Impacto de la ganadería extensiva y cacería de subsistencia sobre la abundancia relativa de mamíferos en la Selva Zoque, Oaxaca, México.

Abstract

We evaluated the impact of the extensive livestock practices and subsistence hunting on the relative abundance of mammals in the Zoque, forest, Mexico. We used camera-traps, structured questionnaires and visits to different locations. With a total sampling effort of 4,860 trap-days and 54 camera-traps in two periods of sampling (2009 and 2010), we registered 25 mammals and five birds species. From the total number of species, 36.66% are in some category of endangerment by national and international laws. The most abundant species in the region were Bos taurus / Bos indicus, Tayassu pecari, Cuniculus paca, Pecari tajacu, Dasyprocta mexicana, Tapirus bairdii and Dasypus novemcinctus, while the least abundant were the carnivores in that region. The secondary vegetation was used with greater intensity for domestic livestock and the Pecari tajacu, Urocyon cinereoargenteus and Ortalis vetula (P < 0.05), while the majority of medium and large mammals and wild birds used the well-preserved jungle fragments with greater intensity. These jungle fragments were of varying sizes and were associated with fruit trees and hunting zones in the region (P < 0.05). Mammals were mainly utililized for the following reasons in order of importance: 1) as bushmeat, 2) as pets, 3) for their skins, and, 4) for traditional medicine. Finally the extensive livestock practices and subsistence hunting are the main human activities that have a negative effect on wildlife in the Zoque forest.