Impactos da mineração na estrutura da comunidade de pequenos mamíferos não voadores da Amazônia Oriental

Abstract

Vegetation removal disrupts habitat complexity and ecosystem services provided by small mammals, impacting their community structure. Our study assessed mining's impact on small non-flying mammal communities in the Eastern Amazon's Dense Ombrophylous Forest. Over three years, we sampled three mining-affected fragments (A1 at 320m, A2 at 1700m, A3 at 2800m) using live and pitfall traps. Richness and diversity peaked in the more remote fragments, home to species sensitive to human disturbance like Cryptonanus agricolai and Rhipidomys emiliae. Conversely, the nearest fragment harbored generalist species like Monodelphis domestica and Didelphis marsupialis, accustomed to disturbed habitats. Recognizing mammals' ecological importance, we note that their loss hinders environmental regeneration, heightens human-wildlife interactions, and fosters invasive species spread. Future research should focus on the fallout of functional diversity loss and phylogenetic diversity to better grasp species' environmental change responses, considering interspecies relationships