Prey availability and temporal partitioning modulate felid coexistence in Neotropical forests

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Wildlife Conservation
• Mammalogy

Background:

• Carnivores serve as crucial models for understanding species coexistence and community regulation through interspecific interactions like competition and predation.
• Neotropical forests host diverse felid guilds, making them ideal for studying spatial and temporal partitioning among ecologically similar species.
• Understanding these dynamics is vital for effective conservation strategies in biodiversity hotspots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spatiotemporal organization of a guild of five sympatric cat species in Neotropical forests.
• To determine the primary drivers of habitat use and activity patterns, differentiating between habitat characteristics and interspecific interactions.
• To analyze temporal partitioning and activity shifts in response to potential competition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from an intensive camera-trapping monitoring program across eight Neotropical forest sites.
• Developed multi-stage occupancy models for the three largest cat species, incorporating habitat variables (prey availability, landscape complexity) and competitor species' occupancy.
• Analyzed temporal activity patterns, overlap, and activity levels for all five felid species (jaguar, puma, ocelot, jaguarundi, margay).

Main Results:

• Prey availability was the strongest predictor of habitat use for the largest cat species, overshadowing habitat structure and species interactions.
• No significant negative associations were found between jaguar and puma/ocelot occupancy, or between puma and ocelot occupancy.
• Moderate temporal overlap was observed among jaguar, puma, and ocelot, with distinct activity peaks. Higher temporal partitioning was noted between jaguarundi and ocelot/margay. Puma activity patterns appeared influenced by jaguar presence.

Conclusions:

• Prey abundance is a more significant factor than direct species interactions in shaping the spatial distribution and occurrence of Neotropical felids.
• Apparent spatial and temporal partitioning exists among most species pairs, contributing to their coexistence.
• While some temporal adjustments in activity were observed (e.g., pumas), these were not strongly linked to competition or intraguild predation risk.