A camera trap assessment of terrestrial mammals in Machalilla National Park, western Ecuador

Abstract

Understanding the abundance, geographicdistribution, and conservation status of terrestrial mam­mals is vital to promote effective wildlife management in protected areas. Located in the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena hotspot of western Ecuador, Machalilla National Park contains high levels of biodiversity and endemism but suffers from habitat loss and degradation. This study provides an updated inventory of medium-sized to large mammals in the park and assesses changes in species richness over the past 20 years. Surveying 70% of Machalilla’s 562-km2 terrestrial area with 60 camera trap points, we detected 18 species of mammals belonging to 13 families. Richness of terrestrial species has declined in recent decades, due to the disappearance of keystone species like Jaguar (Panthera onca), White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari), and possibly the Sechuran Fox (Lycalopex sechurae). We recommend specific man­agement improvements to ensure conservation of the unique ecosystems and biodiversity of Machalilla, the only national park in Ecuador containing dry forest.

Large and medium-sized mammals of Buenaventura Reserve, southwestern Ecuador

“…Buenaventura Reserve host at least 20 large and medium-sized mammals which represent 16% of mammals of the Subtropical Western zoogeographical zone (Albuja 2011), and about 50% of the mammals listed by Narváez et al (2012) in Loja and El Oro provinces. A similar study in Machalilla National Park (area: 120 km 2 ), which is located in the western region of Ecuador (Tropical Northwest and Tropical Southwest zones), reported 18 species but the sample effort was 900 trap nights (Cervera et al 2016). In another study in Santa Lucía Community Reserve, in the northwestern Ecuadorian Andes, 13 species of mammals were recorded with 2,700 trap nights (Cueva et al 2010).…”

Trampas cámara como herramienta para estudiar mamíferos silvestres

“…Un reto importante al cual se enfrentan quienes usan estas herramientas es el manejo de archivos y manejo de la información. Por ejemplo, un típico estudio usando veinte trampas cámara, funcionando continuamente durante un mes, e instaladas secuencialmente en tres grupos hasta completar 60 puntos, generaron un poco más de 30,000 fotografías, de las cuales 1,537 imágenes correspondieron a 18 especies de mamíferos silvestres (Cervera et al 2016). Ese mismo diseño repetido durante cinco años, produjo varios cientos de miles de fotografías (Ahumada et al 2013).…”

The Last Coastal Jaguars of Ecuador: Ecology, Conservation and Management Implications

“…some people argued that the jaguars disappeared 20 years ago, while others suggested they still inhabit isolated areas of the park [18].…”

“…The jaguar While Ecuador is one of the top megadiverse countries with one of the highest biodiversity indexes in the planet [23], deforestation and several other anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization and agriculture, illegal poaching and hunting, mining, oil exploitation, and pollution jeopardize the survival of several tropical mammals [24]. Particularly, the jaguars dwelling in the last remnants of tropical forests along Ecuador's coast are threatened due to several human made threats [15,16,18]. Contrasting to the substantial field research invested and dedicated to the subspecies of jaguar from the Amazon basin jungle (P. onca onca), little is known on the population and conservation status of coastal jaguars from Ecuador.…”