Papers by Rodrigo L Massara
Science Advances, 2025
Circadian rhythms are a mechanism by which species adapt to environmental variability and fundame... more Circadian rhythms are a mechanism by which species adapt to environmental variability and fundamental to understanding species behavior. However, we lack data and a standardized framework to accurately assess and compare temporal activity for species during rapid ecological change. Through a global network representing 38
countries, we leveraged 8.9 million mammalian observations to create a library of 14,587 standardized diel activity estimates for 445 species. We found that less than half the species’ estimates were in agreement with diel classifications from the reference literature and that species commonly used more than one diel classification. Species diel activity was highly plastic when exposed to anthropogenic change. Furthermore, body size and distributional extent were strongly associated with whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal. Our findings provide essential knowledge of species behavior in an era of rapid global change and suggest the need for a new, quantitative framework that defines diel activity logically and consistently while capturing species plasticity.
Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2025
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is critical for managing human impacts on biodiversity.... more The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is critical for managing human impacts on biodiversity. Reliable baseline data is essential to assess potential development effects, while inaccurate information about species presence or absence can lead to poor decisions. We examined how methodological choices, such as sampling methods (i.e., camera traps, census, indirect sign surveys, interviews with locals), affect species detection in baseline biodiversity surveys for EIA in mining projects and scientific inventories, focusing on the Iron Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We employed occupancy models, which consider imperfect detections, to assess how study type and methodological attributes influence false-positive and true detections of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals. Our analysis revealed that study type strongly predicted false positives, with a potential additive effect with sampling method. In EIA baseline surveys, sign surveys registered 2.1 % false positives, rising to 4.4 % for interviews, while scientific studies had nearly zero false positives. For true detections, we found an interaction between study type and sampling method, where species census, camera traps, and sign surveys were up to three times less likely to detect species in EIA surveys compared to scientific studies. This suggests that EIA characteristics may reduce correct species detection. Both false-positive and true detections may be influenced by the inadequate quality of EIA baseline surveys. This underscores the need to incorporate detection estimates into biodiversity surveys. If studies fail to account for detection probability they can lead to biased and misleading results, which in the case of baseline surveys, could result in unfounded decisions within the EIA process.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is critical for managing human impacts on biodiversity.... more The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is critical for managing human impacts on biodiversity. Reliable baseline data is essential to assess potential development effects, while inaccurate information about species presence or absence can lead to poor decisions. We examined how methodological choices, such as sampling methods (i.e., camera traps, census, indirect sign surveys, interviews with locals), affect species detection in baseline biodiversity surveys for EIA in mining projects and scientific inventories, focusing on the Iron Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We employed occupancy models, which consider imperfect detections, to assess how study type and methodological attributes influence false-positive and true detections of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals. Our analysis revealed that study type strongly predicted false positives, with a potential additive effect with sampling method. In EIA baseline surveys, sign surveys registered 2.1 % false positives, rising to 4.4 % for interviews, while scientific studies had nearly zero false positives. For true detections, we found an interaction between study type and sampling method, where species census, camera traps, and sign surveys were up to three times less likely to detect species in EIA surveys compared to scientific studies. This suggests that EIA characteristics may reduce correct species detection. Both false-positive and true detections may be influenced by the inadequate quality of EIA baseline surveys. This underscores the need to incorporate detection estimates into biodiversity surveys. If studies fail to account for detection probability they can lead to biased and misleading results, which in the case of baseline surveys, could result in unfounded decisions within the EIA process.
Discover Conservation, 2025
Fragmented landscapes resulting from Atlantic Forest loss can facilitate biological invasions by ... more Fragmented landscapes resulting from Atlantic Forest loss can facilitate biological invasions by certain species of the Callithrix genus. These primates demonstrate high invasion potential, spreading across Brazil, competing for resources, and even hybridizing with C. aurita, the only native species to Rio Doce State Park (RDSP). Using playback for data collection and occupancy models, we investigated whether the surrounding matrix type affected Callithrix spp. occupancy probability in RDSP's surrounding fragments. We also assessed the influence of environmental conditions and fragment size on Callithrix spp. detection probability and identified regions vulnerable to new introductions. Notably, we found no C. aurita in the fragments surrounding the park, only hybrid individuals. Furthermore, western and southern forest remnants are most susceptible to the introduction of non-native marmosets. Our findings underscore a substantial threat to RDSP's C. aurita population and other native marmoset species of the region. We advocate for controlling allochthonous marmosets in surrounding fragments to safeguard native species.
