Edge effects and the impact of wildfires on populations of small non-volant mammals in the forest-savanna transition zone in Southern Amazonia

Abstract

The impact of fire and edge effects on the community of small non-volant mammals was investigated in transitional Amazon forest within a matrix of soybean plantations. The animals were live trapped on 24 line transects, of which 16 were distributed in unburned areas and 8 in a burned area. A total of 11 species was recorded, including six rodents and five marsupials. The abundance and richness of small mammals appeared to decrease in burned areas, although this impact appeared to mask edge effects. In the absence of fire impacts, a positive relationship was found between mammal abundance and the distance from the forest edge. The impact of the edge effect on the diversity of small mammals appears to be influenced by the type of anthropogenic matrix and the ecological characteristics of the different species.