Evaluating Landscape Connectivity for Puma concolor and Panthera onca Among Atlantic Forest Protected Areas

Abstract

Strictly Protected Areas and riparian forests in Brazil are rarely large enough or connected enough to maintain viable populations of carnivores and animal movement over time, but these characteristics are fundamental for species conservation as they prevent the extinction of isolated animal populations. Therefore, the need to maintain connectivity for these species in human-dominated Atlantic landscapes is critical. In this study, we evaluated the landscape connectivity for large carnivores (cougar and jaguar) among the Strictly Protected Areas in the Atlantic Forest, evaluated the efficiency of the Mosaics of Protected Areas linked to land uses in promoting landscape connectivity, identified the critical habitat connections, and predicted the landscape connectivity status under the implementation of legislation for protecting riparian forests. The method was based on expert opinion translated into land use and land cover maps. The results show that the Protected Areas are still connected by a narrow band of landscape that is permeable to both species and that the Mosaics of Protected Areas increase the amount of protected area but fail to increase the connectivity between the forested mountain ranges (Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira). Riparian forests greatly increase connectivity, more than tripling the cougars' priority areas. We note that the selection of Brazilian protected areas still fails to create connectivity among the legally protected forest remnants. We recommend the immediate protection of the priority areas identified that would increase the structural landscape connectivity for these large carnivores, especially paths in the SE/NW direction between the two mountain ranges.

Identifying key sites for connecting jaguar populations in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…More studies are needed to better understand the potential of different matrix covers for jaguar movement. The limited data on matrix permeability to jaguar movements, makes the studies that attempt to incorporate matrix heterogeneity to be based only on jaguar experts opinion (Rabinowitz & Zeller, ; Bernal‐Escobar, Payan & Cordovez, ; Castilho et al ., ).…”

“…Beier, Majka & Newell, ; Rabinowitz & Zeller, ), circuit theory (e.g. Castilho et al ., ; Pitman et al ., ) and resistant kernel modeling (e.g. Cushman & Landguth, ; Krishnamurthy et al ., ).…”

“…Jaguars are good models to evaluate landscape functional connectivity because: (1) habitat fragmentation is a major threat to jaguars (Zanin, Palomares & Brito, ); (2) the most of the Atlantic Forest protected areas are not large enough to ensure, by themselves, the long‐term jaguar persistence (Sollmann et al ., ); and (3) as surrogates, improvements in landscape configuration that benefit jaguars, might also provide benefit for other wildlife. Even though landscape connectivity and potential corridors were already estimated for jaguars in the Atlantic Forest (Silveira et al ., ; Castilho et al ., ), to the best of our knowledge, no analysis evaluated the individual importance of Atlantic Forest fragments (protected and unprotected) to the habitat availability and connectivity for this species.…”

Circuit‐theory applications to connectivity science and conservation

“…Given its utility for predicting high‐use animal movement routes, researchers have applied circuit theory to evaluate alternatives for establishment of protected areas to enhance connectivity among populations (e.g., pumas [ Puma concolor ] in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil [Castilho et al. ], forest understory birds in Costa Rica [Fagan et al. ], and giant pandas [ Ailuropoda melanoleuca ] in China's Qinling Mountains [Wang et al.…”

Modeling the effects of deforestation on the connectivity of jaguar Panthera onca populations at the southern extent of the species’ range

“…We employed a hybrid approach that combined least-cost modeling and circuit analysis, which has previously been applied to connectivity modeling for multiple species, including large carnivores (Castilho et al 2015, Dutta et al 2016, WHCWG 2010. We utilized the movement costs and assumptions from the analysis of Rabinowitz & Zeller (2010) to conduct a least-cost analysis (Adriaensen et al 2003) in order to delineate connectivity corridors among these JCUs at the regional level, incorporating the circuit theorybased analysis to measure effective resistance of linkages and define pinch points (i.e.…”