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Magioli M, Lima LHA, Villela PMS, Sampaio R, Bonjorne L, Ribeiro RLA, Kantek DLZ, Miyazaki SS, Semedo TBF, Libardi GS, Saranholi BH, Eriksson CE, Morato RG, Berlinck CN. Forest type modulates mammalian responses to megafires. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13538. [PMID: 38866909 PMCID: PMC11169498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64460-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Although considered an evolutionary force responsible for shaping ecosystems and biodiversity, fires' natural cycle is being altered by human activities, increasing the odds of destructive megafire events. Here, we show that forest type modulates the responses of terrestrial mammals, from species to assemblage level, to a catastrophic megafire in the Brazilian Pantanal. We unraveled that mammalian richness was higher 1 year after fire passage compared to a pre-fire condition, which can be attributed to habitat modification caused by wildfires, attracting herbivores and open-area tolerant species. We observed changes in assemblage composition between burned/unburned sites, but no difference in mammalian richness or relative abundance. However, by partitioning the effects of burned area proportion per forest type (monospecific vs. polyspecific), we detected differential responses of mammals at several levels of organization, with pronounced declines in species richness and relative abundance in monospecific forests. Eighty-six percent of the species presented moderate to strong negative effects on their relative abundance, with an overall strong negative effect for the entire assemblage. Wildfires are predicted to be more frequent with climate and land use change, and if events analogous to Pantanal-2020 become recurrent, they might trigger regional beta diversity change, benefitting open-area tolerant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Magioli
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LAEC), Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
| | - Luanne Helena Augusto Lima
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Sampaio
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LAEC), Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP), Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lilian Bonjorne
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renan Lieto Alves Ribeiro
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Luis Zanella Kantek
- Estação Ecológica de Taiamã, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Selma Samiko Miyazaki
- Estação Ecológica de Taiamã, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago B F Semedo
- InBIO Laboratório Associado, CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002, Porto, Portugal
| | - Gustavo S Libardi
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Bruno H Saranholi
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Charlotte E Eriksson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Ronaldo Gonçalves Morato
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Conservação e Uso Sustentável da Biodiversidade, Secretaria Nacional de Biodiversidade, Floresta e Direito dos Animais, Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança Clima, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Christian Niel Berlinck
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Carnívoros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil
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Bergstrom BJ, Scruggs SB, Vieira EM. Tropical savanna small mammals respond to loss of cover following disturbance: A global review of field studies. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1017361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-mammal faunas of tropical savannas consist of endemic assemblages of murid rodents, small marsupials, and insectivores on four continents. Small mammals in tropical savannas are understudied compared to other tropical habitats and other taxonomic groups (e.g., Afrotropical megafauna or Neotropical rainforest mammals). Their importance as prey, ecosystem engineers, disease reservoirs, and declining members of endemic biodiversity in tropical savannas compels us to understand the factors that regulate their abundance and diversity. We reviewed field studies published in the last 35 years that examined, mostly experimentally, the effects of varying three primary endogenous disturbances in tropical savanna ecosystems—fire, large mammalian herbivory (LMH), and drought—on abundance and diversity of non-volant small mammals. These disturbances are most likely to affect habitat structure (cover or concealment), food availability, or both, for ground-dwelling small mammalian herbivores, omnivores, and insectivores. Of 63 studies (included in 55 published papers) meeting these criteria from the Afrotropics, Neotropics, and northern Australia (none was found from southern Asia), 29 studies concluded that small mammals responded (mostly negatively) to a loss of cover (mostly from LMH and fire); four found evidence of increased predation on small mammals in lower-cover treatments (e.g., grazed or burned). Eighteen studies concluded a combination of food- and cover-limitation explained small-mammal responses to endogenous disturbances. Only two studies concluded small-mammal declines in response to habitat-altering disturbance were caused by food limitation and not related to cover reduction. Evidence to date indicates that abundance and richness of small savanna mammals, in general (with important exceptions), is enhanced by vegetative cover (especially tall grass, but sometimes shrub cover) as refugia for these prey species amid a “landscape of fear,” particularly for diurnal, non-cursorial, and non-fossorial species. These species have been called “decreasers” in response to cover reduction, whereas a minority of small-mammal species have been shown to be “increasers” or disturbance-tolerant. Complex relationships between endogenous disturbances and small-mammal food resources are important secondary factors, but only six studies manipulated or measured food resources simultaneous to habitat manipulations. While more such studies are needed, designing effective ones for cryptic consumer communities of omnivorous dietary opportunists is a significant challenge.
