Habitat use of wild ungulates in fragmented landscapes of the Lacandon Forest, Southern Mexico

Habitat use of five ungulate species was assessed in two fragmented sites in the Lacandon Forest, Southern Mexico. Differential habitat use was expected according to the habitat requirements of each species. Repeated track counts were carried out from September 2005 to December 2006 along 19 line transects totaling 683 km, obtaining 2271 ungulate records. We found that Baird's tapir and the white-lipped peccary are actually rainforest specialists avoiding disturbed habitats in the Lacandon Forest, while the red brocket deer, the collared peccary, and the white-tailed deer show different degrees of success in using habitat mosaic derived from human activities. Given that fragmentation patterns have an effect on habitat use of ungulate species in our study area, more information about the effects of landscape configuration on the distribution and abundance of those species is needed. In order to favor conservation of the ungulate species array in the Lacandon Forest, we recommend enforcement of mature rainforest protection and maintenance of heterogeneous landscapes in human settlements through traditional agricultural practices, agroforestry, and intensive pastureland management.