Mammalian Biology, 2024
Paca (Cuniculus paca) is a medium-sized caviomorph rodent that plays an important role in the dyn... more Paca (Cuniculus paca) is a medium-sized caviomorph rodent that plays an important role in the dynamics of plant and animal diversity in Neotropical forests. Despite being a generalist species, habitat use can be influenced by the availability of resources, cover, and shelter, but also by the landscape of fear. We investigated whether paca habitat use is mainly driven by resource availability and/or the landscape of fear in a spatiotemporal context in the Atlantic Forest montane of Brazil. We used camera traps and generalized least squares models to investigate the influence of lunar phases on the modulation of environmental factors in paca habitat use and the effects on the prey-predator activity pattern. The availability of food resources, specifically Juçara palm (Euterpe edulis) and Paraná pine (Araucaria angustifolia), was the best predictor to explain paca habitat use, regardless of moonlight. These threatened and dominant trees provide keystone resources for paca safely and efficiently in the study area. However, we found that moonlight can alter the importance of the effect of its main predator (Puma concolor), on the spatiotemporal use of the paca. The risk of predation has a greater impact on the paca's habitat use during phases of intense moonlight, and as an anti-predation strategy, the paca changes its activity pattern precisely during these periods. Although the conservation status of the paca is of least concern, our results have highlighted its important ecosystem role in Neotropical forests, interacting strongly with key and threatened species of the Atlantic Forest.
Ecology, 2024
Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data s... more Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data sets from camera traps can be used to describe the patterns and monitor the occupancy, abundance, and richness of wildlife, essential information for conservation in times of rapid climate and land-cover changes. Habitat loss and poaching are responsible for historical population losses of mammals in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, especially for medium to large-sized species. Here we present a data set from camera trap surveys of medium to large-sized native mammals (>1 kg) across the Atlantic Forest. We compiled data from 5380 ground-level camera trap deployments in 3046 locations, from 2004 to 2020, resulting in 43,068 records of 58 species. These data add to existing data sets of mammals in the Atlantic Forest by including dates of camera operation needed for analyses dealing with imperfect detection. We also included, when available, information on important
predictors of detection, namely the camera brand and model, use of bait,
and obstruction of camera viewshed that can be measured from example
pictures at each camera location. Besides its application in studies on the
patterns and mechanisms behind occupancy, relative abundance, richness, and detection, the data set presented here can be used to study species’ daily activity patterns, activity levels, and spatiotemporal interactions between species. Moreover, data can be used combined with other data sources in the multiple and expanding uses of integrated population modeling. An R script is available to view summaries of the data set. We expect that this data set will be used to advance the knowledge of mammal assemblages and to inform evidence-based solutions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. The data are not copyright restricted; please cite this paper when using the data.
Ecology and Evolution, 2023
Medium to large rainforest mammals are key conservation flagship groups that offer non-redundant ... more Medium to large rainforest mammals are key conservation flagship groups that offer non-redundant ecosystem functions, but anthropic pressures, such as illegal hunting, may strongly affect their occupancy in Amazonia. We combined camera traps and occupancy models to assess the influence of distance from human settlements, the number of families per settlement and the synergetic effect of the average weight of 27 species on the occupancy probability of mammals. Specifically, we classified mammal species according to the game preferences of hunters (i.e. a group of species depleted for bushmeat, a group of species hunted for retaliation and a group of nonhunted species). We also accounted for the influence on the detection probability of each group of both the number of days each camera operated and the body weight of mammals. The occupancy probability of the bushmeat group (i.e. deer, peccaries,
agoutis, pacas and armadillos) was lower at locations closer to human settlements. Still, the number of families correlated positively with occupancy, with the occupancy probability of the group being slightly higher at sites with more families. This difference was probably due to larger and more abundant crops and fruiting trees attracting wildlife at such sites. Conversely, the occupancy probability of the retaliation group
(i.e. carnivores) and the non-hunted group (i.e. opossums, spiny rats, squirrels and anteaters) were indifferent to anthropogenic stressors. The detection probability of the non-hunted and particularly the most depleted species correlated negatively with body weight. This may suggest that larger species, especially those from the bushmeat group, are rarer or less abundant in the system, possibly because they are the preferable target of hunters. In the long term, locals will likely need to travel long distances to find harvest meat. Poaching also threatens food security since game bushmeat is an essential source of protein for isolated rural Amazonians.
