Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot
Aim: We investigated the effects of habitat destruction and hunting on the functional decline of top predators, specifically jaguar and puma, in the Gran Chaco. Location: The 1.1 million km2 South American Gran Chaco. Methods: We used spatially explicit, individual-based models for jaguars and pum...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Wiley
2025
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| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21472 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddi.70003 https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70003 |
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| author | Romero Muñoz, Alfredo Bleyhl, Benjamin Benitez López, Ana Camino, Micaela Decarre, Julieta Nanni, Ana Sofía Noss, Andrew J. Giordano, Anthony J. Quiroga, Verónica Torres, Ricardo Thompson, Jeffrey J. Villalba, Laura Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. De Angelo, Carlos Kuemmerle, Tobias |
| author_browse | Benitez López, Ana Bleyhl, Benjamin Camino, Micaela De Angelo, Carlos Decarre, Julieta Giordano, Anthony J. Kuemmerle, Tobias Nanni, Ana Sofía Noss, Andrew J. Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. Quiroga, Verónica Romero Muñoz, Alfredo Thompson, Jeffrey J. Torres, Ricardo Villalba, Laura |
| author_facet | Romero Muñoz, Alfredo Bleyhl, Benjamin Benitez López, Ana Camino, Micaela Decarre, Julieta Nanni, Ana Sofía Noss, Andrew J. Giordano, Anthony J. Quiroga, Verónica Torres, Ricardo Thompson, Jeffrey J. Villalba, Laura Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. De Angelo, Carlos Kuemmerle, Tobias |
| author_sort | Romero Muñoz, Alfredo |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Aim: We investigated the effects of habitat destruction and hunting on the functional decline of top predators, specifically jaguar and puma, in the Gran Chaco.
Location: The 1.1 million km2 South American Gran Chaco.
Methods: We used spatially explicit, individual-based models for jaguars and pumas, incorporating detailed information on habitat suitability and hunting pressure. We parameterized our models with literature data and calibrated them through a Delphi expert-elicitation process. We simulated population trajectories under a hypothetical, threat-free, baseline versus different threat scenarios.
Results: Under combined threats of hunting and habitat loss, jaguar and puma populations declined by 88% and 80%, respectively, compared to range contractions of 48% and 35%, respectively. Both species remained regionally viable, particularly due to large protected areas, which acted as population sources but were surrounded by strong sinks. We observed a widespread weakening of the top carnivore guild function, with at least one species extirpated across 67% of the Chaco and strong declines (> 80%; considered here as functional loss) for both species concurrently across 61% of their area of historical co-occurrence. Hunting was a much stronger driver of population declines (88% and 77% for jaguars and pumas, respectively) compared to habitat destruction (26% and 22%).
Main Conclusions: Large predators play key functional roles in ecosystems. Our findings reveal that these functions can be lost over vast areas due to the combined effects of habitat destruction and hunting, with functional loss extending far beyond the areas of species' extirpation. Very large protected areas, like Kaa-Iya in Bolivia, are crucial for maintaining viable populations of top predators, highlighting the pressing need for increased protection and connectivity in the Chaco to prevent further trophic downgrading. More generally, our research underscores the value of spatially detailed, mechanistic models for disentangling the complex dynamics of multiple threats on ecological functioning at broad scales. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA21472 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| publisherStr | Wiley |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA214722025-09-25T12:27:38Z Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot Romero Muñoz, Alfredo Bleyhl, Benjamin Benitez López, Ana Camino, Micaela Decarre, Julieta Nanni, Ana Sofía Noss, Andrew J. Giordano, Anthony J. Quiroga, Verónica Torres, Ricardo Thompson, Jeffrey J. Villalba, Laura Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. De Angelo, Carlos Kuemmerle, Tobias Caza Depredadores Pérdida de Hábitat Deforestación Bosque Seco Hunting Predators Habitat Loss Deforestation Dry Forests Aim: We investigated the effects of habitat destruction and hunting on the functional decline of top predators, specifically jaguar and puma, in the Gran Chaco. Location: The 1.1 million km2 South American Gran Chaco. Methods: We used spatially explicit, individual-based models for jaguars and pumas, incorporating detailed information on habitat suitability and hunting pressure. We parameterized our models with literature data and calibrated them through a Delphi expert-elicitation process. We simulated population trajectories under a hypothetical, threat-free, baseline versus different threat scenarios. Results: Under combined threats of hunting and habitat loss, jaguar and puma populations declined by 88% and 80%, respectively, compared to range contractions of 48% and 35%, respectively. Both species remained regionally viable, particularly due to large protected areas, which acted as population sources but were surrounded by strong sinks. We observed a widespread weakening of the top carnivore guild function, with at least one species extirpated across 67% of the Chaco