Large-sized Mammal Species Research Articles

Identifying medium- and large-sized mammal species sensitive to anthropogenic impacts for monitoring in subtropical montane forests

SummaryMedium- and large-sized mammals play important roles in maintaining forest ecosystem functions, and these functions often diminish when mammal species are depleted by human activities. Understanding the sensitivity or tolerance of mammal species to human pressure and detecting species changes through monitoring programmes can inform appropriate management decisions. The objective of our study was to identify medium- and large-sized mammal species that can be included in a monitoring programme in the Southern Yungas of Argentina. We used occupancy modelling to estimate the probability of habitat use (ψ) of 13 of 25 mammal species detected by 165 camera traps placed in forests across a range of human footprint index (HFI) values. As defined by the HFI, 54% of the study area is wilderness. The probabilities of habitat use of two mammal species were significantly associated with the HFI: the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris; ψ = 0.33, range = 0.22–0.50) was inversely associated with HFI values, whereas the grey brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira; ψ = 0.79, range = 0.67–0.87) was positively associated with the HFI. Monitoring the probability of habitat use of the sensitive species (lowland tapir) could help us to detect changes in areas experiencing anthropogenic impacts before they cause extirpation, whereas the high probability of the habitat use values of the tolerant species (grey brocket deer) might indicate that anthropogenic impacts are strongly influencing habitat, signalling that mitigation strategies might be warranted. The Southern Yungas retains an intact mammal fauna, and we showed that the HFI is useful for monitoring anthropogenic impacts on these mammals. There are still opportunities to develop conservation strategies to minimize threats to mammal species in the region by implementing a monitoring programme with the proposed species.

Diversity, abundance, and habitat utilization of medium and large-sized mammals in Debre-Libanos Monastery Forest, central part of Ethiopia

Abstract The present study aimed to estimate the diversity, abundance, and habitat utilization patterns of medium and large-sized mammals in the Debre-libanos Monastery forest, Ethiopia. The survey was conducted from December 2019 to October 2020, considering the wet and dry seasons. A stratified sampling design was applied, dividing the study area into four habitat types based on the vegetation composition and cover (i.e., Natural forest, Plantation, Cliff/Rocky, and Settlement). Both direct and indirect observations were used along the transect lines to identify mammal species. Indirect evidence included tracks, dens, droppings, hair, and other signs. Nineteen transect lines of 0.5‒1 km in length were established. The distance between transects was 200 m to avoid double counting. A total of 11 medium and large-sized mammal species belonging to 6 orders and eight families were identified during the study period. Carnivores and primates were the dominant orders, accounting for 36.4% and 27.3% of the species, respectively. Among primates, the Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) is endemic to Ethiopia. The highest diversity of medium and large-sized mammals was observed in the natural forest during the dry season (Hʹ = 1.44), and the lowest diversity was recorded in the settlement during the dry season (Hʹ = 0.77). The abundance of different mammal species varied significantly from an even distribution (χ2 = 7344.9, df = 10, p < 0.001) and was not consistent among the four habitat types (Species × Habitat type interaction; Fisher-Freeeman-Halton exact test; χ2 = 649.3, df = 30, p < 0.001). High similarity in species composition was observed between the natural forest and plantation (SI = 0.94), whereas low similarity occurred between the cliff/rocky and settlement habitat types (SI = 0.18). Gelada baboon abundance was high; therefore, communities and government bodies must pay attention and conserve this species in the area.

