Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots
Assessing the ranging and dispersal behavior of apex predators and its consequences for landscape connectivity is of paramount importance for understanding population and ecosystem effects of anthropogenic land use change. Here, we synthesize ranging and dispersal ecological information on pumas (&l...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Bernardo Brandão Niebuhr Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti Ermeson A. Vilalba Vanessa V. Alberico João Carlos Zecchini Gebin Danilo da Costa Santos Ananda de Barros Barban Raphael de Oliveira Eliezer Gurarie Ronaldo G. Morato |
| author_facet | Bernardo Brandão Niebuhr Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti Ermeson A. Vilalba Vanessa V. Alberico João Carlos Zecchini Gebin Danilo da Costa Santos Ananda de Barros Barban Raphael de Oliveira Eliezer Gurarie Ronaldo G. Morato |
| author_sort | Bernardo Brandão Niebuhr |
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| description | Assessing the ranging and dispersal behavior of apex predators and its consequences for landscape connectivity is of paramount importance for understanding population and ecosystem effects of anthropogenic land use change. Here, we synthesize ranging and dispersal ecological information on pumas (<i>Puma concolor</i>) and present estimates of how different land uses affect the space use and dispersal of pumas on fragmented landscapes in an ecotone between biodiversity hotspots in southeastern Brazil. Additionally, we evaluate the effect of animal translocations on dispersal and movement patterns. Using location data for 14 GPS-collared pumas and land use data, we assessed when, how long, and how far individuals dispersed; how forest loss and infrastructure influenced puma home range size; and how movement patterns changed according to land use and proximity to infrastructure, during ranging and dispersal, for residents, natural dispersers, and translocated individuals. We present the first detailed record on the dispersal of pumas in Brazil and in the tropics, including long-distance dispersals, and show that pumas moved faster and more linearly during dispersal than during ranging. Their movement was slower and their home ranges were smaller in more forested areas, underscoring the importance of forest as habitat. In contrast, movement rates were higher in open pastures, mainly during dispersal. Our study underscores the scarcity of research on puma space use and dispersal in South America and reveals partial divergences in dispersal behaviors compared to North America and temperate regions, especially concerning dispersal ages. Furthermore, we give the first steps in presenting how land cover and human infrastructure affect the movement of this apex predator in a tropical ecosystem, an important subsidy for land use management. We call for more comprehensive studies on the movement ecology of carnivores combined with long-term population monitoring, to allow linking individual behavior with metapopulation dynamics and landscape connectivity and drawing more effective measures to sustain their populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9d7ed3b93dc74f7cba00a1351084e5c2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj-art-9d7ed3b93dc74f7cba00a1351084e5c22025-08-20T03:27:14ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-06-0117643510.3390/d17060435Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity HotspotsBernardo Brandão Niebuhr0Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti1Ermeson A. Vilalba2Vanessa V. Alberico3João Carlos Zecchini Gebin4Danilo da Costa Santos5Ananda de Barros Barban6Raphael de Oliveira7Eliezer Gurarie8Ronaldo G. Morato9Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros (ICMBio/CENAP), Atibaia 12952-425, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilInstituto para a Conservação dos Carnívoros Neotropicais (PRÓ-CARNÍVOROS), Atibaia 12945-010, São Paulo, BrazilDepartment of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USAInstituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros (ICMBio/CENAP), Atibaia 12952-425, São Paulo, BrazilAssessing the ranging and dispersal behavior of apex predators and its consequences for landscape connectivity is of paramount importance for understanding population and ecosystem effects of anthropogenic land use change. Here, we synthesize ranging and dispersal ecological information on pumas (<i>Puma concolor</i>) and present estimates of how different land uses affect the space use and dispersal of pumas on fragmented landscapes in an ecotone between biodiversity hotspots in southeastern Brazil. Additionally, we evaluate the effect of animal translocations on dispersal and movement patterns. Using location data for 14 GPS-collared pumas and land use data, we assessed when, how long, and how far individuals dispersed; how forest loss and infrastructure influenced puma home range size; and how movement patterns changed according to land use and proximity to infrastructure, during ranging and dispersal, for residents, natural dispersers, and translocated individuals. We present the first detailed record on the dispersal of pumas in Brazil and in the tropics, including long-distance dispersals, and show that pumas moved faster and more linearly during dispersal than during ranging. Their movement was slower and their home ranges were smaller in more forested areas, underscoring the importance of forest as habitat. In contrast, movement rates were higher in open pastures, mainly during dispersal. Our study underscores the scarcity of research on puma space use and dispersal in South America and reveals partial divergences in dispersal behaviors compared to North America and temperate regions, especially concerning dispersal ages. Furthermore, we give the first steps in presenting how land cover and human infrastructure affect the movement of this apex predator in a tropical ecosystem, an important subsidy for land use management. We call for more comprehensive studies on the movement ecology of carnivores combined with long-term population monitoring, to allow linking individual behavior with metapopulation dynamics and landscape connectivity and drawing more effective measures to sustain their populations.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/6/435habitat fragmentationmovement ecologyhome rangeresidencyAtlantic ForestCerrado |
| spellingShingle | Bernardo Brandão Niebuhr Sandra M. C. Cavalcanti Ermeson A. Vilalba Vanessa V. Alberico João Carlos Zecchini Gebin Danilo da Costa Santos Ananda de Barros Barban Raphael de Oliveira Eliezer Gurarie Ronaldo G. Morato Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots Diversity habitat fragmentation movement ecology home range residency Atlantic Forest Cerrado |
| title | Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots |
| title_full | Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots |
| title_fullStr | Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots |
| title_full_unstemmed | Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots |
| title_short | Land Use Effects on the Space Use and Dispersal of an Apex Predator in an Ecotone Between Tropical Biodiversity Hotspots |
| title_sort | land use effects on the space use and dispersal of an apex predator in an ecotone between tropical biodiversity hotspots |
| topic | habitat fragmentation movement ecology home range residency Atlantic Forest Cerrado |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/6/435 |
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