and strong declines (> 80%; considered here as functional loss) for both species concurrently across 61% of their area of historical co-occurrence. Hunting was a much stronger driver of population declines (88% and 77% for jaguars and pumas, respectively) compared to habitat destruction (26% and 22%). Main Conclusions: Large predators play key functional roles in ecosystems. Our findings reveal that these functions can be lost over vast areas due to the combined effects of habitat destruction and hunting, with functional loss extending far beyond the areas of species' extirpation. Very large protected areas, like Kaa-Iya in Bolivia, are crucial for maintaining viable populations of top predators, highlighting the pressing need for increased protection and connectivity in the Chaco to prevent further trophic downgrading. More generally, our research underscores the value of spatially detailed, mechanistic models for disentangling the complex dynamics of multiple threats on ecological functioning at broad scales. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos Fil: Romero Muñoz, Alfredo. Humboldt University. Geography Departament; Alemania. Fil: Bleyhl, Benjamin. Humboldt University. Geography Departament; Alemania. Fil: Benitez López, Ana. National Museum of Natural Sciences. Department of Biogeography and Global Change; España Fil: Camino, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; Argentina Fil: Camino, Micaela. Proyecto Quimilero, Resistencia; Argentina. Fil: Decarre, Julieta. Humboldt University. Geography Departament; Alemania. Fil: Decarre, Julieta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina Fil: Nanni, Ana Sofía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Fil: Nanni, Ana Sofía. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Fil: Nanni, Ana Sofía. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Manuel Lillo; Argentina. Fil: Noss, Andrew J. University of Florida. Department of Geography; Estados Unidos Fil: Giordano, Anthony. Society for the Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and their International Ecological Study (S.P.E.C.I.E.S); Estados Unidos. UCLA Inst. of the Environment and Sustainability. Center for Tropical Research; Estados Unidos Fil: Quiroga, Verónica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Inst. de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA – CONICET) Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Quiroga, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Inst. de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA – CONICET), Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Quiroga, Verónica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Torres, Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Inst. de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA – CONICET). Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina Fil: Torres, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Inst. de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA – CONICET). Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentin Fil: Torres, Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Museo de Zoología; Argentina Fil: Thompson, Jeffrey J. Guyra Paraguay-CONACYT; Paraguay Fil: Thompson, Jeffrey J. Instituto Saite, Asunción; Paraguay Fil: Villalba, Laura. Wildlife Conservation Society; Paraguay Fil: Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. The Nature Conservancy; Argentina Fil: Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina Fil: Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; Argentina Fil: De Angelo, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente; Argentina Fil: De Angelo, Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente; Argentina Fil: Kuemmerle, Tobias. Humboldt-University. Geography Department; Alemania. Fil: Kuemmerle, Tobias. Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys). Integrative Research Institute; Alemania 2025-02-26T12:54:53Z 2025-02-26T12:54:53Z 2025-02 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21472 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddi.70003 1366-9516 1472-4642 https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70003 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Wiley Diversity and Distributions 31 (2) : e70003. (February 2025) |
| spellingShingle | Caza Depredadores Pérdida de Hábitat Deforestación Bosque Seco Hunting Predators Habitat Loss Deforestation Dry Forests Romero Muñoz, Alfredo Bleyhl, Benjamin Benitez López, Ana Camino, Micaela Decarre, Julieta Nanni, Ana Sofía Noss, Andrew J. Giordano, Anthony J. Quiroga, Verónica Torres, Ricardo Thompson, Jeffrey J. Villalba, Laura Nuñez Regueiro, Mauricio M. De Angelo, Carlos Kuemmerle, Tobias Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot |
| title | Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot |
| title_full | Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot |
| title_fullStr | Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot |
| title_short | Hunting and Habitat Destruction Drive Widespread Functional Declines of Top Predators in a Global Deforestation Hotspot |
| title_sort | hunting and habitat destruction drive widespread functional declines of top predators in a global deforestation hotspot |
| topic | Caza Depredadores Pérdida de Hábitat Deforestación Bosque Seco Hunting Predators Habitat Loss Deforestation Dry Forests |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/21472 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddi.70003 https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70003 |
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