Case Study: Roads and Jaguars in the Mayan Forests Eugenia Pallares1, Carlos Manterola2, Dalia A

Chapter 36

Case study: Roads and jaguars in the mayan forests Eugenia Pallares1, Carlos Manterola2, Dalia A. Conde3 and Fernando Colchero4 1Jaguar Conservancy, Mexico City, Mexico 2Grupo Anima Efferus, A.C., Mexico City, Mexico 3Max‐Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging and Institute of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark 4Max‐Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging and Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

Jaguars (Fig. 36.1) are one of the most elusive large The largest jaguar population in the northern hemi- carnivores on earth, and gathering information on sphere also occurs here, and this population is threatened their demography and behaviour is extremely challeng- by the expansion of road networks that have severely ing. Although their geographic range extends from fragmented the habitat of jaguars and many other species northern Mexico to Argentina, it has shrunk to less than (Conde et al. 2007). 54% of its original extent in the last few decades A recent study on the habitat preferences of jaguars (Kinnaird et al. 2002). Jaguars are a key flagship species in the Mayan Forests showed that they occur with in the Americas, being the subject of Paseo Pantera, the higher probability in well‐preserved forest patches than continent‐wide connectivity initiative (Sanderson et al. on secondary growth or agricultural lands and that the 2002; Rabinowitz & Zeller 2010). probability of occurrence for jaguars declined with Studies on jaguars have focused mostly on under- increasing proximity to roads (Conde et al. 2010). Male standing foraging behaviour, dietary preferences and and female jaguars select different habitats and males activity patterns (Rabinowitz 1986; Novack et al. 2005; show a higher tolerance to roads than females. From Weckel et al. 2006), and only a few have attempted to 1980 to 2000, 34% of female and 22% of male habitats understand habitat preferences and the impact of roads were lost, while habitat fragmentation doubled (Conde on their ecology (Ortega‐Huerta & Medley 1999; Conde et al. 2010). Mortality due to wildlife-vehicle collision et al. 2010; Colchero et al. 2011). Recent studies in the (WVC) is higher in males than females. Mayan Forest of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala have shed In a subsequent study, radio‐telemetry and GPS data some light on the impact of roads on this charismatic were used to infer the movement of jaguars in response carnivore. This region supports the major zone of tropi- to vegetation, roads and human population density cal forest in North and Central America and is a key ele- (Colchero et al. 2011). Analysis of jaguar movement ment of the Mesoamerican Hotspot (Myers et al. 2000). patterns identified crossing sites on the Escárcega–Xpujil

Handbook of Road Ecology, First Edition. Edited by Rodney van der Ree, Daniel J. Smith and Clara Grilo. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Companion website: www.wiley.com\go\vanderree\roadecology

313 314 Handbook of road ecology

Figure 36.1 Jaguar in Mexico being sedated and fitted with GPS. Source: Photograph by Carlos Manterola.

Males Females 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.03

ad crossing 0.02 index (RCI) index

Ro 0.01 0

Escárcega- Xpujil road Xpujil Escárcega

020406080100 120140 Kilometers

Figure 36.2 Road‐crossing frequency from simulated female (dark bars) and male (light bars) jaguars along the Escárcega– Xpujil Road segment. Males cross the road along its entire length, but females will only cross around the 75 and 100 km sections of the road. Source: Colchero et al. (2011).

Road through the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, one of areas of high forest density and low density of humans. the most important biological sanctuaries in the Mayan Still, this study identified a 1 km section of the road Forests of Mexico and Guatemala. The movement of (~100 km from Escárcega; Fig. 36.3) where the likeli- male and female jaguars was affected, with females hood of crossing was highest for both sexes and wildlife much more restricted than males by proximity to roads crossing structures should be built to re‐establish con- and even intermediate levels of human population den- nectivity. A comprehensive suite of mitigation measures sity. Consequently, females have considerably fewer suit- were proposed to the Ministries of Communication and able locations to cross the Escárcega–Xpujil Road than Environment in order to mitigate the impact of the males (Fig. 36.2). These crossing locations occurred in existing road on Jaguars. As yet (February 2015), none Case study: Roads and jaguars in the Mayan forests 315

San Conhuás José Xpujil

Jag. crossing

Escárcega Road a calakmul Protected areas

Paved roads 040km Towns

Figure 36.3 Location of proposed crossing structure for jaguar (Jag. crossing) along the Escárcega–Xpujil Road in southeast Mexico (see inset). The crossing site was identified as the location with the highest crossing index for male and female jaguars based on the simulations performed by Colchero et al. (2011). Source: Colchero et al. (2011). have been installed along the 140 km length of road. collecting jaguar data. Funding was provided by the As yet, no mitigation measures have been installed along Conservation International, Conservation Partnership the 140 km length of road. Fund, Mesoamerican Biological Corridor–Mexico, Another negative effect is that roads improve access CONACYT, Conservation Strategy Fund, National Fish to the forest, leading to increased poaching of jaguars and Wildlife Foundation and Safari Club International and hunting by people on prey populations important Foundation. to large carnivores (Wilkie et al. 2000; Chapters 2, 37 and 56). Habitat loss and fragmentation also reduce the abundance and diversity of prey for jaguars, which REFERENCES increases the rate of depredation on cattle by jaguars (Polisar et al. 2003). Male jaguars are responsible for Colchero, F., Conde, D.A., Manterola, C., Chávez, C., Rivera, A. & approximately 70% of cattle predation in the region, Ceballos, G. 2011. Jaguars on the move: modeling movement to mitigate fragmentation from road expansion in the Mayan and this results in greater rates of male mortality by Forest. Animal Conservation 14: 158–166. farmers and communal landowners who attempt to Conde, D.A., Burgués, I., Fleck, L., Manterola, C. & Reid, J. protect their stock (Rabinowitz 1986). 2007. Análisis Ambiental y Económico de Proyectos Consequently, it is imperative that the negative effects Carreteros en la Selva Maya, un Estudio a Escala Regional. of roads on jaguars (e.g. mortality due to WVC, land- San Jose: Conservation Strategy Fund. scape fragmentation and reduction in high‐quality Conde, D.A., Colchero, F., Zarza, H., Christensen, N.L., Jr, habitat) play a key role in the decision‐making process Sexton, J.O., Manterola, C., Chávez, C., Rivera, A., Azuara, when planning and designing road projects. Importantly, D. & Ceballos, G. 2010. Sex matters: modeling male and priority habitat areas for the jaguar should be avoided female habitat differences for jaguar conservation. when building roads, and where unavoidable, sufficient Biological Conservation 143: 1980–1988. Kinnaird, M.F., Sanderson, E.W., O’Brien, T.G., Wibisono, H.T. appropriate mitigation measures are required to main- & Woolmer, G. 2002. Deforestation trends in a tropical tain connectivity and reduce mortality due to WVC. landscape and implications for endangered large mammals. Consideration of road impacts will reduce future con- Conservation Biology 17: 245–257. flicts between jaguars and people. Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca, G.A.B. & Kent, J. 2000. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853–858. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Novack, A., Main, M., Sunquist, M. & Labisky, R. 2005. Foraging ecology of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma We thank the staff of Defensores de la Naturaleza and concolor) in hunted and non‐hunted sites within the Maya Fundación Arcas as well as Antonio Rivera, Heliot Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala. Journal of Zoology 267: Zarza and Francisco Zavala for their invaluable work 167–178. 316 Handbook of road ecology

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