Landscape Structure of Woody Cover Patches for Endangered Ocelots in Southern Texas

Lombardi, Jason V.; Perotto‐Baldivieso, Humberto L.; Sergeyev, Maksim; Veals, Amanda M.; Schofield, Landon R.; Young, John H.; Tewes, Michael E.

doi:10.3390/rs13194001

Cited by 16 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…This has important implications for the future of ocelot conservation in South Texas. Increased road density and expanding lanes to accommodate growing human populations in the valley could affect the availability of quality habitat for ocelots (Lombardi et al, 2021; Lombardi, Perotto‐Baldivieso, & Tewes, 2020). Of the area predicted as high‐quality ocelot habitat over time, ≥79% occurred on private ranchlands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

et al. 2022

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Evaluating temporal trends in habitat and behavioral responses is critical for conservation, yet long‐term monitoring studies are rare. We used a 35‐year dataset (1982–2017) to assess multiscale habitat use and selection by an endangered carnivore, the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), in South Texas, USA. We used a time series of remotely sensed imagery to map changes in availability of woody cover, habitat critical to ocelots that has diminished due to anthropogenic development and increased road infrastructure. Our objectives were to characterize habitat relationships, predict high‐quality habitat, and assess behavior with changing environmental conditions. We fit functional response (third order) and individual‐specific resource selection (second order) functions to assess multiscale habitat use of vegetation cover and roads. Within home ranges, ocelots used woody cover greater than availability. Ocelots used areas near roads in proportion to availability, with minor exceptions. We observed changes in habitat use by ocelots across time with higher proportions of woody and non‐woody cover used in later time periods. Average availability of woody cover decreased in the study area between the 1980s and 2010s (0.44 in 1985 to 0.39 in 2015, p < 0.001), and ocelots used areas with a higher proportion of woody cover (≥0.48) farther from high‐traffic roads compared to availability. High‐quality ocelot habitat was consistently predicted in areas with high proportions of woody cover, while areas closer to high‐traffic roads were consistently predicted as non‐habitat. The extent of predicted habitat never exceeded 47% (1515 km2) of the study area, illustrating the confined nature of ocelot habitat. Our assessment of multiscale habitat use demonstrated that higher order selection processes likely truncate resource gradients within home ranges. Ocelots did not avoid roads as expected within home ranges, which is a likely mechanism for vehicle‐induced mortality. Private lands contained ≥79% of predicted high‐quality habitat over time. Therefore, the future of ocelots in the United States relies on private land stewardship. Insights gained from these analyses can advance habitat conservation and mitigation of road mortality for ocelot populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

et al. 2022

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“…The last confirmed specimen was obtained on state highway 4 east of Brownsville in 1986, which was only about 8–10 km north of two protected study areas along the Rio Grande we surveyed in 2003 (Haines et al, 2006 ). Long‐term felid live‐trapping from 1982 to 2021 in Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo, and Kenedy counties also did not result in a jaguarundi capture (Fischer, 1998 ; Lombardi et al, 2021 ; Tewes, 2019 ). Furthermore, in the last 35 years, there have been no reported jaguarundi road mortalities (Texas Department of Transportation, unpub.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Status and distribution of jaguarundi in Texas and Northeastern México: Making the case for extirpation and initiation of recovery in the United States