Diversity of medium and large-sized mammal species in Chilimo Forest, West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract Investigating species distribution and diversity patterns is vital for conservation efforts in biodiversity-rich countries such as Ethiopia. The present study examined the diversity of medium and large-sized mammal species in the Chilimo forest, West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia. It was conducted from January 2022 to October 2022 by stratifying the study area into three habitat types: natural forest, plantation, and human-modified forest. A fixed-width line transect sampling method was used to collect the mammalian data. A total of 14 medium and large mammal species belonging to 11 families and six orders, were recorded in the forest during the study period. Of these, 11 were medium, and 3 were large-sized mammals. The Olive Baboon (Papio anubis) was the most abundant mammal species, accounting for 41.7 % of the total abundance. The abundance of medium and large-sized mammals varied significantly among the three habitat types (Species × Habitat; Chi-square test of independence; χ2 = 163.385, df = 26, p < 0.001) and between the wet and dry seasons (Species × Season; Chi-square test of independence; χ2 = 43.753, df = 13, p < 0.001). During the dry season, species diversity was the highest in the natural forest and plantation habitat (H’ = 1.76 in both). The natural forest also supported the highest species diversity during the wet season (H’ = 1.57), followed by the plantation and human-modified habitats (H’ = 1.54 in both). An 88% similarity in species composition was observed between the natural and human-modified forests. The occurrence of 14 species of medium and large-sized mammals in the study area calls for immediate conservation actions in collaboration with respective stakeholders to protect the area’s biodiversity.

Presence of medium and large sized terrestrial mammals highlights the conservation potential of Patharia Hill Reserve in Bangladesh

Establishing and managing protected areas is a common approach for in situ conservation of wildlife and their habitats, but its effectiveness relies on the magnitude of anthropogenic pressures and their successful mitigation. Bangladesh is a densely populated country, and demand for land and natural resources is accelerated in and around the remaining forests. It is particularly of concern for an important transboundary hill forest, called the Patharia Hill Reserve in the northeastern Bangladesh, which appears to be the last resort for many important forest mammals. We conducted a camera-trap survey for assessing the occurrence of mammals in this tropical forest patch during January 2019 and July 2021. An effort of 2,805 trap-nights yielded 1,986 records of 22 medium and large-sized mammal species. We confirmed the presence of globally ‘Vulnerable’ Fishing Cat, Oriental Small-clawed Otter, Hog Badger, & Northern Pig-tailed Macaque and the globally ‘Endangered’ Phayre’s Langur in this study. Our records include a number of species which are either the first record for the northeastern region or have been detected after several decades. In contrast, we could not detect several large carnivores which were recorded previously in the study site and in the Indian side of Patharia Hill Reserve. This study highlights the conservation value of this poorly known reserve forest, and presents a call for immediate action to maintain its function as a transboundary forest area.

Temporal Partitioning between Forest-Dwelling Small Rodents in a Mediterranean Deciduous Woodland.

Simple SummaryCamera-trapping has been widely used to assess activity rhythms and temporal overlap of different medium- and large-sized mammal species sharing the same habitats. Conversely, this method has been poorly applied to small mammals, which are often difficult to identify at the species level through photos. In our work, we assessed the temporal overlap between two coexisting small rodents in forest environments, Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus. We collected 124 independent records of A. flavicollis and 67 records of C. glareolus over three years. The former was mostly nocturnal, with activity peaking after midnight, whereas the latter was mostly active at dawn and dusk. In other words, we recorded a limited temporal overlap, thus suggesting a potential for interspecific competition. Intraguild interference competition between A. flavicollis and C. glareolus may play a pivotal role, forcing C. glareolus to be more active in daylight hours, when the more strictly nocturnal A. flavicollis is present. Nocturnal activity of C. glareolus was limited and not influenced by moon phases, whereas A. flavicollis was mostly active in the darkest nights, avoiding bright moonlight nights.Temporal partitioning is reported as one of the main strategies adopted by coexisting mammal species to limit interspecific competition and behavioural interference. In the last decades, camera-trapping surveys have provided valuable insights in assessing temporal niche and activity rhythms of medium and large-sized mammalian species. Conversely, this method has been poorly applied to small rodents. In this work we aimed at assessing temporal niche partitioning between two species of forest-dwelling small rodents—Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus—by means of intensive camera-trapping. Camera traps were placed in areas where previous genetic analyses have confirmed the only presence of A. flavicollis amongst wood mice species, to prevent misinterpretation of records. We collected 124 independent records of A. flavicollis and 67 records of C. glareolus over three years. The former was mostly nocturnal, with activity peaking after midnight, whereas the latter was mostly active at dawn and dusk. Therefore, a limited temporal overlap was observed, confirming the potential for interspecific competition. Intraguild interference competition between A. flavicollis and C. glareolus may play a pivotal role forcing C. glareolus to be more active in daylight hours where, the more strictly nocturnal A. flavicollis is present. Nocturnal activity of C. glareolus was limited and not influenced by moon phases, whereas A. flavicollis was mostly active in the darkest nights, avoiding bright moonlight nights.

