Ecología y conservación del jaguar (panthera onca) y puma (puma concolor) en la región de calakmul y sus implicaciones para la conservación de la península yucatán

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Abstract The Yucatan Peninsula maintains the largest extension of tropical forest in Mexico, and the main populations of puma and jaguar in Mexico, these tropical forests facing threats for their long term maintenance. Although the Peninsula has an important jaguar and puma population, there is no updated information about its current situation The aim in this work is to develop a general diagnostic of the situation of the jaguar and of the puma and his priorities of conservation in this region, identifying some of the factors that can be taking part the coexistence of both species to different spatial scales. We took like model to the jaguar and when it was possible analyzed his relation with the puma. As a first approximation, models which were the types of habitat that were selected the jaguars to level Peninsula (selection of resources of 1st order) and which were the places where exists a main potential of conflicts with the human activities, measured with the presence of depredation livestock. By another part, focused us to evaluate the selection of resources of 2nd and 3er order, by part of the jaguars, from the spatial approach (Regional and individual) along 8 years to evaluate which were the key habitats that are used by the jaguars to seasonal and annual level. By another part, interest us know which are the preys in the food habits of the jaguars and pumas, if it exists a selection by any by part of both species. And as the jaguars and pumas use the habitat and select his preys for his coexistence. In addition to determining which are the main threats for the jaguar in the Yucatan Peninsula? Which is the degree of protection of the potential habitat of the jaguar and which are the priority areas for the jaguar conservation in the Yucatan Peninsula? The work base therefore studies carried out in Peninsula of Yucatan (occurrence data), the Reservation of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and in the Ejido Caoba, situated in the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo, in the south of the peninsula, near of the border with Guatemala. Between the variables used the vegetation showed to be the variable than better explains the potential distribution of the jaguar. Instead, the model of human-jaguar conflicts show that the main depredation cases its present around the settlements human, in landscape dominated by human activities. The model potential distribution of the areas of human-jaguar conflict offers a big opportunity to the biologists of the conservation and decisions-makers to can design regional strategies to mitigate the conflict with the predatory with base in the spatial distribution potential of the attacks. The area of activity calculated by means of the kernel fixed estimator for seven females was of 204 ± 203.92 km², and for three males was of 558 ± 132 km². The areas of activity do not differ significantly between the season of dry and the one of rains for each sex. The density estimated was of one jaguar adult female/84 km², which suggests that in the part forest of the ejido live almost 4 females and very probably in all the six adult females. There is that take in account that the ejido finds surrounded of other forested ejidos which are used by jaguars. The compositional analysis and the analysis of selection of habitat of second and third order suggest that the jaguars use with main frequency the Medium and highest forest (MHF) followed of the low forest. These results can help to formulate a strategy of the needs of conservation of the jaguar in the region. The jaguar density varied of 3.3 to 6.6 individuals by 100 km² and for the puma of 1 to 3 individuals by 100 km². The populations sizes of jaguar and puma in the region of Calakmul is of roughly 900 and 400 animals, respectively. Our estimate for all the peninsula is of no more of 2 000 jaguars and 1 000 pumas. Jaguars and pumas generally feed on similar species of mammals, the eight main prey items being shared by the two. However, there are substantial differences in the size and proportion of biomass of each species consumed, the jaguars feeding more on Tayassu pecari and Dasypus and less on Cuniculus than pumas in the three habitats studied. Pumas and jaguars are sensitive to plant community and prey availability, using habitats in different proportions. We found a correlation between the home ranges of jaguars and the availability of peccaries and coatis. Jaguars and pumas may reduce niche overlap by differential use of prey and habitat. The evaluation of the effect of subsistence hunting on the jaguar population of Calakmul showed an overlap with puma and jaguar prey, thus estimating severe negative effects. There is still time to maintain the most of the remnant forest in the Yucatan Peninsula, which requires concrete conservation actions, at all societal levels from local inhabitants to governments. The role of scientists is to provide the scientific basis to achieve it.