Sex-specific population dynamics of ocelots in Belize using open population spatial capture-recapture

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dc.contributor.authorSatter, Christopher B.en
dc.contributor.authorAugustine, Ben C.en
dc.contributor.authorHarmsen, Bart J.en
dc.contributor.authorFoster, Rebecca J.en
dc.contributor.authorKelly, Marcella J.en
dc.contributor.departmentFish and Wildlife Conservationen
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-14T13:11:35Zen
dc.date.available2019-08-14T13:11:35Zen
dc.date.issued2019-07en
dc.description.abstractWe used open population, spatial capture-recapture (SCR) models to estimate sex-specific density, survival, per capita recruitment, and population growth rate of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) at five sites in Belize with up to 12 yr of data per site. Open population SCR models enabled us to separate survival and recruitment from migration using an ecologically realistic, spatially explicit movement model. Yearly survival probability across 4 broadleaf forest sites was estimated at 0.73-0.84 for males and 0.81-0.87 for females, with no clear indication of sex differences. Yearly per capita recruitment was estimated across four broadleaf forest sites at 0.06-0.08 recruits/N for males and 0.09-0.12 recruits/N for females, again with no clear indication of sex differences. At a pine forest site with a population comprised largely of males, survival and recruitment estimates were similar to the broadleaf sites. Population densities in the broadleaf forest sites ranged from 6.5 to 14.7 ocelots/100 km(2), and 0.9-2.5 ocelots/100 km(2) in the pine forest site, with strong evidence of a female-biased sex ratio in the broadleaf sites and a male-biased sex ratio in the pine forest site. We also found strong evidence that female within-year space use at the broadleaf sites was smaller than that of males, and that within-year space use at the pine forest site was larger than that at broadleaf sites. Between-year home-range relocation at broadleaf sites was of a similar spatial scale as within-year space use, consistent with philopatry. We found evidence of a small population decline (posterior probability > 0.9) at two of four broadleaf sites; however, given the level of uncertainty about decline magnitudes, we suggest continued monitoring of these sites to increase site-years and gain further precision on population growth rate estimates. Estimating demographic parameters at large spatial and temporal scales is important for establishing reliable baseline estimates for future comparison and for understanding changes in population dynamics. Long-term data sets like those we collected are of particular importance for long-lived species living at low densities and large spatial scales, where not many individuals are exposed to capture in any one year.en
dc.description.notesWe thank the Belize Forest Department, Program for Belize, Gallon Jug Estate, Yalbac Ranch and Cattle Company, Belize Audubon Society, and Bull Run Farm (G. W. and M. Y. Headley) for permission to conduct this research. We thank the Philadelphia Zoo, Virginia Tech, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Panthera for funding over the years. We thank Richard Chandler for providing an MCMC script, which served as the foundation for the script used in our analyses. We thank Nicodemus Bol, Mauricio Aguilar, Thomas Mc Namara, former graduate students Adam Dillon, Claudia Wultsch, and Miranda Davis, and numerous volunteers and assistants who conducted field and laboratory work, from multiple universities, especially the University of Belize, The Environmental Research Institute, and Virginia Tech.en
dc.description.sponsorshipPhiladelphia Zoo; Virginia Tech; Wildlife Conservation Society; Pantheraen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2792en
dc.identifier.issn2150-8925en
dc.identifier.issue7en
dc.identifier.othere02792en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/93056en
dc.identifier.volume10en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherEcological Society of Americaen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unporteden
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/en
dc.subjectLeopardus pardalisen
dc.subjectlong-term monitoringen
dc.subjectopen populationen
dc.subjectpopulation demographicsen
dc.subjectrecruitmenten
dc.subjectspatial capture-recaptureen
dc.subjectsurvivalen
dc.titleSex-specific population dynamics of ocelots in Belize using open population spatial capture-recaptureen
dc.title.serialEcosphereen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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