Title
New mammalian records in the Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape, northwestern Peru
Date Issued
2015
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Publisher(s)
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Abstract
The Pacific Tropical Rainforest and Equatorial Dry Forest are found only in southern Ecuador and northern Peru, and are among the most poorly known ecosystems of South America. Even though these forests are protected in Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape (PNCA), they are threatened by fragmentation because of farming and agriculture. The aim of this study was to determine the medium and large mammalian species richness, using transect census, camera trapping, and specimen bone collection. Nine transects were established and 21 camera trap stations were placed along 16 km2 in three localities of PNCA, from August 2012 to April 2013. Total sampling effort was 215 km of transects and 4077 camera-days. We documented 22 species; including 17 with camera trapping, 11 with transect census, and 10 with specimen collection. Camera traps were the most effective method, and four species (Dasyprocta punctata, Cuniculus paca, Leopardus wiedii and Puma concolor) were documented only with this method. This comprised the first Peruvian record for Dasyprocta punctata, and the first record for the western slope of the Peruvian Andes for Cuniculus paca. Also, both specimen collections and sightings confirm the presence of Potos flavus, first record in the western slope of the Peruvian Andes. Panthera onca, Tremarctos ornatus and Saimiri sciureus are considered locally extinct, while several species are in need of further research. We highlight the importance of the high diversity of this rainforests and encourage local authorities to give the area the highest priority in conservation.
Start page
77
End page
86
Volume
22
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Forestal Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento Ciencia animal, Ciencia de productos lácteos
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84928532063
Source
Revista Peruana de Biologia
ISSN of the container
15610837
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus