The role of remnants of Amazon savanna for the conservation of Neotropical mammal communities in eucalyptus plantations

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effects of the partial conversion of native Amazon savanna into a eucalyptus plantation on the richness, composition, and abundance of medium and large mammals. Considering these plantations as an integral component of a patchwork savanna landscape, we verified how the negative effects of these plantations can be buffered by the conservation of remnants of native habitat within their area. We analyzed the contribution of each type of Amazonian savanna to the maintenance of the mammalian fauna and the potential of eucalyptus plantations to substitute these native habitats. A total of 23 mammal species were recorded in line-transect surveys conducted within the conserved savanna. By contrast, only eight species were recorded in the eucalyptus plantation and none of them were exclusive to this vegetation. However, the landscape patchwork formed by plantations and savanna was more diverse and contained 19 species of mammals, highlighting the potential importance of remnant savanna vegetation. The maintenance of remnants of savanna habitat may thus be essential for ensuring the conservation of mammals in the anthropogenic landscape of this region. It will also be important to include as many different subtypes of native savanna vegetation as possible and to consider the connectivity between habitats.