Relative importance of anthropogenic landscape characteristics for Neotropical frugivores at multiple scales

Frugivores, crucial to Neotropical forest ecosystems, face significant threats from human activities. This study reveals that anthropogenic landscape characteristics—such as human accessibility, proximity to reserves, and forest cover—are the primary determinants of occupancy for frugivorous species like the paca (Cuniculus paca), brocket deer (Mazama sp.), and collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) in the Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves. Environmental and geomorphometric variables played a weaker role, while weather, season, and habitat factors influenced detection probability. The research employed camera traps and call surveys across 45 sites over a year, analyzing landscape metrics at three spatial scales (200, 500, and 1000 meters) using multi-season occupancy modeling. Findings underscore the need for a multi-taxa and multi-scale approach to conservation planning, as different frugivore species respond variably to landscape attributes depending on their perceptual scale.

Nagy‐Reis, M. B., Estevo, C. A., Setz, E. Z. F., Ribeiro, M. C., Chiarello, A. G., & Nichols, J. D. (2017). Relative importance of anthropogenic landscape characteristics for Neotropical frugivores at multiple scales. Animal Conservation, 20(6), 520–531. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12346