@article {15, title = {Assessing species traits and landscape relationships of the mammalian carnivore community in a neotropical biological corridor}, journal = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, volume = {25}, year = {2016}, month = {Jan-04-2016}, pages = {739 - 752}, abstract = {

Mammalian carnivores play an important role in regulating food webs and ecosystems. While many carnivore populations are facing various threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and illegal trade, others have adapted to human-dominated landscapes. Information about Neotropical carnivore communities in particular is limited, especially in disturbed landscapes. We conducted a camera trap survey at 38 sites across the San Juan\–La Selva Biological Corridor in Costa Rica to assess occupancy and detection probabilities of the carnivore community. We developed hypotheses within a likelihood-based framework in order to determine the landscape features and species traits (diet and size) that influenced their occupancy. We detected nine of the 13 native carnivores predicted to occur in the corridor. When modeled separately, each species responded to land cover changes differently, suggesting no strong community-wide predictors of occupancy. We then modeled three separate guilds within the carnivore community: omnivorous mesopredators, obligate carnivorous mesopredators, and apex predators. These community guild models revealed a negative relationship between omnivorous mesopredators and increasing forest and tree plantation cover, suggesting omnivores utilize forest fragments and edge habitats in agricultural landscapes. Obligate carnivorous mesopredator models did not reveal any strong habitat relationships, but landscape effects tended to contradict our a priori predictions. Apex predators were positively associated with increasing forest and tree plantation cover, protected areas, and increasing distances to villages. Alarmingly, apex predators and obligate carnivorous mesopredators were generally rare within the biological corridor. A lack of top-down control alone might result in heightened occupancy for all mesopredators, but because the community is dominated by omnivorous species, bottom-up release from human-induced land cover changes and resource provision may better explain their high occupancy.

}, keywords = {Biological corridor, camera traps, Carnivores, Mesopredators, Occupancy models, Omnivores}, issn = {0960-3115}, doi = {10.1007/s10531-016-1089-7}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10531-016-1089-7}, author = {Pardo Vargas, Lain E. and Cove, Michael V. and Spinola, R. Manuel and de la Cruz, Juan Camilo and Sa{\'e}nz, Joel C.} } @article {14, title = {Factors influencing the occurrence of the Endangered Baird{\textquoteright}s tapir Tapirus bairdii : potential flagship species for a Costa Rican biological corridor}, journal = {Oryx}, volume = {48}, year = {2014}, month = {Jan-07-2014}, pages = {402 - 409}, abstract = {

Baird\’s tapir Tapirus bairdii is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is considered rare and locally extirpated from most of its historic range in Costa Rica. We conducted camera-trap and track surveys at 38 forested sites in and around the San Juan\–La Selva Biological Corridor in the Northern Zone of Costa Rica. Cameras were set along established game trails and natural funnels and operated for 14\–38 days per site. Additionally, we documented tapir tracks at many sites. We used survey photographs and track presence to create detection histories to estimate the habitat and survey-specific variables that influence the probability of detection and the probability of occurrence of Baird\’s tapir. The two major protected areas within and adjacent to the corridor were most positively associated with tapir occurrence, and forest cover and native and exotic tree plantations were also positively associated with tapirs\’ use of sites. Although the Baird\’s tapir is rare, our findings suggest that it is more resilient and better able to use available habitat in the fragmented corridor than previously thought. This is most likely a consequence of increased forest cover from reforestation and tree plantations and limited hunting pressure. Given its charismatic nature we recommend that Baird\’s tapir could be used as a flagship species for the San Juan\–La Selva Biological Corridor, to raise local awareness about conservation and increase economic growth from ecotourism.

}, issn = {0030-6053}, doi = {10.1017/S0030605313000070}, url = {http://www.journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0030605313000070https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0030605313000070}, author = {Cove, Michael V. and Pardo Vargas, Lain E. and de la Cruz, Juan Camilo and Spinola, R. Manuel and Jackson, Victoria L. and Sa{\'e}nz, Joel C. and Chassot, Olivier} }