In comparison with the Neotropical big cats, jaguar (Panthera onca L.) and puma (Felis concolor L.), medium and small felids are poorly studied. Furthermore, studying wild felids in forest habitats is extremely difficult using direct methods given that most species are principally nocturnal and secretive (Gittleman 1996). Indirect methods are therefore particularly important, e.g. radio-telemetry (Emmons 1987, 1988; Konecny 1989, Ludlow & Sunquist 1987) or camera trapping (Maffei et al. 2002, Trolle & Kéry 2003). Using systematic camera trap surveys, we compare the population density of ocelots (Felis pardalis L.) across five Bolivian dry-forest sites with different habitat types and/or annual rainfall regimes (Table 1). We hypothesize that ocelot densities will decline as rainfall declines. In addition, we estimate the population of ocelots in the 34 400-km2 Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park. Finally, we describe and evaluate additional ecological information provided by camera trapping: activity patterns relative to seasonality and moon phase, sex ratios, ranging patterns and relative abundance compared with sympatric felids.

A long-term study was carried out on a black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) population living in 150 ha of forest patches spread out in a 3,000 ha rural area in Northern Argentina. A total of 22 different groups were located between 1980 and 1984 and 11 of these were monitored regularly during 28 months.Ecological density varied between 12.14 and 12.93 groups per sq km of tall dense forest (0.80 to 1.15 ind.iha; biomass 306 to 365 kgisq km). Solitaries and small associations of adult or subadult individuals of both sexes were also recorded but occupied habitats of inferior quality. Mean sizes of reproductive groups varied from 6.4 to 8.4 and the range was 3 to 15 individuals. Reproductive groups had 1 to 3 adult males, 1 to 3 adult females, and several immatures. Sex ratio was biased toward females among the adults but it varied in other age classes. Births occurred throughout the year showing a peak in the colder and drier season. Subadult or young adult males and females dispersed from suspected natal groups and became solitaries or joined associations. Males invaded groups and displaced or coexisted with resident males. Infanticides and disappearances of infants were associated with male changes.Comparative censuses on an island not far from the main study area showed higher density and biomass (2.8 ind./ha; 1,117 kg/sq km) and different group sizes and composition. Habitat features as well as the history of each study site may account for the observed demographic differences.

Building bridges between environmental and political agendas is essential nowadays in face of the increasing human pressure on natural environments, including wetlands. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services for humanity and can generate a considerable direct or indirect income to the local communities. To meet many of the sustainable development goals, we need to move our trajectory from the current environmental destructive development to a wiser wetland use. The current article contain a proposed agenda for the Pantanal aiming the improvement of public policy for conservation in the Pantanal, one of the largest, most diverse, and continuous inland wetland in the world. We suggest and discuss a list of 11 essential interfaces between science, policy, and development in region linked to the proposed agenda. We believe that a functional science network can booster the collaborative capability to generate creative ideas and solutions to address the big challenges faced by the Pantanal wetland.

A study of habitat use of two sympatric brocket deer species was conducted by recording dung and tracks along 40 km trails cleared through four vegetation types in the chaco-cerrado border of Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. Deer signs of each species were characterized and discriminated by size and shape and counted for each habitat (transitional chaco forest, chiquitano riverine forest, chiquitano moist piedmont forest and cerrado open woodland) by walking 180-km in the wet season and 90-km in the dry season. The four habitats showed differences in vegetation structure and plant composition (canopy height and cover, horizontal visibility, and fruit resources) as well as frequency of signs for each brocket deer species. Although red brocket signs were less abundant than gray brocket signs, for both species and in every habitat we found consistently more tracks than dung in the wet season, and more dung than tracks in the dry season. Dung and track counts indicated that gray brockets were common and widespread in the four habitats, while reds occurred mostly in piedmont and riverine forest. Daily activity hours recorded by camera trapping showed that red brockets were active mostly from sunset until sunrise (6 pm to 6 am: 87% of 32 events) and gray brockets mostly in the morning (5 am to 10 am: 66% of 87 events). Patterns of habitat use and daily activity suggest that these sympatric deer species segregate in space and time. A comparative study of their diet, plus more behavioral data from sympatric and allopatric situations are needed to better understand the way in which deer may partition resources.

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