Lombardi

Haines

Watts

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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The jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) is a small felid with a historical range from central Argentina through southern Texas. Information on the current distribution of this reclusive species is needed to inform recovery strategies in the United States where its last record was in 1986 in Texas. From 2003 to 2021, we conducted camera‐trap surveys across southern Texas and northern Tamaulipas, México to survey for medium‐sized wild cats (i.e., ocelots [Leopardus pardalis], bobcats [Lynx rufus], and jaguarundi). After 350,366 trap nights at 685 camera sites, we did not detect jaguarundis at 16 properties or along 2 highways (1050 km2) in Texas. However, we recorded 126 jaguarundi photographic detections in 15,784 trap nights on 2 properties (125.3 km2) in the northern Sierra of Tamaulipas, Tamaulipas, México. On these properties, latency to detection was 72 trap nights, with a 0.05 probability of detection per day and 0.73 photographic event rate every 100 trap nights. Due to a lack of confirmed class I sightings (e.g., specimen, photograph) in the 18 years of this study, and no other class I observations since 1986 in the United States, we conclude that the jaguarundi is likely extirpated from the United States. Based on survey effort and results from México, we would have expected to detect jaguarundis over the course of the study if still extant in Texas. We recommend that state and federal agencies consider jaguarundis as extirpated from the United States and initiate recovery actions as mandated in the federal jaguarundi recovery plan. These recovery actions include identification of suitable habitat in Texas, identification of robust populations in México, and re‐introduction of the jaguarundi to Texas.

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“…In South America, ocelots are listed as Vulnerable in Brasil, Colombia, and Argentina, and in North America, they are listed as Endangered in Mexico and the United States (Hunter, 2015; International Union for the Conservation of Nature 2022). Ocelots occur in heterogenous forested landscapes and often select for areas of mixed and dense forest and vegetation (Hunter, 2015;Wang et al, 2019;Lombardi et al, 2021;Lombardi et al, 2022;Veals et al, 2022). Further, their niche space has been debated with some referring to them as generalists (Paolino et al, 2018, Moreno-Sosa et al, 2022 and others as specialists (Shindle and Tewes, 1998;Haines et al, 2006a;Horne et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the mid-1980s, it was estimated that fewer than 120 ocelots remained in Texas, but no formal population size estimates were made at the time. Over the last 40 years, subjective estimates of population size have fluctuated from 80 to 120, less than 100, and more recently less than 80 (Tewes, 1986;Haines et al, 2006b; U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2016;Lombardi et al, 2021;Veals et al, 2022). Today, ocelots exist in two isolated breeding populations in coastal southern Texas with no known genetic exchange between the two populations (Janecka et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial capture-recapture and LiDAR-derived vegetation metrics reveal high densities of ocelots on Texas ranchlands

Lombardi¹,

Sergeyev²,

Tewes³

et al. 2022

Front. Conserv. Sci.

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Reliable estimates of population density and size are crucial to wildlife conservation, particularly in the context of the Endangered Species Act. In the United States, ocelots (Leopardus pardalis pardalis) were listed as endangered in 1982, and to date, only one population density estimate has been reported in Texas. In this study, we integrated vegetation metrics derived from LiDAR and spatial capture-recapture models to discern factors of ocelot encounter rates and estimated localized population estimates on private ranchlands in coastal southern Texas. From September 2020 to May 2021, we conducted a camera trap study across 42 camera stations on the East Foundation’s El Sauz Ranch, which was positioned within a larger region of highly suitable woody and herbaceous cover for ocelots. We observed a high density of ocelots (17.6 ocelots/100 km2) and a population size of 36.3 ocelots (95% CI: 26.1–58.6) with the 206.25 km2 state space area of habitat. The encounter probability of ocelots increased with greater canopy cover at 1-2 m height and decreasing proximity to woody cover. These results suggest that the incorporation of LiDAR-derived vegetative canopy metrics allowed us to understand where ocelots are likely to be detected, which may aid in current and future population monitoring efforts. These population estimates reflect the first spatially explicit and most recent estimates in a portion of the northernmost population of ocelots in southern Texas. This study further demonstrates the importance of private working lands for the recovery of ocelots in Texas.

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Landscape Structure of Woody Cover Patches for Endangered Ocelots in Southern Texas

Cited by 16 publications

References 57 publications

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

Multiscale habitat relationships of a habitat specialist over time: The case of ocelots in Texas from 1982 to 2017

Status and distribution of jaguarundi in Texas and Northeastern México: Making the case for extirpation and initiation of recovery in the United States

Spatial capture-recapture and LiDAR-derived vegetation metrics reveal high densities of ocelots on Texas ranchlands

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