Artillery for Conservation: The Case of the Mammals Protected by the Formosa Military Training Area, Brazil

Abstract

Military training areas (MTA) are increasingly recognized as sites that harbor high levels of biodiversity, including large numbers of endangered species, yet their conservation value has not been rigorously assessed. Here, we studied the species richness and composition of medium- and large-sized mammals in Formosa MTA, a Brazilian military area, as a case study to assess the conservation value of military areas. We also made an evaluation of Brazilian MTAs regarding size, distributions, and representation of within ecoregion/biome compared with other protected areas. The medium- and large-sized mammal community composition fits the pattern described for the Cerrado, characterized by species of wide distributions, but locally rare. The Formosa MTA supports a relatively higher richness (n = 29) than protected areas in nearby regions and is a refuge for eight endangered species. Our study identified 52 MTAs covering a total area of 3 million ha. Our findings highlight the relevance of Formosa MTA for the conservation of regional mammalian fauna and indicate the potential of other military areas in the context of biological conservation.