Folia Geobotanica
Parasitic plant species, such as holoparasites, develop exclusively within the tissues of their h... more Parasitic plant species, such as holoparasites, develop exclusively within the tissues of their hosts, are devoid of photosynthetic capability, and cause changes in their hosts. In this study, we analyse the effects of the holoparasitic species Pilostyles blanchetii on Mimosa maguirei. We assessed the effects of the holoparasite on the architecture and development of the host plant through the height, the number of branches and the number of leaves. The influence of the holoparasite on the reproductive performance of the host was tested by evaluating the number of fruits and seeds produced by M. maguirei. The holoparasite Pilostyles blanchetii negatively affected the height of M. maguirei; however, there was a positive effect on the number of branches and leaves of the host, perhaps indicating resource manipulation by the holoparasite. In relation to reproductive performance, there was a reduction in the number of fruits and seeds in parasitized individuals. Overall, this study indicates strong changes in host plant architecture and particularly a reduction in the reproductive performance of parasitized plant individuals.
Folia Geobotanica, 2023
Parasitic plant species, such as holoparasites, develop exclusively within the tissues of their h... more Parasitic plant species, such as holoparasites, develop exclusively within the tissues of their hosts, are devoid of photosynthetic capability, and cause changes in their hosts. In this study, we analyse the effects of the holoparasitic species Pilostyles blanchetii on Mimosa maguirei. We assessed the effects of the holoparasite on the architecture and development of the host plant through the height, the number of branches and the number of leaves. The influence of the holoparasite on the reproductive performance of the host was tested by evaluating the number of fruits and seeds produced by M. maguirei. The holoparasite Pilostyles blanchetii negatively affected the height of M. maguirei; however, there was a positive effect on the number of branches and leaves of the host, perhaps indicating resource manipulation by the holoparasite. In relation to reproductive performance, there was a reduction in the number of fruits and seeds in parasitized individuals. Overall, this study indicates strong changes in host plant architecture and particularly a reduction in the reproductive performance of parasitized plant individuals.
Boletim Técnico sif
A crescente ocorrência de doenças de potencial zoonótico -pode estar associada à alta pressão ant... more A crescente ocorrência de doenças de potencial zoonótico -pode estar associada à alta pressão antropogênica sobre os recursos naturais e a alteração da paisagem, que aumenta a frequência e a intensidade do contato entre animais e humanos. Os animais silvestres podem ser relevantes reservatórios de patógenos que causam danos para a própria população hospedeira, para aquelas que se relacionam com ela, ou ainda, para humanos. Devido à proximidade fi logenética entre primatas humanos e primatas não-humanos, vírus e bactérias compartilhados pelas diversas espécies dessa ordem foram responsáveis por causar danos tanto para as pessoas, quanto para os animais. Desde o começo da pandemia de COVID-19 em 2020 houve receio de que primatas não-humanos também pudessem se contaminar pelo vírus, com isso, comprometer não só as suas populações, mas também, representar um risco ainda maior à saúde pública. Com o objetivo de avaliar o estado de saúde geral e viroses de caráter zoonótico em primatas ne...
