deletions | additions       diff --git a/textbf_INTRODUCTION_Evaluating_the_abundance__.tex b/textbf_INTRODUCTION_Evaluating_the_abundance__.tex  index c2f9446..7715d9c 100644  --- a/textbf_INTRODUCTION_Evaluating_the_abundance__.tex  +++ b/textbf_INTRODUCTION_Evaluating_the_abundance__.tex 
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\textbf{INTRODUCTION}     Evaluating the abundance and distributions of terrestrial mammal communities is vital to promote efficient management plans and targeted conservation actions \cite{jenkins2013global}. Yet, we first need up-to-date, accurate and rigorously recorded data of the species present in an area to provide the basis of further analysis \cite{antos2014camera}. (Antos et al 2014).  This is especially important for medium and large sized mammals inhabiting tropical forests, as they are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, present high levels of diversity, and yet they are highly threatened mainly by human activities such as hunting, natural resource extraction, expansion of the agricultural and cattle frontier, and habitat loss and fragmentations \cite{carrillo2000monitoring, schipper2008status, rodrigues2009boom}. (Carrillo et al. 2000; Rodrigues et al. 2009). The western lowlands of Ecuador compromise part of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena hotspot (Myers 2000), which presents the highest population growth rate within the world hostpots (Cinccota 2000). An increase of the population size translates into an increase of the demand of goods, resources and infrastructure, which can potentially represent a major risk for the native flora and fauna of the region.    . Yet, we first need up-to-date, accurate and rigorously recorded data of the species present in an area to provide the basis of further analysis \cite{antos2014camera}. This is especially important for medium and large sized mammals inhabiting tropical forests, as they are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, present high levels of diversity, and yet they are highly threatened mainly by human activities such as hunting, natural resource extraction, expansion of the agricultural and cattle frontier, and habitat loss and fragmentations \cite{carrillo2000monitoring, schipper2008status, rodrigues2009boom}.  The coastal region western lowlands  of Ecuador is located inside the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena hotspot \cite{myers2000biodiversity}, which presents the highest population growth rate within the world hostpots \cite{cincotta2000human}. An increase of the population size translates into an increase of the demand of goods, resources and infrastructure, which can potentially represent a major risk for the native flora and fauna of the region. Although Ecuador is among the most biologically diverse country of the world, accurate data on the distribution and abundance of well known taxa such as terrestrial mammals, remains incomplete in the western lowlands of the country \cite{parker1992status}   Several factors have led to an increase in the use of camera-traps in mammal studies over the last decades. These include the opportunity to maximize encounter rate of terrestrial mammals, especially the cryptic ones, they are relatively inexpensive, efficient and easy to provide the basis for a standardized methodology (Rovero et al. 2014; Ahumada et al. 2013)   
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