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Effects of severe fires on the survival and body condition of Gracilinanus agilis in a Cerrado remnant. Mamm Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00340-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Welch JR. Challenges and Opportunities for Ethical Collaborative Research: Social Contours of A'uwẽ (Xavante) Ethnobiological Knowledge. J ETHNOBIOL 2022. [DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-42.1.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James R. Welch
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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OUP accepted manuscript. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Mattos ID, Zimbres B, Marinho-Filho J. Habitat Specificity Modulates the Response of Small Mammals to Habitat Fragmentation, Loss, and Quality in a Neotropical Savanna. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.751315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Landscape conversion of natural environments into agriculture and pasture are driving a marked biodiversity decline in the tropics. Consequences of fragmentation might depend upon habitat amount in the landscape, while the quality of remnants can also affect some species. These factors have been poorly studied in relation to different spatial scales. Furthermore, the impacts of these human-driven alterations may go beyond species loss, possibly causing a loss of ecosystem function and services. In this study, we investigated how changes in landscape configuration (patch size and isolation), habitat loss (considering a landscape gradient of 10, 25, and 40% of remnant forest cover), and habitat quality (forest structure) affect small mammal abundance, richness, taxonomic/functional diversity, and species composition in fragmented landscapes of semideciduous forests in the Brazilian Cerrado. Analyses were performed separately for habitat generalists and forest specialists. We live-trapped small mammals and measured habitat quality descriptors four times in 36 forest patches over the years 2018 and 2019, encompassing both rainy and dry seasons, with a total capture effort of 45,120 trap-nights. Regression analyses indicated that the effect of landscape configuration was not dependent on the proportion of habitat amount in the landscape to determine small mammal assemblages. However, both patch size and habitat loss impacted different aspects of the assemblages in distinct ways. Smaller patches were mainly linked to an overall increase in small mammal abundance, while the abundance of habitat generalists was also negatively affected by habitat amount. Generalist species richness was determined by the proportion of habitat amount in the landscape. Specialist richness was influenced by patch forest quality only, suggesting that species with more demanding habitat requirements might respond to fragmentation and habitat loss at finer scales. Taxonomic or functional diversity were not influenced by landscape structure or habitat quality. However, patch size and habitat amount in the landscape were the major drivers of change in small mammal species composition in semideciduous forests in the Brazilian savanna.
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Cazetta TC, Vieira EM. Fire Occurrence Mediates Small-Mammal Seed Removal of Native Tree Species in a Neotropical Savanna. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.793947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal and predation are critical processes for plant recruitment which can be affected by fire events. We investigated community composition of small mammals in gallery forests with distinct burning histories (burned or not burned ∼3 years before) in the Cerrado (neotropical savanna). We evaluated the role of these animals as seed removers of six native tree species, potentially mediated by the occurrence of fire. We sampled four previously burned sites and four unburned ones. Seed removal was assessed using two exclusion treatments: exclusive access of small rodents and access of all seed-removing vertebrates. The previous burning changed the structural characteristics of the forests, increasing the density of the understory vegetation and herbaceous cover, which determined differences in species composition, richness, and abundance of small rodents (abundance in the burned forests was 1/6 of the abundance in the unburnt ones). Seed removal rates across the six species were reduced in burnt forests in both treatments and were higher for the “all vertebrates” treatment. Other vertebrates, larger than small rodents, played a significant role as seed removers for five of the six species. The effects of fire were consistent across species, but for the two species with the largest seeds (Hymenaea courbaril and Mauritia flexuosa) removal rates for both treatments were extremely low in the burned forests (≦5%). The observed decline in small rodent seed predation in the burned forests may have medium to long-term consequences on plant communities in gallery forests, potentially affecting community composition and species coexistence in these forests. Moreover, fire caused a sharp decline in seed removal by large mammals, indicating that the maintenance of dispersal services provided by these mammals (mainly the agouti Dasyprota azarae) for the large-seeded species may be jeopardized by the burning of gallery forests. This burning would also affect several small mammal species that occur in the surrounding typical savanna habitats but also use these forests. Fire events have been increasing in frequency and intensity because of human activities and climate changing. This current scenario poses a serious threat considering that these forests are fire-sensitive ecosystems within the Cerrado.
