Insights of the movements of the jaguar in the tropical forests of southern Mexico

Movement is a critical animal behavior which reflects animal response to its current biological needs and to its environment. Comprehending how and why the animals use the available space and the underlying drivers of animal movements is essential to the management and conservation for both species and ecosystems. This chapter aims to understand and describe the movements of the largest felid of the Neotropics, the jaguar (Panthera onca), through different approaches with the purpose to contribute to the existing knowledge of the spatial ecology of this species and to design strong conservation actions for the jaguar in the tropical forest of Central America. We described the movement ecology of jaguars in tropical forests using the information of five individuals fitted with satellite GPS collars in the Greater Lacandona Ecosystem, Chiapas, Mexico. We estimate the home range of jaguars through the autocorrelated kernel density estimation and compare it with different studies implemented throughout the species range. Using the movement-based kernel approach analyzed under the biased random bridge model, we identify the areas that were intensively used and repeatedly visited by the jaguars inside their home range. The biased random bridge allowed having a more dynamic and realistic approach to describe the space use and habitat selection by jaguars which complement the information about the movements of the species for the region. Finally, we evaluate the movement decisions of jaguars by the step selection function to identify which landscape variables influence the movement behavior of the species in the Greater Lacandona Ecosystem. The development of new movement models and analytical tools have allowed to make more precise inferences regarding the space use and movements of secretive tropical species such as the jaguar which should translate in better conservation strategies to ensure their long-term conservation.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	De la Torre, José Antonio autor, Rivero Hernández, Crysia Marina Maestra autora 14466
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Jaguares, Conducta espacial en los animales, Ecología espacial, Bosques tropicales, Artfrosur,
Online Access:	https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-03463-4_13
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