Medium and large-sized mammals in private natural heritage reserves in the quadrilátero ferrífero of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation has been shown to be constantly growing and increasingly affecting the conservation of species that require large areas for their populations to subsist, as is the case for most large animals. In Minas Gerais, there are 45 species threatened with extinction in the Brazilian Red List and for most mammal species there is not yet sufficient data on their populations and distributions, which makes it difficult to understand their conservation status. To understand the composition of medium and large mammals in two Private Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs) in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero of Minas Gerais (Cata Branca and Córrego Seco), in a transition zone between the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, a camera trapping survey of mastofauna was carried out between November 2019 and May 2020. The combined RPPNs have a rich diversity with 20 species of medium and large mammals and provide a fundamental service for the protection of animals threatened with extinction, in addition to harbouring important species for the maintenance of local ecosystems. However, they are areas with a strong anthropic impact and have a lower richness than some other reserves also located in the Quad-rilátero Ferrífero, especially Cata Branca, which had a lower richness than Córrego Seco.