ANALYZING LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY FOR FELIDAE IN OAXACA GIVEN CURRENT AND POTENTIAL COMMUNITY LAND USE TRENDS

Oaxaca state in southern Mexico lies adjacent to the Mesoamerican biological corridor and is comprised of a uniquely diverse landscape. It is further home to many indigenous peoples who possess autonomy and communal land rights. Tropical and deciduous forest ecosystems are essential to maintain landscape connectivity, and are becoming increasingly threatened by agricultural expansion, land privatization and urbanization. Suitable habitat within the range of the jaguar, Panthera onca, and other Felidae species is increasingly fragmented. Indigenous and rural community land management may play an important role in habitat integrity through mixed-use and traditional agroecological practices. This study examines the current distribution of key felid species and analyzes potential scenarios of land use change which may affect future fragmentation. Current land use and connectivity is modeled at both the state scale and for regional areas of interest. Scenario-based models are further used to help explore landscape connectivity in Oaxaca, through the relationship between land cover change, land use and presence of wildlife. Increased understanding of landscape connectivity for felids may inform future management of habitat conservation and restoration at various levels.