Much of the world’s rural lands are a mosaic of native ecosystem fragments interspersed among converted land for agriculture, and it remains unclear if and how these human-made heterogeneous landscapes affect movement of naturally mobile species. White-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) are highly mobile, herd-forming ungulates, native to Neotropical forests. Because of their preference for forest and high mobility, we expect that as forests are reduced and fragmented, they will continue to use forest habitats and increase their displacement and overall ranges. Between 2013 and 2019, we GPS-tracked eight peccary herds in agricultural landscapes of Central Brazil to evaluate how their preference for forest, displacement, and ranges were affected by a decrease in quantity and connectivity of native forests. We classified pre-existing vegetation maps into native forest and matrix, and quantified levels of forest connectivity. We used compositional analysis to evaluate peccary selection for forest presence and connectivity. In addition, we tested if there were significant differences in monthly ranges (Minimum Convex Polygon) and monthly distances traveled between areas with more than 60% and less than 40% forest cover. Finally, we quantified monthly availability of fruiting trees (transect sampling) and correlated that variable with herds’ monthly ranges and monthly distances traveled.
Results/Conclusions
White-lipped peccary herds were highly selective for native forest (Λ=0.02; df=1, p=0.007) even in areas with low forest cover (<40%). Additionally, herds also selected for more connected forests (Λ=0.52; df=1, p=0.047). Monthly ranges were larger and distances traveled longer in areas with less than 40% of forest (ranges: F=14.68, df=1,13, p=0.002; distances: F=6.05, df=2,81, p=0.004). Monthly ranges and distances traveled also positively correlated with number of fruiting tree species (ranges: F=4.77, df=1,61, p=0.003; distances: F=5.65, df=1,82, p=0.02). Peccaries’ preference for native forest may explain the increase in distances traveled and ranges as the amount of forest decreases; and their preference for well-connected forests suggests they continue to travel through forest and avoid crossing the matrix. Increased traveled distance and ranges with greater diversity of fruiting tree species suggests peccaries may seek more dispersed food when food diversity is already high. Our results support the hypothesis that this mobile ungulate continues to select for forest in agricultural lands and is able to travel longer distances and increase their ranges where there is less forest to fulfill their preference. Nevertheless, it travels through well-connected forest, and increased forest fragmentation may have detrimental effects to the persistence of the species in the future.