Species Composition, Diversity, and Habitat Association of Medium- and Large-Sized Mammals in Chimit-Kolla, Abay Gorge, Ethiopia

Identifying the species distribution, diversity, and habitat association provides input to launch proper conservation interventions. A survey of medium- and large-sized mammal species was conducted in Chimit-Kolla area to assess their distribution, diversity, and relative abundance in November 2019 to September 2020. Line transect sampling and focus group discussions were used for data collection. Shannon diversity index and Sorenson’s coefficient were used to compute the diversity and habitat utilization of species. The association of species among habitats was tested using the chi-squared test. In the survey, 18 species of medium- and large-sized mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla (7 species), Carnivora (6 species), Rodentia (1 species), Primates (3 species) and Tubulidentata (1 species) were recorded. The association of mammalian species among the three habitats was not significant ( p > 0.05 ). However, the abundance of mammal species was significantly associated with forest habitats ( p < 0.05 ). There was a significant variation in abundance of medium- and large-sized mammal species observed in the dry season (157, 57.5%) as compared to the wet season (116, 42.5%) (χ2 = 6.17, df = 1, and p = 0.013 ). The most abundant species was olive baboon (Papio anubis), followed by grivet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) and crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). While leopard (Panthera pardus), white-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda), and aardvark (Orycteropus afer) were the rarest mammalian species recorded. Forest habitat has the highest species diversity (H’ = 2.276) than riverine vegetation and wooded grassland. Mammal species showed a considerable similarity among habitats, and the highest similarity was recorded between forest and wooded grassland (S = 0.8). The study area relatively has considerable numbers of medium- and large-sized mammal species, and urgent conservation action is required to reduce the emerging threats (hunting, charcoal production, agriculture, and investment expansion) and ensure survival of mammal species.

Forest cover mediates large and medium-sized mammal occurrence in a critical link of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Connectivity of natural areas through biological corridors is essential for ecosystem resilience and biodiversity conservation. However, robust assessments of biodiversity in corridor areas are often hindered by logistical constraints and the statistical challenges of modeling data from multiple species. Herein, we used a hierarchical community occupancy model in a Bayesian framework to evaluate the status of medium and large-sized mammals in a critical link of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) in Costa Rica. We used camera traps deployed from 2013-2017 to detect 18 medium (1-15 kg) and 6 large (>15 kg) mammal species in a portion of two Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs) and the Corridor linking them. Camera traps operated for 16,904 trap nights across 209 stations, covering an area of 880 km2. Forest cover was the most important driver of medium and large-sized mammal habitat use, with forest specialists such as jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) strongly associated with high forest cover, while habitat generalists such as coyotes (Canis latrans) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) were associated with low forest cover. Medium and large-sized mammal species richness was lower in the Corridor area ([Formula: see text] = 9.78±1.84) than in the portions evaluated of the two JCUs ([Formula: see text] = 11.50±1.52). Puma and jaguar habitat use probabilities were strongly correlated with large prey species richness (jaguar, r = 0.59, p<0.001; puma, r = 0.72, p<0.001), and correlated to a lesser extent with medium prey species richness (jaguar, r = 0.36, p = 0.003; puma, r = 0.23, p = 0.064). Low estimated jaguar habitat use probability in one JCU (Central Volcanic Cordillera: [Formula: see text] = 0.15±0.11) suggests that this is not the jaguar stronghold previously assumed. In addition, the western half of the Corridor has low richness of large mammals, making it necessary to take urgent actions to secure habitat connectivity for mammal populations.

