Habitat use by Oncifelis guigna and Pseudalopex culpaeus in a fragmented forest landscape in central Chile

Abstract

Native forests in Chile have been replaced by exotic plantations, generating a mosaic of forest fragments immersed in a matrix of plantations and farms. This landscape change could affect habitat availability for native carnivores such as Oncifelis guigna (Felidae) and Pseudalopex culpaeus (Canidae). We determine the potential impact of native forest fragmentation on these species, assessing habitat use by these carnivores. The study was carried out in continuous forest (150 ha), native forest fragments (< 10 ha) and surrounding pine plantations in central Chile (35°59′ S, 72°41′ W). We placed scent-stations (SSs) in three types of habitat from January to August 2000, setting a total of 620 SSs to determine habitat selection. We characterized structure and composition of 100 m2 of vegetation around every SS, and measured its distance to nearest native forest patch, road and bottom creek. O. guigna preferred habitats with dense bush cover, far from roads and close to large patches of na