Material use to build the figures presented in the manuscript: The importance of livestock in the diet of Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) in Northwestern Mexico
Data files
Sep 20, 2024 version files 38.66 KB
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README.md
1.98 KB
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Repository_material_Reyes_Diaz_et_al.docx
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Abstract
The reintroduction of the Mexican wolf in the wilds of Northwestern Mexico has allowed us to address its trophic ecology and elucidate conflicts with livestock producers: their main mortality factor. Our objective was to determine the feeding habits of wolves in Mexico, as well as the quantity and frequency of livestock predation in relation to seasonal and individual variables, through the analysis of genetically identified scats. During 2012-2022 we collected 1,171 Mexican wolf scats. We extracted and sequenced DNAm and identified individuals and their sex using microsatellite analysis. We washed the scat and separated the undigested components for taxonomic identification. We estimated the frequency of prey items, the biomass it contributed to the diet, and compared prey consumption between sexes and between the birth and dispersal seasons. We constructed generalized linear models to identify the relationship between livestock presence in the diet and dietary prey richness with respect to environmental and individual variables. We identified 68 wolves that had consumed 30 species of vertebrates. Of these, white-tailed deer (36.12%), diversionary feeding (22.79%), and cattle (25.56%), had the highest contribution to biomass. The ingest of items was independent of the sex of the wolves but is dependent on the season. The presence of deer and diversionary feeding decreased the likelihood cattle were ingested but also decreases the richness of wild items species in the wolf diet. Wolves in Northwestern Mexico fed on mainly on large prey available in the reintroduction area including livestock. As wolves consume livestock, it increases the risk of retaliatory actions from ranchers. Our results serve as a basis for the implementation of strategies to reduce human-wolf conflicts and set a baseline for coexistence in Northwest Mexico.
README: Material use to build the figures presented in the manuscript: The importance of livestock in the diet of Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) in Northwestern Mexico
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.f1vhhmh57
Description of the data and file structure
The dataset contains data used to construct the figures used in the manuscript The importance of livestock in the diet of Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) in Northwestern Mexico based on data collected from 2012 to 2022.
The dataset contains a word file that contains the tables used to build figures 2, 3 and 4.
There is a heading per figure.
Figure 2. Biomass contribution of different ingested items to the diet of the Mexican wolf in Northwest Mexico from 2012 to 2022. The biomass contributed by White-tailed deer, cattle and diversionary feeding stood out throughout this period.
Heading of the table is the year of data collection in the columns, prey categories are listed per line in the first column.
Figure 3. Analysis of boxplot similarities in the diet of Mexican wolves in Northwest Mexico between a) sexes and b) seasons. The similarities were based on the data of ingested items found in scats collected between 2012 and 2022.
Heading of the table in figure 3a includes year, and prey category expressed as frequency. Samples are listed in column one.
Heading of the table in figure 3b includes year, and prey category expressed as frequency. Years are listed in column one.
Figure 4. Non-metric multidimensional scaling of ingested items by Mexican wolves in Northwest between 2012 and 2022 according to a) season and b) sex. Bir - Birds, car -Carnivores, DFe - Diversionary feeding, Lep - Leporids, Liv - Livestock, Sma - Small mammals, Squ - Squirrels, Wun - Wild ungulates.
Table for figure 4a includes three columns, columns NMDS1 and NMDS2 include coordinates.
Table for figure 4b includes three columns, columns NMDS1 and NMDS2 include coordinates.
Methods
The dataset presented is the summary of information used to construct the figures utilized in the manuscript. It was processed using a variety of analysis expressed in the manuscript.