The geographic bias of mammal studies: a comparison of a half a century of research on Palearctic and Neotropical mammals

Introduction: There are no studies that specifically compare research output of Palearctic and Neotropical mammalogy; such comparison would be useful for informed decisions in conservation and management. Objective: To compare the scientific documents and citations about Palearctic and Neotropical mammals over half a century. Methods: We compared 50 years (1970-2019) of documents on 60 medium and large-sized (heavier than 1 kg) mammal species, in Scopus and the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection, considering number of documents and four citation indicators at the species level (h-index, citation rate, total citations, and citations per year). Results: We retrieved 13 274 documents in Scopus and 12 913 in WoS. We found that Palearctic mammals have 3.77 times more documents than Neotropical species in Scopus (3.91 times in WoS), and that the documents recorded 5.95 more total citations in Scopus (6.93 times more in WoS). Palearctic documents also record more yearly citations and a higher h-index in both Scopus and WoS. Scopus retrieved more articles for Neotropical species (2 782 vs. 2 631 in WoS) and had more citations (28 120 vs. 24 977 in WoS); differences for the citation indicators between regions were marker in WoS. The h-index and total citations are greatly affected by how many studies are published, i.e. the region with more production is the one with higher values. The Neotropical articles showed a greater growth rate in the last decade, decreasing the gap between both regions. Conclusion: There is a regional bias in WoS and Scopus, which retrieve more articles and citations about Palearctic mammals than about Neotropical mammals; this bias is worse in WoS and means that an urgent increase in indexed research about Neotropical species is needed to be on par with Palearctic research.

An estimate of wild mammal roadkill in São Paulo state, Brazil

Roadkill estimates for different species and species groups are available for many countries and regions. However, there is a lack of information from tropical countries, including from Latin America. In this study, we analyzed medium and large-sized mammal roadkill data from 18 toll road companies (TRC) in São Paulo State (6,580 km of monitored toll roads), Brazil. We extrapolated these roadkill numbers to the entire system of major paved roads in the State (36,503 km). The TRC collected mammal-road- mortality data both before (2-lanes) and after (4-lanes) road reconstruction. We used the “before” data from the TRC to estimate annual mammal-road-mortality along 2-lane roads that remained public roads. Combined with the data for the new 4-lane highways, this allowed us to estimate annual mammal road mortality for all the paved roads in the State. During 10 years of roadkill monitoring along toll roads, a total of 37,744 roadkilled mammals were recorded, representing a total of 32 medium to large-sized mammal species (average number of roadkilled individuals/year = 3,774 ± 1,159; min = 1,932; max = 5,369; 0.6 individuals roadkilled/km/year). Most roadkilled species were common generalists, but there were also relatively high roadkill numbers of threatened and endangered species (4.3% of the data), which is a serious conservation concern. Most of the roadkill was reported occurred during the nocturnal period (66%, n = 14,189) and in the rainy months (October–March) (55%, n = 15,318). Reported mammal roadkill tended to increase between 2009 and 2014 (R2 = 0.614; p = 0.065), with an average increase of 313.5 individuals/year. Extrapolation of the results to the entire São Paulo State, resulted in an average estimate of 39,605 medium and large-sized mammals roadkilled per year. Our estimates of the number of roadkilled individuals can be used as one of the input parameters in population viability analyses to understand the extinction or extirpation risk, especially for threatened and endangered species.

Relationship between acorn selectivity and tannin astringency in three middle- and large-sized mammal species inhabiting the western part of the mainland, Japan

Relationship between acorn selectivity and tannin astringency in three middle- and large-sized mammal species inhabiting the western part of the mainland, Japan

