Tropical forests sustain most of the global terrestrial biodiversity, but they have suffered high rates of deforestation and defaunation of large vertebrates 7, 8. While some populations of large carnivores in North America and Europe are recovering as forested areas increase, along with protective legislation and greater human tolerance 4, 5, most large tropical carnivore populations are still declining 2, 6. However, the impact of these threats varies across regions and species 2. Human persecution, global habitat loss and fragmentation have exposed most species of large carnivores to extinction risk worldwide 2. These species require large areas of habitat with a stable prey base for their long-term survival, and they are particularly susceptible to population declines in human modified landscapes 3. The methodology in this study could be used for conservation planning of other carnivore species.Īpex predators, particularly large carnivores, are key components of ecosystems as they help maintain biodiversity and ecological processes via multiple food web pathways 1, 2. We classified areas according to their contribution to jaguar conservation and we recommend management actions for each of them. Habitat loss and fragmentation were the major causes for jaguar decline, but human induced mortality is the main threat for the remaining population. A connectivity analysis shows that most of the JCUs are isolated. We identified seven Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs) and seven potential JCUs, and only three of these areas may have ≥50 individuals.

The population of jaguars in the AF is probably lower than 300 individuals scattered in small sub-populations. Jaguars persist in around 2.8% of the region, and live in very low densities in most of the areas. About 85% of the jaguar’s habitat in the AF has been lost and only 7% remains in good condition. By combining data sets from 14 research groups across the region, we determine the population status of the jaguar and propose a spatial prioritization for conservation actions. The jaguar is the top predator of the Atlantic Forest (AF), which is a highly threatened biodiversity hotspot that occurs in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Scientific Reports volume 6, Article number: 37147 ( 2016) A biodiversity hotspot losing its top predator: The challenge of jaguar conservation in the Atlantic Forest of South America

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