Using noninvasive techniques to assist carnivore conservation in Misiones

ARGÜELLES CARINA F.; RINAS MIGUEL A; DE MATTEO KAREN E

Posadas

Simposio; IX Jornadas Cientificas Tecnologicas de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales de la Universidad Nacional de Misiones; 2015

Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Quimicas y Naturales-UNaM

Many carnivores found in Misiones require large extensions to meet basic needs; however, anthropogenic impacts on the environments put many species and their habitats under threat. Misiones, Argentina in just 1% of the Argentine territory concentrates the largest remaining tract of Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion. Several species in this region are forest specialists that require an extensive range but they are threatened as they navigate through a heterogeneous landscape composed of protected areas, roads, and humans modified habitats. Ensuring long-term survival of wide-ranging carnivores in this fragmented ecosystem requires understanding how fragmentation affects movement patterns and estimating connectivity between protected areas that maximize animal movement and minimize human-wildlife conflict.Through a collaborative project initiated in 2007, entitled Identifying habitat corridors that minimize human-wildlife conflict and maximize mobility for landscape species in interior Atlantic forest, which is directed by Dr. Karen DeMatteo, we proposed several objectives which were raised in three phases: a) determine if detection dogs can be used as an effective noninvasive technique to locate carnivore samples to collect information on their basic ecology (2007) b) learn about the movement patterns of five landscape carnivores (jaguar, puma, ocelot, oncilla, and bush dog) in protected areas and between them (2009) c) obtain reliable information on critical gaps and expand the number of samples in some regions (2011) and d) determine how species are navigating the area between protected areas.This study uses detection dogs in protected and unprotected areas of the north-central zones of Misiones´ Province along with genetic analyses of scat to detect the presence of five carnivores and uses the locations data associated to each sample, combined with GIS technology to gain insight into habitat use and connectivity. In 2007 it was shown that the use of detection dogs is an effective noninvasive technique in the study of wildlife species in a variety of habitat types, including uneven terrain and vegetation of Misiones. During the next three phases (2009, 2011 and 2013), the team analyzed 198 unique routes and walked 1.142,9 km. In addition to protected areas, we have been able to cover a wide variety of unique habitats located in the north-central region, including private forest, agriculture, monoculture plantations, and areas occupied by humans. Of the 917 feces collected in 2009, 2011 and 2013, we were able to confirm the species identity in 761 (83.0%). In the remaining scats, species confirmation was not possible due to the low quality of DNA obtained (n=108 or 11.8%) or due to contamination with urine, scent marking by other animals (n = 48 or 5.2 %). While half of these samples were identified as oncilla (n=494 or 53.9 %%), 63 (6.0%) were also recognized as jaguars, 59 (6.4%) pumas, 111 (12.1%) ocelot, and 34 (3.7 %) bush dogs. Through the use of data from species derived from these three phases, we were able to generate models of appropriate/suitable habitats, assessing the species richness throughout the region and determine optimal locations for biological corridors