IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Ceballos, G.; Zarza, H.; Chavez, C.; Gonzalez-Maya, J.F. | |
| Ecology and conservation of jaguars in Mexico: state of knowledge and future challenges | |
| 2016 Book Chapter | |
Globally, habitat loss and fragmentation are two of the most severe threats to biodiversity. They have caused the extirpation of many populations and species at the local, national, and global levels. Habitat degradation has a significant impact on large carnivores because of the extensive areas they need to forage. Correspondingly, the loss of large carnivores has profound implications for the structure and function of the ecosystems they inhabit because of the diminished effect of top- down control they impose on herbivore populations and the maintenance of biodiversity in general. Among large carnivores, jaguars (_Panthera onca_) are the top predators of most tropical and subtropical ecosystems in the New World. As with other large carnivores, jaguars historically have suffered from habitat loss, hunting, and conflict arising from their predation of domestic animals. Basic ecological data, such as abundance, distribution, and habitat use are necessary for adequate conservation planning in general, and to address the threats to jaguars for ensuring their long- term persistence. Nevertheless, despite substantial research efforts, many aspects of jaguar ecology and conservation remain unknown. There is a considerable history of research on mammals, including jaguars in Mexico, the northernmost limit of the species distribution. So research on jaguars has evolved from basic ecological and distribution studies to more elaborate and complete ecological studies that led to the National Jaguar Census, and subsequently, the National Jaguar Conservation Strategy (NJCS). A summary is presented herein of what is known about jaguar ecology and behavior, such as distribution and movement patterns, current activities geared toward their conservation and the challenges to ensure their persistence over the long term in Mexico. |
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