Diversity and distribution patterns of medium to large mammals in a silvicultural landscape in south-eastern Brazil

Abstract

Agricultural landscapes cover approximately 35% of Brazil and are the second greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide. In Brazil, seven millions hectars of land is covered with Eucalyptus plantations, which is considered to have low conservation value. However, studies have shown that heterogeneous silvicultural landscapes, made up of Eucalyptus matrices and patches dedicated to conservation, are able to support a considerable diversity of wild mammals. This study aims to assess the diversity and distribution patterns of medium-tolarge-sized mammals in a silvicultural landscape in Angatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Nineteen species were detected by camera traps within the study area. Diversity indices did not vary among habitat types (i.e., native vegetation, abandoned pasture and Eucalyptus plantations), suggesting that the species use the landscape as a whole. A relatively diverse range of predator species was found in the area, suggesting that future monitoring programs should focus on predator-prey relationships. A low diversity of frugivores was detected, indicating that management actions should be taken to facilitate their local recovery. Our results stress the fundamental importance of the conservation areas (Permanent Preservation Areas and Legal Reserve) in silvicultural landscapes, as these areas help maintain complexity of the landscape structure.

Spatial alteration of fragmented forest landscape for improving structural quality of habitat: a case study from Radhanagar Forest Range, Bankura District, West Bengal, India

“…This result presents the large patches become qualitative than a small patch in the landscape. Same argument and result were found in the work of (Legese, Bekele, & Kiros, 2019) in Gurage zone, Ethiopia and (Campos, Charters, & Verdade, 2018) in south eastern Brazil. But in case of forest patch shape complexity or irregularity in RFR, the relation is found positive to patch area ( Figure 6).…”

“…All geometric indices calculated either class level or patch level depending on the objective of the study. Theoretically, increases of shape complexity indicate high fragments of patch structure (Ceauşu, Gomes, & Pereira, 2015). For better understanding, the study conducts two types of analysis one is class level (only forest patches in the landscape) and next is patch level (some individual selected patch).…”

Biodiversity and forestry: relative abundance of Nothura maculosa in eucalyptus plantations and native grasslands in southern Brazil

“…The silvicultural plantations that have a mosaic of associated areas of preserved native habitats or in recovering process, either as permanent preservation areas (Área de Preservação Permanente -APP) or legal reserves (Reserva Legal -RL) (Brasil, 2012), may play a positive role in the conservation of local biodiversity (Mazzolli, 2010;Bonilla-Sánchez et al, 2012;Pinto and Duarte, 2013;Campos et al, 2018). According to Lindenmayer et al (2009), patches of native forest fragments and riparian forests suffer a lower impact on their biologic diversity when the adjacent area is forest plantations.…”

Mamíferos silvestres en plantaciones forestales: ¿Una oportunidad para su conservación?

“…encontraron que la diversidad de mamíferos medianos y grandes como agutíes, zorros, venados, se ve afectada por un umbral en las proporciones del área ocupada por los remanentes nativos y el área plantada, mientras quePaviolo et al (2018) encontraron que especies medianas y pequeñas como agutíes, zarigüeyas y pecarís, fueron afectadas negativamente en su abundancia a mayor proporción de plantaciones de coníferas en relación al bosque nativo. Especies más grandes como el puma no mostraron un efecto Campos et al (2018). encontraron como patrón general que las especies medianas y grandes usan la heterogeneidad del paisaje conformada en los núcleos forestales como un todo, por lo que no registraron diferencias en la diversidad de las coberturas vegetales.…”