Evaluating the Diet of the Andean Bear

Stephanie DeMayDavid Roon, UIRodrigo Cisneros, UTPLEvaluating the Diet of the Andean Bear

http://www.warren-wilson.eduOutlineBackground & IntroductionObjectiveMethodsImportanceProject Linkages

Study System- Tropical AndesTropical Andes high in biodiversity (Myers et al. 2000)Includes pramo ecosystem 60% of 5000 pramo plant species endemic (Buytaert et al. 2006)Pramo usesLivestock grazingAgricultureMining TimberTourism (Buytaert et al. 2006)

3Study System- Podocarpus Natl Park PramoSouthern EcuadorMestizo, Shuar, and Saraguro people (Pohle 2008)Cold, wet, and windy climate (Keating 1999)Contains many bromeliads (Keating 1999)

Photo by Rodrigo Cisneros4Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)Umbrella speciesIUCN: vulnerableThreats habitat destructionfragmentationpoaching conflicts with farmers and ranchers (Goldstein et al. 2008, Peyton 1999, Ros-Uzeda et al. 2005)Omnivorous, but primarily eat bromeliads (Suarez 1988, Rivadeneira-Canedo 2008)

http://www.quantum-conservation.orgWHY??5Study Objective Determine which, if any, ecological factors are correlated with Andean bear foraging selection on bromeliads.

Which Ecological Factors?Each PlotEach BromeliadDistribution of conspecifics (10 m radius)Distribution of other potential food plants (10 m radius)Distance from cover (GIS)SpeciesCollected waterFloweringSizeClippings for future chemical and genetic studiesDistribution of bromeliads (photo)Percent bromeliad coverElevation/ aspect/slope (2 x 2 m and 90 x 90 m)Soil pHSoil depthSoil TextureMicrofaunaCitations/make prettier7HypothesesBears will forage on some species of bromeliads while avoiding others.

Foraging will be affected by bromeliad proximity to conspecifics, other food plants, and cover.

Soil pH, depth, and texture will influence foraging

Elevation, slope, aspect, and microhabitat characteristics (located in a rise or hollow) will influence foraging on bromeliads, perhaps due to their effects on climate and moisture.

Bears will forage selectively on plants that collect water or microfauna and/or are flowering.

Bears will forage selectively on larger plants.Sampling Design (Garton et al. 2005)Two 5 km transectsTwenty plots (2 x 2 m) per transectWalk each transect every 2 weeks and monitor for foragingAdditional paired plots9Proposed Analysis (Garton et al. 2005)Multivariate logistic regression modelsAkaike information criterion (AIC) analysis10ImportanceExpand existing knowledge of a vulnerable species and ecosystemTarget conservation efforts

Team Project LinkagesAssess plant species diversity/ composition across a pramo gradientDeveloping a plant reference collection for diet of the Andean bearSocial and cultural importance of the pramo ecosystemLiterature CitedBuytaert, W., R. Clleri, B. De Bivre, F. Cisneros, G. Wyseure and J. Deckers. 2006. Human impact on the hydrology of the Andean pramos. Earth-Science Reviews 79:53-72.Garton, Edward O., John T. Ratti, and John H. Giudice. 2005. Research and Experimental Design. Chapter 3 In Braun, Clait (ed.). Techniques For Wildlife Investigations and Management.The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD.Goldstein, I., X. Velez-Liendo, S. Paisley and D. L. Garshelis. 2008.Tremarctos ornatus. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. .Keating, P.L. 1999. Changes in pramo vegetation along an elevation gradient in southern Ecuador. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 126: 159-175.Myers, N., R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, G. A. B. Da Fonseca and .J Kent. 2000. Biodiversity Hotspots for Conservation Priorities. Nature 40:853-858.Peyton B. 1999. Spectacled bear conservation action plan. In: Servheen C, Herrero S, Peyton B, editors. Bears, status survey and conservation action plan. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN: 1579Pohle, P. 2008. The people settled around Podocarpus National Park. E. Beck et al. (eds.). Gradients in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of Ecuador. Ecological Studies 198.Ros-Uzeda, B., H. Gmez and R. B. Wallace. 2005. Habitat preferences of the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in the Bolivian Andes. Journal of Zoology 268:271-278. Rivadeneira-Canedo, C. 2008. Estudio del oso andino (Tremarctos ornatus) como dispersor legtimo de semillas y elementos de su dieta en la regin de Apolobamba-Bolivia. Ecologa en Bolivia 43:29-39.Suarez, L. 1988. Seasonal distribution and food habits of spectacled bears Tremarctos ornatus in the highlands of Ecuador. Studies on neotropical fauna and environment 23:133-136.

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