Three years of continuous monitoring of the large terrestrial mammals of Brownsberg Nature Park, Suriname

Available online

7 Dec 2016

Found in Edition

2016, volume 7, 643-660

Format

Full-length paper

Brownsberg Nature Park in Suriname has a rich biodiversity. The area is also threatened by mining, illegal hunting and possibly also tourism. To assess the impact of threats on the terrestrial mammal community, a long-term continuous monitoring survey was started in 2012. To assess mammal presence, abundance and activity, 27 camera traps were placed at 16 locations. In the three-year period the camera stations were triggered 55,949 times by an identifiable animal 27%, human 41% or vehicle 32%. Twenty-nine species of large terrestrial mammals were recorded, of which six were before this study only known to occur in the area through interviews with local residents. The crab-eating raccoon, was recorded from Brownsberg and the interior of Suriname for the first time. Twenty-eight percent of the species was recorded only after the first year and 10% only after the second year of camera trapping. Most species were relatively rare. The red-rumped agouti, puma, jaguar and red brocket deer caused most triggers. The relative abundance index RAI of agoutis and pumas was higher than reported anywhere else in the Americas. A seasonal pattern of activity could only be established for the agouti: highest activity in the period with most fruits on the ground, much less activity in the flowering period of most trees. None of the species seemed to decline over the three-year period. Twelve species can be considered of international conservation interest eight of these were shown to reproduce in the park. Differences in the number of triggers per species between areas could partly be explained by differences in tourism pressure.