Abstract
The Cerrado biome is the second largest natural vegetation type existing in Brazil after the Amazon, covering 91% of the State of Tocantins, with 30% of the territory changed as a result of the expansion of economic development areas. The substitution of natural vegetation means habitat loss on species, and may put the survival of medium and large-sized mammal species under extinction risk. These species represent significant energy demands and high requirements of area within the habitat. This study aims to assess the species composition and the frequency of use of physiognomic types of vegetation by medium and large-sized mammals. The study was conducted from 2001 to 2011 using a set of complementary and alternative techniques in fragments of seven different physiognomic types of vegetation. Fourth-seven medium and large-sized mammals were registered. This record corresponds to 92% of species already described within the biome, and five additional species to those registered in the data base of the State of Tocantins. Fourteen of these species are at certain degree of threat of extinction. The most used physiognomic types of vegetation in terms of canopy cover were Cerradao, Typical Cerrado, Riparian Forest and Dense Cerrado, and the less used were Gallery Forest, Campo Sujo and Vereda.
Highlights
Cerrado is the second largest of Brazil's major habitat types, after the Amazonian rainforest, and accounts 24% of the country's land area (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2004; 2012). Estimates show that this biome consists of various physiognomic types of vegetation, and covers 91% of the territory of the State of Tocantins
This is the only one of four States fully included in the implementation region of the Matopiba Plan for Farming Development, which is found to be the greater border for the expansion and intensification of the agricultural production in Brazil (Buainain, Garcia, & Vieira-Filho, 2015)
The present study shows data collected from February 2001 to December 2011
Summary
Cerrado is the second largest of Brazil's major habitat types, after the Amazonian rainforest, and accounts 24% of the country's land area (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2004; 2012). Estimates show that this biome consists of various physiognomic types of vegetation, and covers 91% of the territory of the State of Tocantins. This is the only one of four States fully included in the implementation region of the Matopiba Plan for Farming Development, which is found to be the greater border for the expansion and intensification of the agricultural production in Brazil (Buainain, Garcia, & Vieira-Filho, 2015). Theoretical and empirical evidences show that the greater energy demand of mammalian species with greater body weight means lesser density, greater life areas and, greater probability for extinction especially during the most advanced degradation stages of the habitat (Grelle, Paglia, & Silva, 2006)
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