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González TM, González-Trujillo JD, Muñoz A, Armenteras D. Differential effects of fire on the occupancy of small mammals in neotropical savanna-gallery forests. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Berlinck CN, Lima LHA, Carvalho Junior EARD. Historical survey of research related to fire management and fauna conservation in the world and in Brazil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: Fire is a key ecological factor affecting biodiversity structure and composition. Fires' effects on biodiversity can be beneficial or harmful depending on how, where, when, and why they occur. The impacts of fire on fauna vary according to species ecology and the fire regime. To understand the research effort relating fire, fauna, and mammals, we surveyed papers published in World and in Brazil. Only 5% of the publications between 1970 and 2019 with fire subject dealt with fauna and 0.5% with mammal. For Brazil, we obtained 7% of papers for fauna and 3% for mammal. The Brazilian Biome with more papers was Cerrado, followed by Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Pampas, Caatinga and Pantanal. The United States of America and Australia stand out as protagonists in their continents with the largest papers number. The volume of research is related to investment in Research and Development and to occurrence of fires. The slope of temporal trend shows the terms related to wildfire have more papers than prescribed burn and there is less interest in fauna and mammal research. It is necessary to form research groups with these themes as research lines and intensify research relating fire ecology and mammals. There is yet no unified understanding of how fire may influence animal diversity and how it influences the vegetative structure and subsequently the resources which wildlife rely on. We consider this information is essential to establish efficient conservation policies.
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Paise G, Vieira EM, Prado PI. Small mammals respond to extreme habitat fragmentation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest according to the landscape continuum model. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00464-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Fagundes R, Lange D, Anjos DV, Paixão de Lima F, Nahas L, Corro EJ, Gomes Silva PB, Del-Claro K, Ribeiro SP, Dáttilo W. Limited effects of fire disturbances on the species diversity and structure of ant-plant interaction networks in Brazilian Cerrado. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Camargo ACL, Barrio ROL, de Camargo NF, Mendonça AF, Ribeiro JF, Rodrigues CMF, Vieira EM. Fire affects the occurrence of small mammals at distinct spatial scales in a neotropical savanna. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1224-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Complex mammal species responses to fire in a native tropical savannah invaded by non-native grader grass (Themeda quadrivalvis). Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1224-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Ragusa-Netto J. Nut density and removal in Syagrus loefgrenii Glassman (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian Cerrado. BRAZ J BIOL 2016; 76:726-34. [DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.02715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract In this study, I tested the effect of Syagrus loefgrenii nut number on the removal intensity by rodents across seasons. Also, I assessed both S. loefgrenii fruit production, and dispersion pattern to analyze the relationship between these parameters and nut removal. Trials were performed (autumn, winter, spring, and summer), in which endocarps were placed inside trays (5, 15, and 40 endocarps) in the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna). Syagrus loefgrenii exhibited clumped distribution, although its local density had no correlation with endocarp removal rate. Despite of variations, S. loefgrenii fruit production had no seasonal difference, although, high proportions of endocarps were year round removed. This mostly results from nearly complete endocarp loss in depots of 5 and 15, while the opposite occurred in those of 40. Hence, the intensity of removal consistently decreases with endocarp number, so that endocarp removal conformed to negative distance-dependence. As this palm exhibit clumped distribution and, in principle, fruit asynchronously, if, at least, a group of neighboring stems bore fruits simultaneously, an enhanced number of nuts might be available at a given site. Therefore, seeds within a dense S. loefgrenii fruit patch might experience high survival rates due to satiation of post dispersal seed predators.
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Mendonça AF, Armond T, Camargo ACL, Camargo NF, Ribeiro JF, Zangrandi PL, Vieira EM. Effects of an extensive fire on arboreal small mammal populations in a neotropical savanna woodland. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Oliveira HFMD, Aguiar LM. The response of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) to an incidental fire on a gallery forest at a Neotropical savanna. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2015. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2015-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fire is a common and natural event in Cerrado that can influence the composition of trees and mammals and change the entire conditions of the environment. This study was developed in a gallery forest of Distrito Federal - Brazil. Bat samplings were conducted for a total of six nights after a fire that happened on the gallery forest. Three samplings were conducted: one day, three months and seven months after fire. A total of nine mist nets (12 m x 3 m) were opened from 7pm to 1am. Captured bats were measured and identified to species. Shannon index measured the species diversity of bats in the gallery forest over time. A rarefaction curve was made to assess the estimated bat richness in each of the samplings and a chi-square test was used to check whether there have been changes on bat abundances over time. A total of 46 bats from 8 different species and one family were captured. The most abundant species was Sturnira lilium. Species diversity and abundance increased over time and there was a gradual accumulation of species and specimens indicating that the succession and recovery of the forest occurs due to a temporal addition of specimens and species in the assemblage and not as punctual occurrences. Probably, this recovery pattern reflects a gradual increase in the availability of resources and recovery of the forest canopy, progressively offering more shelter and food for the bat assemblage.