Use of hedgerows by mammals in an intensive agricultural landscape

Agricultural intensification causes habitat modification, sometimes leading to habitat loss and subsequent loss of connectivity. Remaining species in these agriculture-dominated landscapes often use hedgerows, such as windbreaks or riparian strips, as movement corridors or even as habitats. However, the understanding of the use of these hedgerows by mammals is limited and could be improved with the use of high-resolution remote sensing data, which are unbiased, detailed and repeatable. The aim of this study was to assess the attributes that affect medium- and large-sized mammals’ use of hedgerows, with in situ and remotely sensed data (including LiDAR and multispectral images) in an agriculture-dominated landscape in southern Québec. Twenty-three hedgerows were selected and characterized with both field surveys and remote sensing analyses, like LiDAR metrics and vegetation indices. Wildlife frequentation of each hedgerow was measured using camera traps, from late spring to early fall in 2018. 431 mammal detections were obtained among all 23 hedgerows. From this, seven species were recorded, all of them opportunistic and well adapted to agricultural environment. Results showed significant differences in mammal use of hedgerows. Coefficients of the better-ranked models based on AICc indicated a positive relationship between hedgerow length and their use by mammals, and a negative relationship with the hedgerow width. Hedgerow use by mammals also increased as tree cover and understory density increased, and as human disturbance decreased. These results characterized for the first time the variables influencing hedgerow use by a broad set of medium- and large-sized mammal species and confirmed their use as movement corridors and/or habitat. This study also confirmed the complementary usefulness of variables derived from remote sensing combined with field data. The low explanatory power of variables often cited in the literature (e.g. NDVI, gappiness) also highlights the need to further explore their specific influence on mammals. The information provided by this study supports the beneficial role played by hedgerows for wildlife conservation in intensive agricultural landscapes. Management guidelines are provided as well as future research avenues.

Species composition and frequency of habitat use by medium and large-sized mammals in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome, State of Tocantins

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.

Historical records reveal the distinctive associations of human disturbance and extreme climate change with local extinction of mammals

Accelerated anthropogenic impacts and climatic changes are widely considered to be responsible for unprecedented species extinction. However, determining their effects on extinction is challenging owing to the lack of long-term data with high spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, using historical occurrence records of 11 medium- to large-sized mammal species or groups of species in China from 905 BC to AD 2006, we quantified the distinctive associations of anthropogenic stressors (represented by cropland coverage and human population density) and climatic stressors (represented by air temperature) with the local extinction of these mammals. We found that both intensified human disturbances and extreme climate change were associated with the increased local extinction of the study mammals. In the cold phase (the premodern period of China), climate cooling was positively associated with increased local extinction, while in the warm phase (the modern period) global warming was associated with increased local extinction. Interactive effects between human disturbance and temperature change with the local extinction of elephants, rhinos, pandas, and water deer were found. Large-sized mammals, such as elephants, rhinos, and pandas, showed earlier and larger population declines than small-sized ones. The local extinction sensitivities of these mammals to the human population density and standardized temperature were estimated during 1700 to 2000. The quantitative evidence for anthropogenic and climatic associations with mammalian extinction provided insights into the driving processes of species extinction, which has important implications for biodiversity conservation under accelerating global changes.

Medium- and large-sized mammal composition in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park and adjacent areas, state of Goiás, Brazil

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome and only 2.8% is represented by protected areas. Considering the relevance of the Cerrado and Conservation Units in preserving the mammalian diversity, we provided the first assessment of the diversity of medium- and large-sized mammal species in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (CVNP) and surroundings. We tested the effectiveness of the CVNP by assessing the difference in species composition within the park and its surroundings. We sampled CVNP in the rainy (October-December 2013) and dry seasons (March-June 2014) in order to characterize the seasonality within the community. We selected 36 sampling sites to evaluate the composition of the medium and large mammals in the CVNP and its surroundings, 18 in the CVNP and 18 in the park surroundings. We ordered mammalian composition and frequency of individuals data by using a Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling analysis (NMDS). We assessed the effect of season (dry and rainy seasons) and locality (within the CVNP and surroundings) on mammalian species richness with a two-way analysis of variance (Two-way ANOVA). We recorded 23 species, 13 within the CVNP and 17 species in its surroundings. Composition and frequency of records differed between dry and rainy seasons, with higher richness in the rainy season. Species’ composition and the frequency of records were also different between within the CVNP and its surroundings, with higher richness in the surroundings. These results provide information for the increase of the knowledge of mammalian ecology but also is useful as a tool for future strategies to the conservation of these species. More attention should be given to the monitoring of these species in the long term because this area still harbor some viable populations.

Medium- and large-sized mammals in forest remnants of the southern Cerrado: diversity and ecology

Here we present a complete data set on the richness of medium- and large- sized mammals from a fragmented area of the southern Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). We described the frequency, occurrence status and activity period of the most common species. In each remnant, the community of medium- and large-sized mammals was inventoried across the following methods: tracks/prints, vocalizations, sightings, burrows, and camera trap images between August 2016 and January 2017. We recorded 23 species of medium- and large-sized mammals, of which seven are threatened. The study area presented a great potential, where we recorded 45.1% of all medium- and large-sized mammal species occurring in the Cerrado. Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Dasypus novemcinctus, Tapirus terrestris, Cerdocyon thous and Cuniculus paca were classified as common, which was expected since they have large habitat range, and therefore, can be recorded more frequently. Species with large body size, such as T. terrestris, M. tridactyla and C. thous, were also the ones with the greatest variation in time period of activity, occurring both in nocturnal and diurnal time periods. Therefore, our study underscores that this transition area, although fragmented, still maintains an expressive fauna of medium- and large-sized mammals, including endangered species.

SHORT AND NARROW ROADS CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE

Short and narrow roads are generally overlooked when assessing road impacts on biodiversity. However, these roads bisect natural environments and may cause significant impacts on wildlife in local scale. Thus, we monitored roadkills along a short two-lane road (CPM road) in Southeastern Brazil and propose mitigation strategies to reduce wildlife mortality. We monitored roadkilled vertebrates along 5 km of CPM road from 2010 to 2016 and we also compiled data from previous studies along the same road. We conducted a hotspot analysis to identify CPM road areas with significant roadkill aggregation. We recorded 77 roadkilled vertebrates from 14 taxonomic groups along the CPM road. Mammals were the most frequently recorded group (91% of roadkills), which represented 56% of all medium- and large-sized mammal species known to occur in the study area. We identified three roadkill hotspots along the CPM road. Two of them were located at two stream crossings, where the road cut across the associated riparian forests, and the other was at a road section with water drainage from a pond, also connected to a riparian forest. These riparian forests are part of the remaining natural habitat that provides connectivity between the forest remnants in the landscape, and therefore, for wildlife. Our results showed that even short and narrow roads can have considerable roadkill, which may have severe effects for wildlife on a local scale. The results stress the need to carefully look at these types of roads and propose measures to reduce impacts. We propose the creation of safe crossing opportunities in the hotspot zones combined with wildlife fencing to keep the animals off the road and guide them towards the safe crossing opportunities.

Unveiling a wildlife haven: occupancy and activity patterns of mammals at a Tibetan sacred mountain

Here, we present a camera trap survey at a Tibetan sacred mountain to ascertain the status and activity patterns of medium- to large-sized ground-dwelling mammalian fauna. We recorded 15 medium- to large-sized mammal species including 9 carnivores, 4 ungulates, 1 primate, and 1 rodent. Six of the species were categorized by IUCN as globally threatened. The results suggested that the sacred mountain was particularly important for alpine ungulates. The mean occupancy probabilities of blue sheep Pseudois nayaur, Chinese goral Naemorhedus griseus, Chinese serow Capricornis milneedwardsii, and alpine musk deer Moschus chrysogaster were 0.93, 0.91, 0.87, and 0.44 respectively. Domestic dog Canis familiaris also occurs widely across the mountain, with a mean occupancy of 0.60. Temporal activity patterns showed that alpine musk deer were mostly nocturnal, with most captures occurring at night. Chinese serow were active at all periods, with an activity peak at dawn. Blue sheep were strictly diurnal, without any captures at night. Although Chinese goral were predominantly diurnal, captures also frequently occurred at night. Our study not only unveiled a wildlife haven benefiting from religious beliefs about sacred mountains but also pointed to the critical situation of the fauna in the sacred site. The fauna in such sacred sites are diverse but poorly studied, and are subject to threats from domestic dogs, garbage pollution, and population isolation. Future conservation and management efforts in such areas should evaluate the population genetic diversity and assess the impact of non-lethal human disturbance on the wildlife communities.

