Medium and Large-sized Mammals in a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage in the Municipality of Jaú, São Paulo, Brazil

Ricardo Reale,Wilson Uieda,Renata Fonseca

doi:10.15560/10.5.997

Abstract

Medium and large-sized mammals control invertebrate and vertebrate populations and are important seed dispersers. These animals are losing their territory and living range due to deforestation and the fragmentation of natural areas, particularly in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. The Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (PRNH) Amadeu Botelho is isolated from other forest fragments and is thus a wildlife refuge in the region of Jau, central-western region of state of Sao Paulo, southeastem Brazil. Animals as such as the puma ( Puma concolor ), ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) and jaguarundi ( Puma yagouaroundi ) have been sighted in the reserve by wildlife guards and residents. This reserve, which belongs to “Santo Antonio dos Ipes” farm, is surrounded by several plantations, and is very close to the center of the city of Jau. In addition to surveying the mammal species in the reserve, this study diagnosed the influence of the farm’s activities and the proximity to the center of the municipality of Jau on the fauna under study

Highlights

There are approximately 5,600 mammal species in the world, 701 of which are found in Brazil, i.e., 12% of the all the world’s mammal species
The Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (PRNH) Amadeu Botelho is isolated from other forest fragments and is a wildlife refuge in the region of Jaú, central-western region of state of São Paulo, southeastem Brazil
When comparing this study with others surveys of equal content, conducted in the Atlantic biome of São Paulo, as Dotta (2005), Carvalho (2011) and De-Vivo (2011), it is shown that the Amadeu Botelho Ecological Reserve has a rich fauna of medium and large-sized mammals, indicating that the forest fragment has a good state of preservation and conservation

Summary

Introduction

There are approximately 5,600 mammal species in the world, 701 of which are found in Brazil, i.e., 12% of the all the world’s mammal species. Medium and large-sized mammals play an important role in seed dispersal and population control of invertebrates and vertebrates. Mammalian predators such as the pumas (Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)) and ocelots (Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)) are considered keystone species because they regulate prey populations and structure natural communities (Soulé 2000). Some are considered umbrella species, because they require very large areas of land and are fundamental to the existence and survival of other species. These mammals can be used as indicator species in conservation planning and monitoring. Maintaining viable populations of these species will ensure the preservation of sufficient habitat for numerous other species that require smaller areas (Noss et al 1997)

Methods

Results

Conclusion