Abstract

SERRANO-MAC-GREGOR, Isabel; REYNA-HURTADO, Rafael; MOLINA-ROSALES, Dolores  and  NARANJO-PINERA, Eduardo. Baird’s tapir: predicting patterns of crop damage surrounding the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Campeche, Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2021, vol.92, e923520.  Epub Mar 07, 2022. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2021.92.3520.

Baird’s tapir has been documented to cause little crop damage. However, the damage they do cause has led farmers to hunt them to prevent them from entering their fields. This study aims to identify damage caused by Baird’s tapir in crops in rural communities surrounding the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, as well to analyze variables influencing crop damage. Ecological and agricultural variables, as well as those related to crop protection measures, were examined. In order to measure the ecological variables, habitat and availability of wild fruit were characterized along transects. Agricultural variables and crop protection measures were measured through a questionnaire. In all study communities, tapirs were found to damage crops (an average of 14% of all crops among the 4 communities). The variables "number of farmers who cultivate beans" and "number of farmers applying other protective measures"were positively correlated with "percentage of crop damage". Generalized linear models showed that "number of farmers who cultivate beans" was the variable that best explained crop damage by the tapir. This study addresses the interaction between farmers and tapirs, providing information that could help explain crop damage caused by this mammal surrounding the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.

Keywords : Crop damage; Relative abundance; Generalized linear models; Crops; Ungulates.