IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Acosta-Jamett, G.; Simonetti, J.A. | |
| Conservation of _Oncifelis guigna_ in Fragmented Forests of Central Chile | |
| 2007 Conference Proceeding | |
In central Chile, most of native forest has been replaced by plantations. This transformation may affect the habitat availability and conservation of specialist wild carnivores as _Oncifelis guigna_, the smallest wild cat in America. For assessing the impact of forest fragmentation on this species its habitat use and selection was studied. The study was undertaken in two coastal areas in central Chile from 1999-2004. Habitat use and selection were determined by scent-stations (SS). In each station the structure and composition of the vegetation was characterized, and distance to native forest, creeks and closer road, measured. _O. guigna_ preferred dense scrub habitats, far of roads and near to big forest patches as protected areas. When their presence was detected in pine plantations, its abundance was lesser than in forest and dependent of the closeness to native forest and to the age of the plantation, preferring older plantations with native forest regeneration in the understory (<1.5 m). Because of the high importance of fragments of native forest immersed in pine plantations, it is proposed their maintenance for the conservation of _O. guigna_ and a rational harvesting of pine plantation in _O. guigna_ corridors. |
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