ECOLOGÍA DE TAPIRUS BAIRDII (PERISSODACTYLA: TAPIRIDAE) EN LA RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA EL TRIUNFO (POLÍGONO I), CHIAPAS, MÉXICO

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to know the relative abundance, density, habitat use, feeding habits, impact of ecotourism and coffee plantations, and hunting of Baird´s tapir (Tapirus bairdii) in the Polygon I of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. Relative abundance indices and density estimates obtained along 456.9 km of transect lines (0.67 tracks/km, 0.25 tapir feces/km, 0.40 ind/100 km, and 0.07 ind/km²) were slightly different from those reported in previous studies. Baird´s tapir was more abundant and used with greater intensity the Cloud forest with respect to the other vegetation types (P <0.01). Tapirs also avoided moving along transects with ecotourism activities (P <0.0001), and very disturbed habitats such as coffee plantations. Tapir diet was composed by fiber (50.6%), leaves (45.5%), and fruit (3.9%). Twenty-five species of 27 plant families consumed by Baird´s tapir were collected during the study. Nine of these plant families constitute new records for Baird’s tapir diet. The best represented families were Solanaceae, Rubiaceae and Asteraceae. The analysis of interviews with residents of the study area and staff of the reserve, suggests that occasional tapir hunting persists mainly around the limits of the core area, where a constant transformation of forests into coffee plantations exists. The permanence of Baird´s tapir in the study area will not only depend on avoiding further opening of transects for ecoturism, bird watching, and other recreational activities in the protected area, but also on looking for alternative agroforestry systems which may help to diminish hunting pressure towards this mammal in the buffer zones of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve.