Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana
The savannah–forest mosaic of the Rupununi region of Guyana is a dispersal corridor between large tracts of intact Guiana Shield forests and a subsistence hunting ground for Indigenous Makushi and Wapichan communities. We conducted a camera-trap survey at 199 sites across four major forested habitat...
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| author | Matthew T. Hallett Francesco Rovero Nathalie Van Vliet Fernando M. Li Rhomayne Li Jeremy Melville Asaph Wilson Howard Barnabas Andrew Albert Dexter Da Silva Erin Earl Oswin David Simón Quintero |
| author_facet | Matthew T. Hallett Francesco Rovero Nathalie Van Vliet Fernando M. Li Rhomayne Li Jeremy Melville Asaph Wilson Howard Barnabas Andrew Albert Dexter Da Silva Erin Earl Oswin David Simón Quintero |
| author_sort | Matthew T. Hallett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The savannah–forest mosaic of the Rupununi region of Guyana is a dispersal corridor between large tracts of intact Guiana Shield forests and a subsistence hunting ground for Indigenous Makushi and Wapichan communities. We conducted a camera-trap survey at 199 sites across four major forested habitat types and used multi-species occupancy modelling to determine regional-scale drivers of mammalian occupancy at both species and community levels, accounting for imperfect detection. We detected 47 savannah- and forest-dwelling mammal species, with the occupancy of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal species (community occupancy) positively related to per cent forest cover and negatively to the presence of gallery forest habitat. The occupancy of 15 of 30 species was positively related to forest cover, suggesting the importance of maintaining forested habitat within the broader mosaic comprising savannahs and intermediate habitats for sustaining maximum mammal diversity. Jaguar Panthera onca occupancy was associated with the presence of livestock, and giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla occupancy was negatively associated with distance to the nearest road, both results of concern in relation to potential human–wildlife conflict. The probability of detecting terrestrial mammal species (community detectability) increased away from villages, as did the detectability of two large-bodied, hunted species, the lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris and collared peccary Pecari tajacu, potentially indicating the negative effects of subsistence and commercial hunting in this savannah mosaic habitat. We use our findings to discuss how management strategies for hunting, fire, timber harvest and agriculture within Indigenous titled lands could help ensure the sustainability of these traditional livelihood activities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7336cba1aea04e1a988abace238e7d75 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| series | Oryx |
| spelling | doaj-art-7336cba1aea04e1a988abace238e7d752025-08-20T03:58:11ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-300811210.1017/S003060532400156XDrivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, GuyanaMatthew T. Hallett0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3168-8536Francesco Rovero1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6688-1494Nathalie Van Vliet2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2741-2801Fernando M. Li3Rhomayne Li4Jeremy Melville5Asaph Wilson6Howard Barnabas7Andrew Albert8Dexter Da Silva9Erin Earl10Oswin David11Simón Quintero12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7489-4009Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA Conservation Department, Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, Jacksonville, Florida, USA Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, IndonesiaCenter for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, ItalyCenter for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, IndonesiaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit, Lethem, Guyana South Rupununi Conservation Society, Wichabai Ranch, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit, Lethem, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit, Lethem, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana South Rupununi Conservation Society, Wichabai Ranch, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana Caiman House Research Station, Yupukari Village, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana Keseé Ecolodge, Karasabai Village, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, Guyana South Rupununi Conservation Society, Wichabai Ranch, GuyanaSustainable Wildlife Management Programme (SWM) Guyana, Lethem, GuyanaCenter for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia Centro de Estudios Socioecológicos y Cambio Global, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, ColombiaThe savannah–forest mosaic of the Rupununi region of Guyana is a dispersal corridor between large tracts of intact Guiana Shield forests and a subsistence hunting ground for Indigenous Makushi and Wapichan communities. We conducted a camera-trap survey at 199 sites across four major forested habitat types and used multi-species occupancy modelling to determine regional-scale drivers of mammalian occupancy at both species and community levels, accounting for imperfect detection. We detected 47 savannah- and forest-dwelling mammal species, with the occupancy of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal species (community occupancy) positively related to per cent forest cover and negatively to the presence of gallery forest habitat. The occupancy of 15 of 30 species was positively related to forest cover, suggesting the importance of maintaining forested habitat within the broader mosaic comprising savannahs and intermediate habitats for sustaining maximum mammal diversity. Jaguar Panthera onca occupancy was associated with the presence of livestock, and giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla occupancy was negatively associated with distance to the nearest road, both results of concern in relation to potential human–wildlife conflict. The probability of detecting terrestrial mammal species (community detectability) increased away from villages, as did the detectability of two large-bodied, hunted species, the lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris and collared peccary Pecari tajacu, potentially indicating the negative effects of subsistence and commercial hunting in this savannah mosaic habitat. We use our findings to discuss how management strategies for hunting, fire, timber harvest and agriculture within Indigenous titled lands could help ensure the sustainability of these traditional livelihood activities.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S003060532400156X/type/journal_articleCamera trapscommunity ecologycustomary landsGuyanaIndigenous sciencemulti-species Bayesian occupancyNeotropical savannahterrestrial mammals |
| spellingShingle | Matthew T. Hallett Francesco Rovero Nathalie Van Vliet Fernando M. Li Rhomayne Li Jeremy Melville Asaph Wilson Howard Barnabas Andrew Albert Dexter Da Silva Erin Earl Oswin David Simón Quintero Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana Oryx Camera traps community ecology customary lands Guyana Indigenous science multi-species Bayesian occupancy Neotropical savannah terrestrial mammals |
| title | Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana |
| title_full | Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana |
| title_fullStr | Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana |
| title_short | Drivers of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah–forest mosaic on Makushi and Wapichan customary lands in the Rupununi, Guyana |
| title_sort | drivers of medium and large bodied terrestrial mammal communities within a savannah forest mosaic on makushi and wapichan customary lands in the rupununi guyana |
| topic | Camera traps community ecology customary lands Guyana Indigenous science multi-species Bayesian occupancy Neotropical savannah terrestrial mammals |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S003060532400156X/type/journal_article |
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