Del Moral-Alvarez, M.; Ortega-Huerta, M.A.; Nuñez, R. Threatened Habitats of Carnivores: Identifying Conservation Areas in Michoacán, México. Conservation2023, 3, 247-276.
Del Moral-Alvarez, M.; Ortega-Huerta, M.A.; Nuñez, R. Threatened Habitats of Carnivores: Identifying Conservation Areas in Michoacán, México. Conservation 2023, 3, 247-276.
Del Moral-Alvarez, M.; Ortega-Huerta, M.A.; Nuñez, R. Threatened Habitats of Carnivores: Identifying Conservation Areas in Michoacán, México. Conservation2023, 3, 247-276.
Del Moral-Alvarez, M.; Ortega-Huerta, M.A.; Nuñez, R. Threatened Habitats of Carnivores: Identifying Conservation Areas in Michoacán, México. Conservation 2023, 3, 247-276.
Abstract
The present study contributes to bridging the gap on research related to the presence and distribution patterns of carnivore mammals in the western state of Michoacán, highlighting the importance and need to increase efforts aimed at the study and monitoring of wildlife present in this region. The distribution of carnivore in western Mexico was modeled through the application a two-scale approach: a large, modeled region, corresponding to the western part of the country, for which models were obtained that represent the distribution potential of the species, and, the second modeled study area that includes only the western portion of the state of Michoacán, in which models of the current distribution of the species for this region were proposed. A series of predictive models were generated on the current distribution of 11 species of carnivore species (Canis latrans, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, Herpailurus yagouaroundi, Leopardus pardalis, Leopardus wiedii, Puma concolor, Panthera onca, Conepatus leuconotus, Bassariscus astutus, Nasua narica, Procyon lotor), from which, prioritization exercises were carried out on important areas for the conservation of these species, as well as the comparison and analysis of the existing natural protected areas (NPA) in the study area. The different exercises for prioritizing areas for conservation yielded similar results and show the potential percentages of the landscape that can be subjected to protection and conservation programs.
Keywords
carnivore species; western Michoacán; actual species distribution; prioritization; conservation areas
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.