Journal for Nature Conservation
Species prioritization for conservation is primarily based on extinction risk assessments but les... more Species prioritization for conservation is primarily based on extinction risk assessments but less on sociocultural factors that influence conservation effectiveness. Here, we prioritized mammals for conservation according to their need for conservation attention, the feasibility of their conservation, and their potential to be used as flagship species in a rural community in northeast Brazil. We assessed species occurrence and ethnobiology through interviews, camera trapping, and active searches, and developed a prioritization scheme that accounts for species' threat level (conservation status and local hunting pressure), cultural importance, and popularity. We found Tolypeutes tricinctus as the overall top-priority species because of its Endangered status and high popularity, which makes its conservation needed and feasible, and this species a potential conservation flagship. Panthera onca was the highest priority regarding the need for conservation attention due to its Critically Endangered status but the least feasible to conserve as it was the most unpopular species. Mazama gouazoubira was the most hunted and popular species. Despite not being threatened, it may also be prioritized for conservation, given its high hunting pressure and popularity, thereby constituting a possible local flagship species. Our results show that priority species for conservation can be reliably identified based on measures of need for conservation attention and expected conservation feasibility in local scales using rapid assessments. Accounting for ethnobiology in species prioritization for conservation allows a better understanding of the needs, opportunities, and obstacles for their conservation, consequently leading to better resource-allocation decisions in different socioeconomic scenarios.
Mammal research, Oct 7, 2022
Exploring factors related to species distribution is important to better understand their natural... more Exploring factors related to species distribution is important to better understand their natural histories and provide their effective conservation. However, the ecology of some threatened species remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted the first quantitative investigation of species-habitat relationships for the Brazilian three-banded armadillo, Tolypeutes tricinctus, a threatened species endemic to Brazil. We combined camera traps and active searches to explore the influence of ecological and methodological factors, including human-related habitat features, on T. tricinctus occupancy and detection probabilities in a human-modified landscape in northeastern Brazil. The T. tricinctus occupancy probability was high throughout the study area, whereas its detection probability was eight times higher by active searches than camera trapping, which should be considered when designing studies on T. tricinctus ecology in the future. Our results suggest that T. tricinctus can be widely distributed in human-modified landscapes under moderate levels of hunting and habitat loss and highlight the importance of the engagement of local people into research and conservation projects for better outcomes, as we found by counting on their local ecological knowledge for the conduction of active searches.
Water Biology and Security
The buffy-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix aurita) is a small primate endemic to the Brazilian Atl... more The buffy-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix aurita) is a small primate endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome, and one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, due to fragmentation, loss of habitat, and invasion by allochthonous Callithrix species. Using occurrence data for C. aurita from published data papers, we employed model selection and cumulative AICc weight (w+) to evaluate whether fragment size, distance to fragments with allochthonous species, altitude, connectivity, and surrounding matrices influence the occurrence of C. aurita within its distributional range. Distance to fragments with C. jacchus (w+ = 0.94) and non-vegetated areas (w+ = 0.59) correlated negatively with C. aurita occurrence. Conversely, the percentage of agriculture and pasture mosaic (w+ = 0.61) and the percentage of savanna formation (w+ = 0.59) in the surrounding matrix correlated positively with C. aurita occurrence. The findings indicate that C. aurita is isolated in forest fragments s...
Mammalian Biology
Basic data on the biology and ecology of the giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) from the Atlant... more Basic data on the biology and ecology of the giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) from the Atlantic Forest are practically non-existent. Information on population density and habitat use is vital to assess the long-term population viability and to design effective management and conservation strategies for the Atlantic Forest's last population of the species. In this study, we estimated density and abundance, evaluated the influence of habitat features and human-altered habitats on the occupancy and detection probabilities of giant armadillos and investigated their activity patterns. Our study was conducted in a forested protected area, the Rio Doce State Park (RDSP) that represents one of the largest continuous remnants of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We used a random survey design with a blocking arrangement of sampling units and found an estimate of 60.7 individuals (95% CI 26.8-94.6) with a density of 10.67 individuals/100 km 2 (95% CI 5.28-18.65). From the model-averaged estimates, occupancy probability (Ψ) = 0.68 (95% CI 0.18-0.95), and detection probability (p) = 0.07 (95% CI 0.00-0.14). The occupancy probability was strongly associated with greater distances from lakes (w + = 0.58), while the detection probability was strongly associated with a greater number of days in which the camera traps remained operating (w + = 0.63), higher terrain slope (w + = 0.61), and greater distances from the cities (w + = 0.56). Giant armadillos across sexes were more active during the night (93.5% of the records), with activity peaks before midnight and before sunrise. Giant armadillos presented moderate activity overlap with jaguars (Δ 1 < 0.54) and low with pumas (Δ 1 < 0.36). Our work is the first attempt to study the ecology of giant armadillos in the Atlantic Forest. Our findings of a well-established population of giant armadillos in RDSP are extremely important to guide future studies and conservation actions for the species in this biome. We also highlight the potential conservation value of a protected area such as the RDSP in a human-dominated landscape as one of the last strongholds for giant armadillos in the Atlantic Forest.
Environmental Impact Assessment Review
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the main legal instrument for controlling the impacts of... more Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the main legal instrument for controlling the impacts of human development projects in many countries, including Brazil. However, the way biodiversity is addressed as part of the EIA process has been discussed around the world, with concerns raised about poor-quality studies and a failure to achieve evidence-based decisions. To explore these concerns, we evaluated: 1) the quality of baseline biodiversity studies used to inform EIAs; 2) the predictions made about the impacts of the development on biodiversity and their relationship to baseline studies; and 3) the relevance of the quality of these baseline studies and the predicted impacts on the decisions made by the relevant licensing agency. To do this, we collected and analyzed EIAs associated with 78 development proposals from the State of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil, using medium and large-sized terrestrial mammals as indicators. We found baseline studies were basic and lacking scientific rigor, with no guiding questions or hypotheses, few ecological analyses, and that they omitted essential information about study design. The poor quality of biodiversity information in most baseline studies led to significant deficiencies in impact reports, with inadequate descriptions of the likely impacts of developments on biodiversity. Finally, we found that the shortcomings in both baseline studies and impact assessment reports had no relationship to decision-making, with poor quality EIAs still obtaining environmental licenses, which is alarming. Only in two decisions were cited some shortcoming of baseline studies as a reason for conditional approval. We conclude by providing a range of recommendations to help promote evidence-based decision-making in EIAs and improve the quality and transparency of the biodiversity data produced throughout Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and EIA.
Ecology and Evolution, 2022
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest apex predator in the Americas and plays an important ro... more The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the largest apex predator in the Americas and plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological processes in terrestrial and semiaquatic ecosystems via multiple food pathways (Paviolo et al., 2016; Ripple et al., 2014). As for most large carnivore species, jaguars have the potential role of limiting populations of both medium and large-sized herbivores through predation and mesocarnivores through intraguild competition (Ripple et al., 2014). Currently distributed from the southern United States
Ecology and Evolution, 2021
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Ecological Indicators, 2020
Reservoirs are a common sight in most rivers systems in the world and a frequent problem related ... more Reservoirs are a common sight in most rivers systems in the world and a frequent problem related to them is the introduction of non-native invasive mollusk species. We aimed to determine which local variables (near-site land use, physical habitat structure, water quality) were most strongly associated with the local distribution of invasive non-native mollusks in neotropical hydropower reservoirs. We used data from three neotropical reservoirs to calculate which local variables most influenced the presence or absence of the three non-native invasive mollusk species (i.e., Corbicula fluminea, Limnoperna fortunei and Melanoides tuberculata) found in them. We found that the presence of both C. fluminea and L. fortunei were positively correlated with local anthropogenic disturbances, likely because it was associated with more frequent human access to the water body and increased introductions of larval mollusks. Conversely, M. tuberculata was negatively correlated with total phosphorus concentration, which is linked to agriculture and urbanization in the reservoir catchments. Additionally, we found that C. fluminea and M. tuberculata presence was positively related to each other, implying a biological facilitation process between these two species. Our findings suggest that anthropogenic disturbances are important for the local distribution of invasive non-native mollusks in neotropical reservoirs and can be used by environmental managers and decision-makers to help manage invasive mollusk populations in neotropical hydropower reservoirs.
Scientific Reports, 2020
The use of a sensitive and accurate parasite detection methodology is crucial in studies explorin... more The use of a sensitive and accurate parasite detection methodology is crucial in studies exploring prevalence of parasites in host populations or communities, and uncertainty in identifying parasite genera and/or lineages may limit the understanding of host-parasite interactions. Here, we used a multistate occupancy approach that accounts for imperfect detection to assess whether sex and breeding season influenced the prevalence of a specific Haemoproteus lineage (TARUF02) in a white-lined tanager population. Likewise, we explored whether the probability of detecting the target parasite in an infected bird using PCR and sequencing analyses may be influenced by season and host sex. We found little evidence that sex influenced the probability of an individual host being infected by a haemosporidian parasite. Conversely, we found that the probability of infection by Haemoproteus TARUF02 was ~30% higher during the breeding season, reflecting a higher prevalence of this parasite in this ...
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Papers by Rodrigo L Massara
countries, we leveraged 8.9 million mammalian observations to create a library of 14,587 standardized diel activity estimates for 445 species. We found that less than half the species’ estimates were in agreement with diel classifications from the reference literature and that species commonly used more than one diel classification. Species diel activity was highly plastic when exposed to anthropogenic change. Furthermore, body size and distributional extent were strongly associated with whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal. Our findings provide essential knowledge of species behavior in an era of rapid global change and suggest the need for a new, quantitative framework that defines diel activity logically and consistently while capturing species plasticity.
predictors of detection, namely the camera brand and model, use of bait,
and obstruction of camera viewshed that can be measured from example
pictures at each camera location. Besides its application in studies on the
patterns and mechanisms behind occupancy, relative abundance, richness, and detection, the data set presented here can be used to study species’ daily activity patterns, activity levels, and spatiotemporal interactions between species. Moreover, data can be used combined with other data sources in the multiple and expanding uses of integrated population modeling. An R script is available to view summaries of the data set. We expect that this data set will be used to advance the knowledge of mammal assemblages and to inform evidence-based solutions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. The data are not copyright restricted; please cite this paper when using the data.
agoutis, pacas and armadillos) was lower at locations closer to human settlements. Still, the number of families correlated positively with occupancy, with the occupancy probability of the group being slightly higher at sites with more families. This difference was probably due to larger and more abundant crops and fruiting trees attracting wildlife at such sites. Conversely, the occupancy probability of the retaliation group
(i.e. carnivores) and the non-hunted group (i.e. opossums, spiny rats, squirrels and anteaters) were indifferent to anthropogenic stressors. The detection probability of the non-hunted and particularly the most depleted species correlated negatively with body weight. This may suggest that larger species, especially those from the bushmeat group, are rarer or less abundant in the system, possibly because they are the preferable target of hunters. In the long term, locals will likely need to travel long distances to find harvest meat. Poaching also threatens food security since game bushmeat is an essential source of protein for isolated rural Amazonians.
countries, we leveraged 8.9 million mammalian observations to create a library of 14,587 standardized diel activity estimates for 445 species. We found that less than half the species’ estimates were in agreement with diel classifications from the reference literature and that species commonly used more than one diel classification. Species diel activity was highly plastic when exposed to anthropogenic change. Furthermore, body size and distributional extent were strongly associated with whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal. Our findings provide essential knowledge of species behavior in an era of rapid global change and suggest the need for a new, quantitative framework that defines diel activity logically and consistently while capturing species plasticity.
predictors of detection, namely the camera brand and model, use of bait,
and obstruction of camera viewshed that can be measured from example
pictures at each camera location. Besides its application in studies on the
patterns and mechanisms behind occupancy, relative abundance, richness, and detection, the data set presented here can be used to study species’ daily activity patterns, activity levels, and spatiotemporal interactions between species. Moreover, data can be used combined with other data sources in the multiple and expanding uses of integrated population modeling. An R script is available to view summaries of the data set. We expect that this data set will be used to advance the knowledge of mammal assemblages and to inform evidence-based solutions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. The data are not copyright restricted; please cite this paper when using the data.
agoutis, pacas and armadillos) was lower at locations closer to human settlements. Still, the number of families correlated positively with occupancy, with the occupancy probability of the group being slightly higher at sites with more families. This difference was probably due to larger and more abundant crops and fruiting trees attracting wildlife at such sites. Conversely, the occupancy probability of the retaliation group
(i.e. carnivores) and the non-hunted group (i.e. opossums, spiny rats, squirrels and anteaters) were indifferent to anthropogenic stressors. The detection probability of the non-hunted and particularly the most depleted species correlated negatively with body weight. This may suggest that larger species, especially those from the bushmeat group, are rarer or less abundant in the system, possibly because they are the preferable target of hunters. In the long term, locals will likely need to travel long distances to find harvest meat. Poaching also threatens food security since game bushmeat is an essential source of protein for isolated rural Amazonians.