One step ahead to predict potential poaching hotspots: Modeling occupancy and detectability of poachers in a neotropical rainforest

Ferreguetti, Átilla Colombo; Pereira‐Ribeiro, Juliane; Prevedello, Jayme Augusto; Tomás, Walfrido Moraes; Rocha, Carlos Frederico Duarte; Bergallo, Helena Godoy

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.09.009

Cited by 30 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…This positive effect of frequency of game species in poachers' occupancy, suggests that the distribution of poaching is higher in areas of greatest abundance of game species. As noted by Ferreguetti et al (2018) , poachers prefer areas where they know that some preferred mammal species are found more often, thereby increasing the cost-effectiveness of poaching expeditions. This also reflects the influence of habitat type, as more preserved environments harbor high mammal diversity and abundance, including endangered species ( Barboza et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These findings may be related to the proximity to the headquarters of these farms. In southeastern Brazil, poaching intensity is related to proximity to human settlements, which favors access to natural habitats ( Ferreguetti et al, 2018 ). During our fieldwork, we obtained various evidence of poaching in all areas visited, most often being observed on the Gameleira do Nosinho and Gameleira do Bento farms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these farms we observed wild animal carcasses, hunting dogs, firearm sounds and the presence of the poachers themselves, who usually gather in these places on weekends, from where they depart for poaching in the native vegetation. It is notable that both game species abundance and accessibility are attractive to poachers, which increases poaching pressure on wild species ( Wilkie et al, 2000 ; Ferreguetti et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the latter case, the day on which the last record was obtained was considered to be the last day on which the camera was operational for the calculation of sampling effort. We classified as poachers all photographed individuals carrying a gun and/or some slaughtered animals (see Ferreguetti et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…29 Federal Law 9605/98), unfortunately poaching in Brazil occurs intensely, even in protected areas ( Sousa and Srbek-Araujo, 2017 ). This is partly because these protected areas are insufficiently managed due to the lack of human, financial and infrastructure resources to monitor and combat poaching ( Peres and Lake, 2003 ; Ferreguetti et al, 2018 ). In addition, a quantitative metric is lacking to effectively assess the impact of poaching across the Neotropical region ( Ferreguetti et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using an occupancy approach to identify poaching hotspots in protected areas in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Dias

Ferreguetti

Rodrigues

2020

Biological Conservation

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Poaching activity has been described in the literature as harmful due to impacts on biodiversity, especially in protected areas. Although the main reason for this activity is subsistence, in many regions motivation goes beyond the limits of food necessity. We applied single-species, single season occupancy models to evaluate the spatial distribution of poachers and identify potential poaching hotspots in a mosaic of protected areas in the Caatinga domain, northeastern Brazil. We used camera-traps over a period of 200 days at 60 sites randomly selected. We used distances from human settlements, roads and the nearest water holes, frequency of game species and sampling effort as covariables that could influence poachers' occupancy and detectability and to identify potential poaching areas. Occupancy poachers were higher in sites with higher frequency of game species. Frequency of game species and distance from roads had a negative effect on the detectability of poachers. Spatial analysis indicated three critical poaching areas within and around the Boqueirão da Onça National Park, associated with roads and some isolated cattle and goat farms. In this study, we provided an assessment of poaching spatial patterns in relation to different landscape elements and biotic influences, indicating critical areas where enforcement efforts should be focused. Hotspots are clearly concentrated within and on the edge of National Park. The approach presented here to identify poaching hotspots is effective and economical, and therefore may be applied in other protected and non-protected areas throughout the world.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using an occupancy approach to identify poaching hotspots in protected areas in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Dias

Ferreguetti

Rodrigues

2020

Biological Conservation

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Detectability and impact of repetitive surveys on threatened West African crocodylians

Ahizi

Kouman

Ouattara

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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West African crocodylians are among the most threatened and least studied crocodylian species globally. Assessing population status and establishing a basis for population monitoring is the highest priority action for this region. Monitoring of crocodiles is influenced by many factors that affect detectability, including environmental variables and individual‐ or population‐level wariness. We investigated how these factors affect detectability and counts of the critically endangered Mecistops cataphractus and the newly recognized Crocodylus suchus. We implemented 195 repetitive surveys at 38 sites across Côte d’Ivoire between 2014 and 2019. We used an occupancy‐based approach and a count‐based GLMM analysis to determine the effect of environmental and anthropogenic variables on detection and modeled crocodile wariness over repetitive surveys. Despite their rarity and level of threat, detection probability of both species was relatively high (0.75 for M. cataphractus and 0.81 for C. suchus), but a minimum of two surveys were required to infer absence of either species with 90% confidence. We found that detection of M. cataphractus was significantly negatively influenced by fishing net encounter rate, while high temperature for the previous 48 h of the day of the survey increased C. suchus detection. Precipitation and aquatic vegetation had significant negative and positive influence, respectively, on M. cataphractus counts and showed the opposite effect for C. suchus counts. We also found that fishing encounter rate had a significant negative effect on C. suchus counts. Interestingly, survey repetition did not generally affect wariness for either species, though there was some indication that at least M. cataphractus was more wary by the fourth replicate. These results are informative for designing future survey and monitoring protocols for these threatened crocodylians in West Africa and for other endangered crocodylians globally.

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Integrating Researchers for Understanding Biodiversity in Atlantic Forest

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Cronemberger

Hipólito

et al. 2021

The Atlantic Forest

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One step ahead to predict potential poaching hotspots: Modeling occupancy and detectability of poachers in a neotropical rainforest

Cited by 30 publications

References 44 publications

Using an occupancy approach to identify poaching hotspots in protected areas in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Using an occupancy approach to identify poaching hotspots in protected areas in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Detectability and impact of repetitive surveys on threatened West African crocodylians

Integrating Researchers for Understanding Biodiversity in Atlantic Forest

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