El efecto pardalis: Su variación espacial y temporal

When the top predators such as the jaguar and the puma have disappeared or their numbers have decreased, an increase in the populations of mesopredators such as the ocelot is common, which in turn causes a decrease in the predator species of smaller size, or a modification of their activity patterns, a phenomenon known as the “pardalis effect”. It has not been documented how common this phenomenon is or its variations. The objective of this study is to characterize the pardalis effect and its variation in a cloud forest, a pine forest and an anthropized area, and the effect of human activities on it in Oaxaca, southeastern Mexico. Abundance was estimated and the activity patterns of the feline species were characterized by photo-trapping. Two hundred seventy independent photographic records of 5 feline species were obtained. Density for all species differed significantly between types of vegetation cover. No significant differences were found among seasons or among types of vegetation cover for the top predators and the ocelot, but among types of plant cover for felines of smaller size. The pardalis effect was only observed in the anthropized area.