The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in protected areas and its surroundings in Cerrado of São Paulo state.

Author(s)

Natália Fraguas Versiani

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2016-06-03

Examining board members

Adriano Garcia Chiarello; Renata Pardini; Luciano Martins Verdade

• Advisor: Adriano Garcia Chiarello

Abstract

Protected areas, both public and private areas, and their surroundings have played an important role in the survival of several species of medium and large mammals. For this reason, this study aimed firstly to estimate the species richness of medium and large mammals within three study areas with different levels of protection, as well as their respective surrounding areas. Second, as the main goal of this study, it was to estimate occupancy () and detection (p) probability of an endangered species, the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), also assess if the occurrence and activity period of this species are affected by human presence. All data were collected by camera traps in three study areas in the northeast of São Paulo state. The species richness is not different between areas with different levels of protection or between interior and surroundings. Regarding occupancy analysis (use), all covariates that influenced giant anteater use were associated with human activities, positively to unpaved roads and protected areas, and negatively to proportion of urban area. The positive relationship with unpaved roads is unexpected and may suggest that giant anteater prefers to move along landscape using roads, perhaps to minimize travelling time or maximize foraging in altered landscapes. The human presence did not affect positively or negatively the use of space by giant anteater, since both species occurred independently of each other ( = 1). This finding suggests that lack of influence results in part from the landscape features of study area (apparently low hunting pressure and a reasonable proportion of native habitats still present and protected), the sampling design applied (focused on protected areas and their buffer zones) and probably due to low overlap between activity periods of both two species. Overall, results indicate that both mammals community and, specifically, giant anteater survivorship in the study region are strongly dependent upon the existence of nature reserves and areas of native vegetation existing in private properties which area protected by the Brazilian Forest Code, as well as the disturbed surrounding. All findings are important to support the creation of new protected areas, as well as the establishment and management of buffer zones, because they indicate that these zones have a key role in reducing the effects of human activities on protected areas and in the maintenance of viable species populations in the region. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/23421-6 - Occupation of the landscape by giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in grassland areas with different levels of disturbance in northeastern São Paulo.
• Grantee: Natalia Fraguas Versiani
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate