Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

these, several are identified to genus or better, including Euterpe (the most
frequently occurring food), Mauritia flexuosa, Oenocarpus (Jessenia), Inga, Spondias
and Swartzia. Other plants whose fruits were reported to be eaten are of several
families, including Sapotaceae, Moraceae, Apocynaceae and Chrysobalanaceae.
Bodmer (1997) further reports the consumption of leaves of Gramineae, but no
others. Among the twenty-six fruit species reported in this study for which I am able
to suggest scientific names, twelve are corroborated to genus and a further eleven to
family in the scientific literature.
Table 7.8. Comparison of ethnoecological and ecological data sets for Mazama americana
Subject Ethnoecological Observations Ecological Observations
Diet Fruits, leaves, flowers, several kinds of Stomach samples contained
crops
80% fruits and around 20%
leaves/fibre [1]
Scarcity of food and water possible Stomach samples averaged
during dry season, at which time 56% of flowers, fruits and
leaves dominate diet, especially those seeds by volume, leaves also
of Cecropia, and farm crops also more important [2]
regularly used
Proportion of leaves rises
greatly when fruit unavailable
Some seeds predated, others [1], up to nearly 80% of dry
dispersed endozoochorously via either season diet [2]
regurgitation or defecation.
Palm seeds digested in rumen
[1]
Habitat use Rest in thick liana forest or small open Found throughout the forest,
spaces
but favour dense vegetation.
Often frequent fallows
Rest in sheltered spots when
Occasionally move temporarily onto
savannah
No consensus on ranging behaviour
not active [6]
Activity Mostly nocturnal and crepuscular Mostly active night, early
patterns Sometimes active in daytime during
rain
morning and late evening [7]
Reproductive Single young born
Possible birth peak in rainy season
Mother leaves calf hidden while
foraging
Not reported from wild
Intraspecific Most commonly solitary, also in pairs Solitary [6,7]
Interspecific Predators Puma concolor, Panthera Predated by jaguar [3,4]
onca, Camoudis, Harpia harpyja Remains found in nests of
Predator evasion by changing direction
and passing through creeks and
savannahs
Harpia harpyja [5]
[1] Bodmer 1989 [2] Branan et al. 1985 [3] Emmons 1987 [4] Tewes and Schmidly
1987 [5] Rettig 1978 [6] Emmons and Feer 1997: 178 [7] Eisenberg 1989: 325
Table 7.8 compares ethnoecological observations on red brocket deer with data from
the ecological literature. In eleven cases of information on the same subject, the
answers are identical or consistent in all cases.