The use of camera traps and mammal track search are complementary methods to monitoring species of which is not well documented their natural history, as in the case of medium and large mammals. To ensure its conservation and good management, it is necessary to generate information about the structure of the community and their populations. The objective of the present study was to estimate the diversity, relative abundance and activity patterns of medium and large mammals in a tropical deciduous forest located in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. Samplings were conducted in three month intervals, from September 2011 to May 2013. We used photographic-sampling and track search, two complementary sampling methods. For photographic-sampling, 12 camera traps were placed covering an area of 60km2, while for the tracks search a monthly tour of four line-transect surveys of three kilometers length each was undertaken. We obtained a total of 344 pictures with 5 292 trap-days total sampling effort; in addition, 187 track records in a total of 144km. With both methods we registered 21 species of mammals, in 13 families and seven orders, and five species resulted in new records to the area. The diversity index of Shannon-Wiener obtained with the method of tracks was H´=2.41, while the most abundant species were Urocyon cinereoargenteus (IAR=0.23) and Pecari tajacu (IAR=0.20). By the method of trap the most abundant species were P. tajacu (IAR=2.62) and Nasua narica (IAR=1.22). In terms of patterns of activity P. tajacu, N. narica and Odocoileus virginianus were primarily diurnal species; Canis latrans and Leopardus pardalis did not show preference for any schedule in particular, and Didelphis virginiana and Dasypus novemcinctus preferred to have nocturnal activity. This information can be of help to the creation of programs of management and conservation of mammals of medium and large in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, México.

Biodiversity is multidimensional and different mechanisms can influence different dimensions. The spatial distribution of these dimensions can help in conservation decisions through the location of complementary areas with high diversity. We analyzed congruence in spatial patterns of species richness and functional diversity of cricetid rodents in the state of Oaxaca, southern Mexico, at different scales, and environmental variables related. Potential distribution models were produced for 49 species of cricetids in Maxent and superimposed to obtain potential communities in cells of 25, 50,100, 200 and 400 km². We estimated species richness (SR) and functional diversity (SES.FD) eliminating the species richness effect through null models. The patterns and spatial congruence of species richness and functional diversity are described. The relationships between the environmental variables (elevation, temperature, precipitation, net primary productivity and potential evapotranspiration) and the SR and SES.FD were explored using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). The highest species richness was found in mountainous ecosystems while the highest functional diversity was in tropical forests, revealing a spatial incongruence among these components of biodiversity (r = -0.14, p = 0.42; Pearson correlation). The locations of the cells of low congruence varied according to spatial resolution. In univariate models, elevation was the variable that best explained species richness (R² = 0.77). No single variable explained the functional diversity; however, the models that included multiple environmental variables partially explained both the high and low functional diversity. The different patterns suggest that different historic, ecological and environmental processes could be responsible for the community structure of cricetid rodents in Oaxaca. These results indicate that one great challenge to be met to achieve more effective planning for biological conservation is to integrate knowledge regarding the spatial distribution of different dimensions of biodiversity.

En Oaxaca son escasos los registros que se conocen del jaguar (Panthera onca), por lo que en este trabajose actualiza su distribución geográfica y genera un modelo de distribución potencial de la especie en el estado. Serevisaron literatura y bases de datos de colecciones científicas nacionales y extranjeras y se realizó trabajo de campo.Se obtuvieron 31 registros; de éstos, el 83.87% son del trabajo de campo y el 16.13% de la literatura y coleccionescientíficas. Los registros pertenecen a la clase I de veracidad; son principalmente cráneos y pieles (48.39%), huellas yexcrementos (25.81%), en su mayoría de las regiones de la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (53.33%) y de la Sierra Madre delSur de Oaxaca y Chiapas (13.33%), en los municipios de Santiago Camotlán y Santa María Chimalapa, respectivamente.El 30% de estos registros proviene de bosque mesófilo de montaña. Las áreas comunales protegidas resultan unaexcelente estrategia de conservación, ya que dentro o cerca a ellas se encontró la mayor parte de los registros. El mapade distribución potencial muestra 5 grandes regiones con alta probabilidad de presencia de la especie.

We assessed the patterns of diversity, richness, abundance, and dissimilarity in rodent and bat communities for four sites on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico, an important region given the enormous number of endemic Neotropical species. The main objective was to examine rodent and bat community parameters relative to habitat diversity and human habitat disturbance in a fragmented landscape. We captured 1,133 individuals of 13 rodent species and 26 bat species from January to August 2006. The site (landscape unit) with greatest habitat diversity also had the highest diversity of rodents. Species dissimilarity was low between sites that had similar degrees of human disturbance. For rodents, species dissimilarity between habitats on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec landscape was generally high; therefore, the species are not distributed evenly across the entire landscape. For bats, the degree of species dissimilarity between the different habitats of the landscape was low. The distribution of bat species across the landscape is a reflection of their high vagility and the spatial structure of the landscape. The results show the importance of a diversity of habitats to the patterns of richness, abundance, and dissimilarity of mammals in the study area.

Wind energy has rapidly become an important alternative among renewable energies, and it is generally considered clean. However, little is known about its impact at the level of ecological communities, especially in biodiversity hotspots. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is a highly biodiverse region in Mesoamerica, and has the highest potential for generating wind energy in Mexico. To assess the effects of installing a wind farm on the understory bat community in a landscape of fragmented habitat, we assessed its diversity and composition over four stages of installation (site preparation, construction, and two stages of operation). We captured 919 bats belonging to 22 species. Species richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity decreased during construction and the first stage of operation. However, these components of biodiversity increased during the second stage of operation, and species composition began to resemble that of the site preparation stage. No species considered as sensitive to disturbance was recorded at any stage. This is the first study to reveal the diversity of a Neotropical bat community after wind turbines begin to operate.

Urbanization is one of the leading causes of habitat loss, which has increased significantly in tropical regions in recent years, leading to the loss of species, their ecological functions, and evolutionary history. To determine the effect of urbanization on the diversity of bat communities in urban and suburban environments, we analyzed the α and β taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities at four sites along urbanization gradients surrounding a rapidly expanding city (Oaxaca City) in southern Mexico. We recorded bats using conventional techniques such as mist nets and acoustic monitoring. We calculated the diversity of bats in four sites with different urbanization conditions: urban (1), suburban (1), and rural (2). To assess the degree of total differentiation and components of bat turnover and nestedness between sites, we calculated the β taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities. A total of 33 bat species were recorded. The highest taxonomic and functional diversity was observed in the Center of Oaxaca (the site with the highest level of urbanization). In contrast, the highest phylogenetic diversity was found in the West (the site with the lowest level of urbanization). The total β taxonomic diversity was higher than the functional and phylogenetic diversity. Regarding the contributions of turnover and nestedness, turnover made a more significant contribution than nestedness to the taxonomic and phylogenetic β diversity. In contrast, functional nestedness contributed more to the functional β diversity than turnover. Tadarida brasiliensis, Desmodus rotundus, Sturnira hondurensis, and S. parvidens were recorded in all three urbanization conditions. In the most urbanized site, four Myotis species were recorded: M. fortidens, M. keaysi, M. thysanodes, and M. velifer. We suggest that the analysis of different dimensions of diversity is essential and should be considered to strengthen conservation strategies; moreover, we suggest the preservation of native vegetation mosaics and water bodies within the city to maintain bat diversity.