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Mowat EJ, Webb JK, Crowther MS. Fire-mediated niche-separation between two sympatric small mammal species. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Mowat
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Jonathan K. Webb
- School of the Environment; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway New South Wales Australia
| | - Mathew S. Crowther
- School of Biological Sciences, Building A08; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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Plavsic MJ. Proximate and ultimate drivers of small-mammal recolonization after fire: microhabitat conditions, rainfall and species traits. Anim Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Plavsic
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
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Santori RT, Delciellos AC, Vieira MV, Gobbi N, Loguercio MFDC, Rocha-Barbosa O. Swimming performance in semiaquatic and terrestrial Oryzomyine rodents. Mamm Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Kelt DA, Meserve PL. Status and challenges for conservation of small mammal assemblages in South America. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 89:705-22. [PMID: 24450972 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Revised: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
South America spans about 44° latitude, covers almost 18 million km(2) , and is second only to Africa in continental mammal species richness. In spite of this richness, research on the status of this fauna and on the nature and magnitude of contemporary threats remains limited. Distilling threats to this diverse fauna at a continental scale is challenging, in part because of the limited availability of rigorous studies. Recognizing this constraint, we summarize key threats to small mammals in South America, emphasizing the roles of habitat loss and degradation, direct persecution, and the increasing threat of climate change. We focus on three regional 'case studies': the tropical Andes, Amazonia and adjacent lowland regions, and the southern temperate region. We close with a brief summary of recent findings at our long-term research site in north-central Chile as they pertain to projected threats to this fauna. Habitat alteration is a pervasive threat that has been magnified by market forces and globalization (e.g. extensive agricultural development in Amazonia), and threatens increasing numbers of populations and species. Climate change poses even greater threats, from changes in rainfall and runoff regimes and resulting changes in vegetative structure and composition to secondary influences on fire dynamics. It is likely that many changes have yet to be recognized, but existing threats suggest that the future may bring dramatic changes in the distribution of many mammal taxa, although it is not clear if key habitat elements (vegetation) will respond as rapidly as climatic factors, leading to substantial uncertainty. Climate change is likely to result in 'winners' and 'losers' but available information precludes detailed assessment of which species are likely to fall into which category. In the absence of long-term monitoring and applied research to characterize these threats more accurately, and to develop strategies to reduce their impacts, managers already are being faced with daunting challenges. As the line between 'pure' and 'applied' research blurs in the face of converging interests of scientists and society we hope that solutions to these critical issues will be incorporated in addressing anticipated conservation crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas A Kelt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616-5270, U.S.A
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Direct and Short-Term Effects of Fire on Lizard Assemblages from a Neotropical Savanna Hotspot. J HERPETOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1670/12-043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Mendes-Oliveira AC, Santos PGPD, Carvalho-Júnior OD, Montag LFDA, Lima RCSD, Maria SLSD, Rossi RV. Edge effects and the impact of wildfires on populations of small non-volant mammals in the forest-savanna transition zone in Southern Amazonia. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2012. [DOI: 10.1590/s1676-06032012000300004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The impact of fire and edge effects on the community of small non-volant mammals was investigated in transitional Amazon forest within a matrix of soybean plantations. The animals were live trapped on 24 line transects, of which 16 were distributed in unburned areas and 8 in a burned area. A total of 11 species was recorded, including six rodents and five marsupials. The abundance and richness of small mammals appeared to decrease in burned areas, although this impact appeared to mask edge effects. In the absence of fire impacts, a positive relationship was found between mammal abundance and the distance from the forest edge. The impact of the edge effect on the diversity of small mammals appears to be influenced by the type of anthropogenic matrix and the ecological characteristics of the different species.
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Napoli R, Caceres N. Absence of edge effect on small mammals in woodland-savannah remnants in Brazil. COMMUNITY ECOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1556/comec.13.2012.1.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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MacFadyen D, Avenant N, van der Merwe M, Bredenkamp G. The Influence of Fire on Rodent Abundance at the N'washitshumbe Enclosure Site, Kruger National Park, South Africa†. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.3377/004.047.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Litt AR, Steidl RJ. Interactive effects of fire and nonnative plants on small mammals in Grasslands. WILDLIFE MONOGRAPHS 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/wmon.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Almeida S, Louzada J, Sperber C, Barlow J. Subtle Land-Use Change and Tropical Biodiversity: Dung Beetle Communities in Cerrado Grasslands and Exotic Pastures. Biotropica 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00751.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Cáceres NC, Napoli RP, Lopes WH, Casella J, Gazeta GS. Natural history of the marsupialThylamys macrurus(Mammalia, Didelphidae) in fragments of savannah in southwestern Brazil. J NAT HIST 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/00222930701520835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Santos RAL, Henriques RPB. Variação espacial e influência do habitat na estrutura de comunidades de pequenos mamíferos em áreas de campo rupestre no Distrito Federal. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2010. [DOI: 10.1590/s1676-06032010000100002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
No presente estudo foram investigadas as comunidades de pequenos mamíferos em campos rupestres do Distrito Federal (DF). Foram analisadas a composição, abundância e riqueza e suas relações com a estrutura do habitat e se existe variação espacial significativa na composição de espécies entre os sítios de campo rupestre. Os pequenos mamíferos foram estudados com o método de marcação e recaptura em sete sítios. O esforço total para os sete sítios foi de 5.680 armadilhas-noite, sendo capturados 157 indivíduos e oito espécies de roedores. Calomys tener e Cerradomys scotti foram as espécies mais abundantes do estudo, com 47,1 e 18,0% do total de indivíduos, respectivamente. Ambas estavam presentes em todos os sítios amostrados. Os resultados mostraram que as áreas de campo rupestre do DF apresentam uma fauna de pequenos mamíferos (média de quatro com amplitude de variação de três a cinco espécies), comparáveis a de outras fisionomias de Cerrado. A complexidade do habitat mostrou-se como um dos principais determinantes na composição das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos em campo rupestre. Houve distinção entre as comunidades de pequenos mamíferos dos sítios da APA Gama e Cabeça de Veado e dos sítios da APA de Cafuringa. Foi constatada influência da distância entre os locais sobre a composição de espécies, com a similaridade diminuindo com o aumento da distância entre os sítios. As diferenças nas condições ambientais, na estrutura do habitat e o fato de tratar-se de duas possíveis regiões biogeográficas podem explicar as diferenças faunísticas entre as duas regiões.
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Hannibal W, Caceres NC. Use of vertical space by small mammals in gallery forest and woodland savannah in south-western Brazil. MAMMALIA 2010. [DOI: 10.1515/mamm.2010.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Santos-Filho M, Silva DJD, Sanaiotti TM. Edge effects and landscape matrix use by a small mammal community in fragments of semideciduous submontane forest in Mato Grosso, Brazil. BRAZ J BIOL 2009; 68:703-10. [PMID: 19197487 DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842008000400004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2006] [Accepted: 11/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A community of small mammals was studied in seasonal semideciduous submontane forest in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. This study evaluated the use of edge and matrix pasture, by different small mammal species. Overall, 31 areas were studied, with a total sampling effort of 33,800 trap x nights. Only seven of the 25 species captured in the study sites were able to use the pasture matrix; we classified these species as generalists. Fourteen species were found to be intermediate in habits, being able to use forest edges. We found only four species habitat specialists, occurring only on transect lines in the interior of the fragment, at least 150 m from the edge. Transects located in the pasture matrix and 50 m from the edge had significantly lower species richness and abundance than transects located in the fragment edge or in the interior of the fragment. All transects located within the fragment had similar species richness and abundance, but transects located 50 m from the edge had slightly lower, but non-significant, species richness than transects located 100 m apart from edges. Rarefaction curves demonstrated that only medium-sized fragments (100-300 ha) reached an asymptote of species accumulation. The other areas require further sampling, or more sampling transect, before species accumulation curves stabilize, due to a continued increase in species number.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Santos-Filho
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brazil, 69060-001.
