Species richness and photographic capture rate of mammals in Northwestern Ecuador

Abstract

The Chocó ecoregion, one of the world's most biodiverse and endemic regions, is considered a global conservation priority. Despite its importance, the Ecuadorian Chocó remains one of the least studied areas of the ecoregion, with limited information on the composition and distribution of its wildlife. Our objective was to estimate the relative abundance (measured as the photographic capture rate) of mammals in the southern Chocó Biogeographic Region in Esmeraldas. From November 2023 to March 2024, we installed 61 double camera-trap stations across 549km2. With a sampling effort of 5,766 trap-nights, we obtained 1,479 independent records of 21 species of wild mammals, representing 16 families and seven orders. Of the recorded species: Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Alouatta palliata, Cebus capucinus, Speothos venaticus, Panthera onca and Tayassu pecari are classified as Critically Endangered nationally. Photographic capture rates ranged from 0.02 to 14.13 independent events/100 trap-nights, with Dasyprocta punctata (PCR = 14.13; 95% CI: 7.81-24.74) having the highest capture rates. Species richness in the study area is comparable to that of other protected areas along the Ecuadorian coast. The presence of keystone species, including the jaguar and the white-lipped peccary, highlighting the region's importance for the conservation of threatened species.