Selective impacts of subsistence hunting on mammal communities in Manu National Park, Peru

Research on impacts of subsistence hunting on habitat use and species communities of forest wildlife is limited. Subsistence hunting of mammals in one of the world's most biodiverse region, Manu National Park, Peru, is considered sustainable, but this is based on sparse evidence. We analyzed change in species relative abundance and functional composition of mammal communities, including non-hunted species along a hunting pressure gradient. We used camera trap data and tested for confounding effects of environmental and disturbance gradients (distances to rivers, lakes, settlements, and trails; NDVI at survey point). We found that sites with no hunting or at further distances from settlements harbor relatively more species with a larger body mass, long generation lengths, and small litters (primarily carnivores: 36% at non-hunted site vs. 13%-29% at hunted sites), indicating selective impacts of hunting pressure on mammal communities. However, all carnivore species still occurred at all sites. Species with a smaller body mass, short generation lengths, and large litters were more prevalent at the hunted sites (mostly rodents: 23%-31% at hunted sites vs. 20% at non-hunted site). Surprisingly, large herbivores appeared unaffected by hunting despite being one of the most hunted mammals in Manu (25% at non-hunted site vs. 23%-27% at hunted sites). Our findings suggest that current hunting pressure is largely sustainable with only local depletion of a few sensitive species. Habitat is more important for some species than hunting pressure (e.g., distance to lake), further emphasizing the importance of local forest management. Los estudios sobre el impacto de la cacer & iacute;a de subsistencia en el manejo del h & aacute;bitat y las comunidades de especies silvestres son limitados. En una de las regiones con mayor biodiversidad del mundo, el Parque Nacional del Manu (Per & uacute;), la cacer & iacute;a de subsistencia de mam & iacute;feros se considera sostenible, pero se basa en escasas evidencias. Analizamos los cambios en la abundancia relativa de especies y la composici & oacute;n funcional de las comunidades de mam & iacute;feros, incluidas las especies que no son objeto de caza, a lo largo de un gradiente de presi & oacute;n de caza. Utilizamos datos de c & aacute;maras trampa y comprobamos los efectos de confusi & oacute;n de los gradientes ambientales y de perturbaci & oacute;n (distancias a r & iacute;os, lagos, asentamientos y senderos; NDVI en el punto de estudio). Descubrimos que los lugares en los que no se caza o que se encuentran a mayor distancia de los asentamientos albergan relativamente m & aacute;s especies con mayor masa corporal, mayor duraci & oacute;n de la generaci & oacute;n y camadas peque & ntilde;as (principalmente carn & iacute;voros: 36% en los lugares en los que no se caza frente a 13%-29% en los lugares en los que se caza), lo que indica impactos selectivos de la presi & oacute;n de la caza sobre las comunidades de mam & iacute;feros. Sin embargo, todas las especies de carn & iacute;voros segu & iacute;an presentes en todos los lugares. Las especies con menor masa corporal, generaciones cortas y camadas numerosas fueron m & aacute;s frecuentes en los lugares de caza (sobre todo roedores: 23%-31% en los lugares de caza frente al 20% en los no cazados). Sorprendentemente, los herb & iacute;voros grandes no parecieron afectados por la caza a pesar de ser uno de los mam & iacute;feros m & aacute;s cazados en Manu (25% en el lugar libre de caza frente a 23%-27% en los lugares cazados). Nuestros resultados sugieren que la presi & oacute;n de caza actual es en gran medida sostenible, con un reducido descenso local de algunas especies vulnerables. El h & aacute;bitat es m & aacute;s importante para algunas especies que la presi & oacute;n de caza (por ejemplo, la distancia a un lago), lo que subraya a & uacute;n m & aacute;s la importancia de la gesti & oacute;n forestal local. We analyzed change in species relative abundance and functional composition of mammal communities, including non-hunted species, along a hunting pressure gradient and included potential confounding environmental and disturbance gradients (distances to rivers, lakes, settlements, and trails; NDVI at survey point). We found that sites with no hunting or at further distances from settlements harbor relatively more species with a larger body mass, long generation lengths and small litters (primarily carnivores). Large herbivores appeared unaffected by hunting despite being one of the most hunted mammals in our landscape, suggesting hunting is largely sustainable. Habitat was more important for some species than hunting pressure (e.g., distance to lake), further emphasizing the importance of local forest management.image