Banca de DEFESA: THAYNA SILVA BATISTA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : THAYNA SILVA BATISTA
DATE: 20/04/2023
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei - Campus Dom Bosco
TITLE:

Estimates of occupancy and detection of cougars (Puma concolor) in the Rio Doce State Park, Minas Gerais.

KEY WORDS:

cougars, habitat selection, occupancy models, protected area, Atlantic Forest.

PAGES: 65
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUBÁREA: Ecologia Aplicada
SUMMARY:

The puma (Puma concolor) is a top predator with a wide geographic
distribution, responsible for performing important ecological functions that help in the dynamics
and integrity of ecosystems. Populations of this species are declining globally, often as a result
of habitat loss and fragmentation and consequent anthropic changes in the landscape. Although
is considered generalist, some factors may influence the selection of habitats by the specie. Thus,
we aimed to evaluate the influence of environmental characteristics and anthropic factors on the
probability of occupancy and detection of puma in the Rio Doce State Park (RDSP). For this,
we used data collected through camera traps, in the period between 2016 and 2017. We also
used specific covariates of the sampling period and sample sites to generate Single-season
occupancy models. Our more parsimonious model indicates that puma occupation was better
explained by distance from rivers, but none of the covariates had a strong influence on the
estimates of this parameter. Detection, on the other hand, was better explained by the covariates
distance from rivers, number of days sampled per occasion and rainfall per occasion, but only
the last two showed a strong association with the probability of detection of the specie. Sampling
effort was the main factor positively associated with the detection of puma, suggesting that
longer-term surveys may make it possible to obtain a greater number of records of the specie,
thus ensuring better performance of the models. The lower displacement of puma in the RDSP
during the period of higher rainfall may be related to the increase in the abundance of prey during
the rainy season. The lack of influence of most of the covariates analyzed for the occupation and
detection of puma may reflect the good environmental quality of the RDSP. Although our results
may suggest a positive scenario for the specie in the Atlantic Forest, the reality for other
remnants of this biome may not be the same. Thus, the development of studies on a finer scale
and that explore landscapes under different levels of protection may be necessary for a better
understanding of the factors responsible for mediating the use of the habitat by puma.

BANKING MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - ADRIANO GARCIA CHIARELLO - USP
Interno - 1677455 - ANDRE FLAVIO SOARES FERREIRA RODRIGUES
Presidente - 1804372 - FERNANDO CESAR CASCELLI DE AZEVEDO