Medium and large mammals: indicators of buffer zones in reforestation

Abstract

The activities developed in forest environments such as deforestation, logging, implementation of farming systems and monocultures, together with the advance in soybean production, increase the anthropogenic effects caused by changes to the environment in the so-called "Deforestation Arc". The withdrawal of native forests leads directly to losses in biodiversity, however, some measures of natural resource management can be taken to mitigate the deleterious effects, such as the planting of mixed stands. This management is developed through the planting of tree species, native and / or exotic, in a consortium. Strategically, the application of these systems can favor with the maintenance and even with the increase of biodiversity, as these block the perpetuation of edge effects, and often provide high availability of food resources when compared to monoculture systems. In this context, we evaluated by means of photographic traps the presence of said fauna in the altered environments. The fauna present in these environments performs physiological and behavioral activities and consequently maintain the environmental dynamics, through the dispersion of seeds brought from adjacent forest habitats. The present study was carried out in southern Amazonia, in the municipality of Cotriguaçu, Mato Grosso, Brazil, in order to verify the use of the environment managed by teak intercropping (Tectona grandis L. f.) With 10 other native species of the region. In this way reforestation areas can contribute to the conservation of forest species, reducing the impact of edge effect over time, providing the mammals and others, and can contribute to the conservation of these species, as they function as relaxation zones, where environmentally friendly animals no longer compete for natural resources in native forest environments, thus complementing their ecological demands.

Keywords

• deforestation arc, wild mammals, reforestation