Mass Extinction and the Disappearance of Unknown Mammal Species: Scenario and Perspectives of a Biodiversity Hotspot's Hotspot.

We aimed to determine the conservation status of medium- and large-sized mammals and evaluate the impact of 500 years of forest fragmentation on this group of animals in the Pernambuco Endemism Center, in the biogeographical zone of the Atlantic forest north of the São Francisco River in northeastern Brazil. Line transect surveys were performed in 21 forest fragments, resulting in a checklist of the mammals of the entire Pernambuco Endemism Center area. We ran a generalized linear model (Factorial ANCOVA) to analyze to what extent the vegetation type, fragment area, isolation, sampling effort (as total kilometers walked), or higher-order interactions predicted (a) richness and (b) sighting rates. To determine if the distribution of the species within the forest fragments exhibited a nested pattern, we used the NODF metric. Subsequently, we performed a Binomial Logistic Regression to predict the probability of encountering each species according to fragment size. Out of 38 medium- and large-sized mammal species formerly occurring in the study area, only 53.8% (n = 21) were sighted. No fragment hosted the entire remaining mammal community, and only four species (19%) occurred in very small fragments (73.3% of the remaining forest fragments, with a mean size of 2.8 ha). The mammalian community was highly simplified, with all large mammals being regionally extinct. Neither the species richness nor sighting rate was controlled by the vegetation type, the area of the forest fragments, isolation or any higher-order interaction. Although a highly significant nested subset pattern was detected, it was not related to the ranking of the area of forest fragments or isolation. The probability of the occurrence of a mammal species in a given forest patch varied unpredictably, and the probability of detecting larger species was even observed to decrease with increasing patch size. In an ongoing process of mass extinction, half of the studied mammals have gone extinct. The remaining medium-sized mammal community is highly simplified and homogenized. The persistence of these species in a forest patch is determined by their ability to adapt to a novel simplified diet, the efficient use of the surrounding matrix without being engulfed by the sink effect, and escaping hunting. Our results suggest that the 21st century medium-sized mammalian fauna of this region will comprise only four species unless strict conservation measures are implemented immediately and every forest fragment is effectively protected.

Persistence of mammals in a selectively logged forest in Malaysian Borneo

Many tropical mammals with important functional roles in forest ecosystems are threatened with extinction, yet how they respond to increasingly prevalent habitat disturbance, such as selective logging, is not well understood. We deployed 43 motion-triggered camera traps in 2013 and 2014 in unlogged forest and in a forest logged three decades previously in Malaysian Borneo. We used camera trap photographs to assess whether selective logging influenced the local abundance of medium to large-bodied ground-dwelling mammals. We focused our study on six locally common species: sambar deer, (Rusa unicolor), yellow muntjac (Muntiacus atherodes), chevrotains (Tragulus spp.), banded civet (Hemigalus derbyanus), Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga), and pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina). Occupancy models were used to estimate local abundance. None of the mammals in our study exhibited decreased abundance in logged forest, although yellow muntjac and pig-tailed macaque were associated with canopy height. Contiguous forest connects these two areas, allowing animal movement between them, potentially explaining the lack of responses. The elapsed time since logging may have further influenced our findings. The effects of logging on mammal local abundance may no longer detectable after 30 years. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of regenerating forest as habitat for medium- to large-sized mammal species.

Medium- and large-sized mammals in Mata Atlântica State Park, southeastern Goiás, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to carry out an inventory of medium and large-sized mammal species occurring in the Mata Atlântica State Park (MASP). Located in Água Limpa municipality, state of Goiás, the MASP occupies an important area with a seasonal forest remnant, which is considered an enclave of the Atlantic Forest within the Cerrado biome. From October 2012 to December 2013, MASP’s area was randomly surveyed for evidence of mammal presence. Records of 23 species of wild mammals were obtained, seven of them listed as nationally endangered. Medium and large-sized mammal species composition is characteristic of the Cerrado biome, and no endemic species of the Atlantic Forest were recorded. Richness and diversity of the mammal species recorded in MASP show the importance of this protected area for in situ conservation.