Title
The effects of deforestation on white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) home range in the southern Pantanal
Author(s)
Keuroghlian, A.;Santos, M.D.A.;Eaton, D.P.
Published
2015
Publisher
Mammalia
Abstract
In the neotropics, white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) are important indicators of intact natural landscapes and the status of medium-to large-sized mammals dependent on forest habitats. Recognizing the species' value as an environmental indicator of landscape and forest conditions in the southern Pantanal, we evaluated the impacts of deforestation and fragmentation on forest mammals by analyzing T. pecari home ranges in a pristine area with intact natural vegetation cover, and a relatively disturbed area where deforestation and conversion to exotic grass pasture is becoming prevalent. In the relatively disturbed region, the home range area was 51% larger than it was in the pristine area, and there were two centers of activity separated by a large unused deforested patch. In the pristine region, there was only one activity center without large unused patches. We relate the differences in the disturbed area to fragmentation of the original T. pecari home range and loss of forest fruit sources. We discuss the implications of ongoing forest fragmentation and predicted climate change for T. pecari and other forest frugivores in the naturally patchy and highly seasonal environment of the Pantanal.
Keywords
deforestation;fruit scarcity;home range;Pantanal;white-lipped;peccary;forest fragment;feral pigs;conservation;brazil;biodiversity;climate;tajacu;Zoology
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PUB15553