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Ferreira, M.K.
Effect of patch size and landscape heterogeneity on the diet of Puma yagouaroundi_ _
2017  Full Book

Felines depend on abundant food resources to survive, and the understanding of their diet can contribute to the establishment of landscape management strategies for biodiversity maintenance. This study aimed to determine whether landscape structure influences on feeding habits of _Puma yagouaroundi_. It was utilized samples of feces collected in fragments at Metropolitan Region of Campinas, SÆo Paulo. The study area comprised landscapes around eight fragments of semi deciduous forest, with different spatial contexts. The variable responses were: percentage of feces with determined feeding item and frequency of feeding items. The initial explanatory variables were the fragment size and the landscape heterogeneity. However, then we added and analysed the absolute size and the mean size of the fragment, the number of patches and the landscape uniformity. The analysis was performed through model selection with multiple competing hypothesis, and Akaike Information Criterion Corrected (AICc) was used to select the best model. Fourteen food items were found, distributed in 393 occurrences. The frequency of occurrence was higher to mammals, followed by birds, insects and reptiles. The food items were varied, indicating a generalist diet in the study area. The variation of the amount of food items was low and it was independent on fragment size. Further studies are necessary for a better comprehension of landscape use and diet of wild cats and to contribute to the development of better action plans for biodiversity maintenance.

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