MAMÍFEROS DE MÉDIO E GRANDE PORTE DA REGIÃO DO CANTÃO, TOCANTINS: DIVERSIDADE, USO DE HABITAT, E EFICIÊNCIA DE MÉTODOS DE AMOSTRAGEM

Abstract

The use of space consists of exploring the habitat in terms of quality, quantity, and environmental use. It defines the distribution and abundance of species. In this context, it is important to know the species that occur in a given area and how they are locally distributed. Mammals have great ecological importance and are the main focus of most conservation strategies, therefore obtain information about their richness, abundance, and other factors that influence the habitat use of species is fundamental.The present study was carried out in three RPPN's located in an ecotone between the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado biomes in the domains of the Ilha do Bananal/Cantão Protection Area, on the border of Cantão State Park, and aimed to: complement the species checklist of medium to large-sized mammals and evaluate the use of different habitats (anthropic area, edge/cerradão, cerradão, cerrado sensu stricto, flooded forest, and varjão); evaluate the efficiency of four sampling methods [distance sampling (Distance Sampling) in linear transects, camera traps, active search for sings and footprint plots]; and determine the abundance of species by the distance sampling method. After, seven field trips, carried out from July 2019 to November 2020, 1,655 medium to large-sized mammals were recorded, belonging to 40 species. Carnivora was the most representative order with 38.4% of the total records. Despite being an ecotone with great Amazonian influence, the composition of the medium and large mammal community of Cantão is more similar to the Cerrado. Forest and edge habitats had a greater richness in comparison to savannah/anthropic habitats. Among the sampling methods, camera trap, active search, and linear transect, respectively, were the most efficient methods. This study presents relevant data on medium to large-sized mammals from a region of great conservation value, but which is still poorly studied.