Proyecto de Conservación de Aguas y Tierras - ProCAT Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional, Unidad de Ecología y Sistemática (UNESIS), Depto. Biología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
PLoS One. 2024 Mar 22;19(3):e0300375. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300375. eCollection 2024.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a charismatic species considered Vulnerable in Colombia but yet largely unknown in the country. The species is mostly threatened by the continuous decline in its habitats, mostly derived from deforestation and habitat loss, additional to hunting and conflicts with humans. Thus, the future of jaguars in Colombia depends on protecting and recovering existing habitats. The aims of this study were to 1) evaluate jaguar distribution and identify the remnant patches of habitat in Colombia, 2) define an ecological connectivity network within the country, and 3) propose a priority areas portfolio for the conservation and recovery of jaguars. We used a presence background model for estimating species potential distribution and subsequently identified remaining habitat patches across the country based on land cover and species-specific ecological attributes. We then created an ecological connectivity network based on circuit theory and following a multi-criteria approach identified jaguar priority areas for conservation (JPCA) and recovery (JPRA). Jaguar potential distribution comprises 1103122.43 km2, from which 56.71% maintain suitable patches of potential habitat. We identified 960 corridors between remnant patches of natural or semi-natural vegetation. Based on the criteria, JPCAs with greater importance were identified in each of the five Colombian regions. JPRAs were located mainly towards the Andean and Caribbean regions. These JPCAs and JPRAs could serve as a guide for designing and implementing management strategies for the long-term conservation and recovery of the species in Colombia.
美洲豹（Panthera onca）是一种极具魅力的物种，在哥伦比亚被认为是易危物种，但在该国却知之甚少。该物种主要受到其栖息地不断减少的威胁，主要是由于森林砍伐和栖息地丧失，此外还有狩猎和与人类的冲突。因此，美洲豹在哥伦比亚的未来取决于保护和恢复现有的栖息地。本研究的目的是：1）评估美洲豹的分布情况，并确定哥伦比亚境内剩余的栖息地斑块；2）在该国境内定义一个生态连通性网络；3）提出一个用于保护和恢复美洲豹的优先领域组合。我们使用存在背景模型来估计物种的潜在分布，然后根据土地覆盖和特定于物种的生态属性来确定全国范围内剩余的栖息地斑块。我们随后根据电路理论创建了一个生态连通性网络，并采用多标准方法确定了保护（JPCA）和恢复（JPRA）美洲豹的优先领域。美洲豹的潜在分布包括 1103122.43 平方公里，其中 56.71%维持着适宜的潜在栖息地斑块。我们确定了 960 条位于自然或半自然植被残余斑块之间的走廊。根据这些标准，在哥伦比亚的五个地区中的每一个都确定了具有更大重要性的 JPCA。JPRA 主要位于安第斯山脉和加勒比地区。这些 JPCA 和 JPRA 可以作为在哥伦比亚长期保护和恢复该物种的设计和实施管理策略的指南。
