers further refine strategies for captive breeding endangered species such as red pandas. Successful captive breeding benefits the zoo, and captive-born animals can mitigate extinction in the wild.

Assuntos

RESUMO

For many avian species, spatial migration patterns remain largely undescribed, especially across hemispheric extents. Recent advancements in tracking technologies and high-resolution species distribution models (i.e., eBird Status and Trends products) provide new insights into migratory bird movements and offer a promising opportunity for integrating independent data sources to describe avian migration. Here, we present a three-stage modeling framework for estimating spatial patterns of avian migration. First, we integrate tracking and band re-encounter data to quantify migratory connectivity, defined as the relative proportions of individuals migrating between breeding and nonbreeding regions. Next, we use estimated connectivity proportions along with eBird occurrence probabilities to produce probabilistic least-cost path (LCP) indices. In a final step, we use generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) both to evaluate the ability of LCP indices to accurately predict (i.e., as a covariate) observed locations derived from tracking and band re-encounter data sets versus pseudo-absence locations during migratory periods and to create a fully integrated (i.e., eBird occurrence, LCP, and tracking/band re-encounter data) spatial prediction index for mapping species-specific seasonal migrations. To illustrate this approach, we apply this framework to describe seasonal migrations of 12 bird species across the Western Hemisphere during pre- and postbreeding migratory periods (i.e., spring and fall, respectively). We found that including LCP indices with eBird occurrence in GAMMs generally improved the ability to accurately predict observed migratory locations compared to models with eBird occurrence alone. Using three performance metrics, the eBird + LCP model demonstrated equivalent or superior fit relative to the eBird-only model for 22 of 24 species-season GAMMs. In particular, the integrated index filled in spatial gaps for species with over-water movements and those that migrated over land where there were few eBird sightings and, thus, low predictive ability of eBird occurrence probabilities (e.g., Amazonian rainforest in South America). This methodology of combining individual-based seasonal movement data with temporally dynamic species distribution models provides a comprehensive approach to integrating multiple data types to describe broad-scale spatial patterns of animal movement. Further development and customization of this approach will continue to advance knowledge about the full annual cycle and conservation of migratory birds.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Exotic species introductions are a global phenomenon and protected areas are susceptible to them. Understanding the drivers of exotic species richness is vital for prioritizing natural resource management, particularly in developing countries with limited resources. We analyzed the influence of coarse resolution factors on exotic species richness (plants, mammals, and birds) in Argentina's National Parks System. We collected data on native species richness, year of park formation, park area, region, elevation range, number of rivers crossing area boundaries, roads entering area, mean annual rainfall, mean annual temperature, mean annual number of visitors, and Human Influence Index within and surrounding each park. We compiled 1,688 exotic records in 36 protected areas: 83% plants and 17% animals (9.5% mammals, 5.5% birds, 1.5% fishes, 0% amphibians, 0% reptiles). The five parks with the most exotic species (all taxa combined) were in north Patagonia. Exotic grasses were the most common exotic plants, and within animals, lagomorphs and feral ungulates were remarkably widespread. Exotic plant richness was mostly influenced by temperature and native plant richness, while exotic mammal and bird richness was driven mostly by anthropogenic variables, with models explaining 36-45% of data deviance. Most variables that positively influenced exotic taxa were indirectly related to an increase in spatial heterogeneity (natural or anthropogenic), suggesting greater niche space variability as facilitators of exotic richness increase. Additional data are needed to further investigate the patterns and mechanisms of exotic species richness in protected areas, which will help to prioritize the greatest needs of monitoring and management.

RESUMO

Costa Rica has one of the greatest percentages (26%) of protected land in the world. The National Protected Areas System (NPAS) of Costa Rica was established in 1976 and currently includes >190 protected areas within seven different protection categories. The effectiveness of the NPAS to represent species, populations, and areas with high species richness has not been properly evaluated. Such evaluations are fundamental to understand what is necessary to strengthen the NPAS and better protect biodiversity. We present a novel assessment of NPAS effectiveness in protecting mammal species. We compiled the geographical ranges of all terrestrial Costa Rican mammals then determined species lists for all protected areas and the estimated proportion of each species' geographic range protected. We also classified mammal species according to their conservation status using the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We found almost complete representation of mammal species (98.5%) in protected areas, but low relative coverage (28.3% on average) of their geographic ranges in Costa Rica and 25% of the species were classified as underprotected according to a priori representation targets. Interestingly, many species-rich areas are not protected, and at least 43% of cells covering the entire country are not included in protected areas. Though protected areas in Costa Rica represent species richness well, strategic planning for future protected areas to improve species complementarity and range protection is necessary. Our results can help to define sites where new protected areas can have a greater impact on mammal conservation, both in terms of species richness and range protection.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is currently endangered throughout its neotropical range with an expected population decline >50% in the next 30 years. We present the first density estimation of Baird's tapir for the Talamanca mountains of Costa Rica, and one of the first for the country. Ten stations with paired cameras were established in Valle del Silencio within Parque Internacional La Amistad (PILA). Seventy-seven tapir pictures of 15 individuals comprising 25 capture-recapture events were analyzed using mark-recapture techniques. The 100% minimum convex polygon of the sampled area was 5.7 km(2) and the effective sampled area using half mean maximum distances moved by tapirs was 7.16 km(2) . We estimated a tapir density of 2.93 individuals/km(2) which represents the highest density reported for this species. Intermountain valleys can represent unique and important habitats for large mammal species. However, the extent of isolation of this population, potentially constrained by steep slopes of the cordillera, remains unknown. Further genetic and movement studies are required to understand meta-population dynamics and connectivity between lowland and highland areas for Baird's tapir conservation in Costa Rica.

Assuntos