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Jaffe KE, Isbell LA. After the fire: benefits of reduced ground cover for vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops). Am J Primatol 2009; 71:252-60. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Santori RT, Vieira MV, Rocha-Barbosa O, Magnan-Neto JA, Gobbi N. Water Absorption of the Fur and Swimming Behavior of Semiaquatic and Terrestrial Oryzomine Rodents. J Mammal 2008. [DOI: 10.1644/07-mamm-a-327.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Yarnell RW, Scott DM, Chimimba CT, Metcalfe DJ. Untangling the roles of fire, grazing and rainfall on small mammal communities in grassland ecosystems. Oecologia 2007; 154:387-402. [PMID: 17846799 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0841-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2006] [Accepted: 07/31/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In grassland systems across the globe, ecologists have been attempting to understand the complex role of fire, grazing and rainfall in creating habitat heterogeneity and the consequences of anthropogenic control of these factors on ecosystem integrity and functioning. Using a South African grassland ecosystem as a model, we investigated the impact of fire and grazing pressure on small mammal communities during three differing periods of a rainfall cycle. Over 2 years, 15,203 trap nights revealed 1598 captures of 11 species (nine rodents, one macroscelid and one insectivore). Results highlighted the importance of the interplay between factors and showed that the role of fire, grazing and rainfall in determining small mammal abundance was species-dependant. While no two species were affected by the same environmental variables, grass cover or height was important to 56% of species. Considered independently, high rainfall had a positive influence on small mammal abundance and diversity, although the lag period in population response was species-specific. High grazing negatively affected overall abundance, but specifically in Mastomys coucha; fire alone had little immediate impact on small mammal diversity. Six months after the fire, vegetation cover had recovered to similar levels as unburned areas, although small mammal diversity and richness were higher in burned areas than unburned areas. Grazing levels influenced the rate of vegetation recovery. In conclusion, low-level grazing and burning can help to maintain small mammal biodiversity, if conducted under appropriate rainfall levels. A too high grazing pressure, combined with fire, and/or fire conducted under drought conditions can have a negative impact on small mammal biodiversity. To maintain small mammal diversity in grassland ecosystems, the combined effects of the previous year's rainfall and existing population level as well as the inhibition of vegetation recovery via grazing pressure need to be taken into consideration before fire management is applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- R W Yarnell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK.
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Zhang M, Wang K, Wang Y, Guo C, Li B, Huang H. Recovery of a rodent community in an agro-ecosystem after flooding. J Zool (1987) 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00248.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Carmignotto AP, Monfort T. Taxonomy and distribution of the Brazilian species of Thylamys (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) / La taxonomie et la distribution des espèces brésiliennes du genre Thylamys (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae). MAMMALIA 2006. [DOI: 10.1515/mamm.2006.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe recent increase in mammal inventories and the widespread use of pitfall traps as a major capture method in Brazil have increased the number of non-volant small mammal specimens in scientific collections, providing new information on natural history, geographical range, and taxonomic status of many marsupials and rodents. To date, however, little is known about the Brazilian species of the marsupial genus Thylamys : the number of species in the country is disputed, as are their names and geographic distribution. Thus, the aim of this study was to define the Brazilian species of the genus, delimiting their taxonomic status and distributional range. We provide qualitative and quantitative data on external and skull morphology for specimens housed in scientific collections. A study of the material available allowed us to recognize the occurrence of three species in Brazil: Thylamys karimii (Petter, 1968), T. macrurus (Olfers, 1818) and T. velutinus (Wagner, 1842). For each of these we provide redescriptions, a discussion of local and geographic variations, geographic distribution, taxonomy, age class differentiation, sexual dimorphism, and natural history.
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Vieira E, Iob G, Briani D, Palma A. Microhabitat selection and daily movements of two rodents (Necromys lasiurus and Oryzomys scotti) in Brazilian Cerrado, as revealed by a spool-and-line device. Mamm Biol 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2005.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ghizoni IR, Layme VMG, Lima AP, Magnusson WE. SPATIALLY EXPLICIT POPULATION DYNAMICS IN A DECLINING POPULATION OF THE TROPICAL RODENT, BOLOMYS LASIURUS. J Mammal 2005. [DOI: 10.1644/1545-1542(2005)086[0677:sepdia]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Esque TC, Schwalbe CR, Defalco LA, Duncan RB, Hughes TJ. EFFECTS OF DESERT WILDFIRES ON DESERT TORTOISE (GOPHERUS AGASSIZII) AND OTHER SMALL VERTEBRATES. SOUTHWEST NAT 2003. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909(2003)048<0103:eodwod>2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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