Multilevel contribution to the conservation of wild mammals in western Ecuador
- Autores: Ricardo Villalba Briones
- Directores de la Tesis: Juan Salvador Monrós Gonzalez (dir. tes.), Miquel Àngel Blasco Carlos (codir. tes.)
- Lectura: En la Universitat de València ( España ) en 2024
- Idioma: inglés
- Número de páginas: 207
- Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Vicente Urios Moliner (presid.), María Teresa Antón Pardo (secret.), Martin Aguirrebengoa Barreña (voc.)
- Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva por la Universitat de València (Estudi General)
- Materias:
- Enlaces
- Tesis en acceso abierto en: TESEO
- Resumen
Multilevel contribution to the conservation of wild mammals in western Ecuador.
Western Ecuador is included in one of the first recognized hotspots for conservation list due to its high degree of endemism and, at the same time, the high degree of impact and transformation on its primary forests. Globally we are witnessing an acceleration of species extinction which has been also described as the sixth mass extinction. Even if several specific efforts are displayed to avoid the extinction of species the overall trend reveals a global loss of biodiversity.
The tropical dry forest is an ecosystem located along the coast of Ecuador which is characterized by the seasonal rains and decay of the tree leaves during the dry season. Even if it is severely fragmented in addition to habitat loss, wildlife on the Ecuadorian coast is threatened by other anthropogenic impacts such as invasive species, illegal trafficking, bushmeat consumption and pathogenic diseases among others. Biological sciences, as the study of living forms, their interactions, and processes, by itself, supposes an optimal scientific base to think accurately in wildlife conservation. Scientific literature provides invaluable opportunities to apply and accomplish protective objectives but also facilitates a view of possible threats to take into consideration in terms of well-being and extinction of species.
Knowledge of different subfields of biology can bring a wide perspective and lead to actions that have an effect on the conservation of wildlife. At the same time, an amplitude of interests and technical skills facilitates a multiplication of options to adapt to the needs that exist on the ground, and, also, to acknowledge the possibilities that the local context offers. Rehabilitation centers and laboratories offer ex-situ (off site) conservation strategies and research opportunities that can help individuals together with wild and captive populations in decision making for management purposes. As a hospital, rehabilitation centers serve as a thermometer to identify threats for populations, and consequently, we can infer reasonable measures to mitigate risks. On the other hand, in-situ conservation strategies focus on a set of techniques applied for the protection of natural habitats, biological communities, and monitoring. In this regard, scientific research brings useful information to improve the efficiency in the application of the consequent protective measures through active management at the individual, population, species, and ecosystem levels.
From the cellular perspective to the environmental context, developing an approach encompassed with the animal's life and well-being is an important issue to consider in wildlife conservation. Since the viral pathogens influence the hosts, the health and behaviors of the individuals determine the adaptation to the habitat, biological community, and survival. On the other hand, non-registered cases of animals suffering unexpected impacts occur in the shade of our daily activities, and recording a portion of such events can lead to strategic protective measures that will prevent or minimize future threats.
This work is focused on research of mammals from the coastal region of Ecuador at various levels and holds the aim of influencing constructively the survival of wild animals. From biomolecular studies on animals' health to individual release and management of forested areas, this work provides innovative information that supports in-situ and ex-situ conservation of wildlife.
Specifically, I present several studies that cover from the molecular level to the biological community level, centering our efforts on mammals from western Ecuador. First, we review the overall impacted animals list from Ecuador, which highlighted by numbers the impacts on ocelots Leopardus pardalis and two-toed sloths Choloepus hoffmanni among others. This study brought to our attention the high number of harmful occurrences registered in these species. Consequently, research to identify problems and mitigating actions was proposed to aid in decision-making during rehabilitation and wildlife management actions. Thus, we present original works focused on the prevalence and infectivity of viral pathologies on ocelots of several provinces from the western of Ecuador: Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). Our results showed a high prevalence of FeLV, highlighting the importance of the choice in techniques to detect FeLV in ocelots, and records recoveries shifting from CDV and FeLV positive to negative. In addition, we present the second case in Ecuador of sarcoptic mange of Sarcoptes scabiei in wild mammals; the ectoparasites specialized hosting mammals infected a sechuran fox Lycalopex sechurae first case reported in this species. We also present a study evaluating an innovative follow-up of a released two-toed sloth Choloepus hoffmanni after rehabilitation, reporting new behaviors for the literature. Finally, we present a new environmental education strategy based on promoting empathy towards native wild animals and its evaluation. In the same publication, we describe the management actions implemented in forested areas of Guayaquil, supported by sensitized key actors in the frame of citizen-science. These results show different scientific contributions providing essential information to protect wild mammals from diseases, innovative strategies for environmental education, techniques to support released animals and adaptive management of natural areas for the implementation of conservation action.
