“ESTRUCTURA DE LAS COMUNIDADES DE MAMÍFEROS CARNÍVOROS EN UN GRADIENTE ALTITUDINAL EN EL ESTADO DE OAXACA, MÉXICO”

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this study, the structure of the carnivorous mammals community along an altitudinal gradient in the District of Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, Oxaca is described. This gradient includes four altitudinals levels with different types of vegetation (Reynoso: 1960 masl, oak scrub; Lilesi: 2500 masl, predominantly mixed forest of pine; Cerezo: 2900 masl, oak forest and Corral de Piedra: 3138 masl, mixed forest of pine-oak). In every gradient level, 1.5 km long lineal transects were established, indirect records were obtained on the transect and olfactory stations located every 200 m. The records were adjusted to Clench accumulation species model without reach asymptote at any altitudinal level .There were seven species of carnivores belonging to five families. The species with the highest number of records were coyote (Canis latrans) and common gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). The number of records decreased with altitude. Regarding the number of species, the highest altitudinal level showed the lowest number of species. The other levels showed no significant differences in terms of species number. The relative abundance of species decreased with altitude, mainly due to the contribution of C. latrans and U. Cinereoargenteus. This species were the only ones with significant differences in the gradient. This inverse relationship of relative abundance with altitude is mainly explained by the heterogeneity of habitat, prey abundance and, at the top of the gradient, temperature limitations. The partitioning of the gamma diversity indicated that the main component was the alpha diversity, indicating a low turnover of species in the area and a high similarity at least in the lower areas of the gradient. We conclude that the number of species of carnivorous mammals in this area appears to follow a pattern of decrease with elevation; however this is most evident in the relative abundance. We recommend the study of patterns of distribution of carnivorous’ prey in the area and the use of complementary sampling techniques more sensitive to obtain more accurate estimates of abundance.