AMAZONIA CAMTRAP: A data set of mammal, bird, and reptile species recorded with camera traps in the Amazon forest.

The Amazon forest has the highest biodiversity on Earth. However, information on Amazonian vertebrate diversity is still deficient and scattered across the published, peer-reviewed, and gray literature and in unpublished raw data. Camera traps are an effective non-invasive method of surveying vertebrates, applicable to different scales of time and space. In this study, we organized and standardized camera trap records from different Amazon regions to compile the most extensive data set of inventories of mammal, bird, and reptile species ever assembled for the area. The complete data set comprises 154,123 records of 317 species (185 birds, 119 mammals, and 13 reptiles) gathered from surveys from the Amazonian portion of eight countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). The most frequently recorded species per taxa were: mammals: Cuniculus paca (11,907 records); birds: Pauxi tuberosa (3713 records); and reptiles: Tupinambis teguixin (716 records). The information detailed in this data paper opens up opportunities for new ecological studies at different spatial and temporal scales, allowing for a more accurate evaluation of the effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, climate change, and other human-mediated defaunation processes in one of the most important and threatened tropical environments in the world. The data set is not copyright restricted; please cite this data paper when using its data in publications and we also request that researchers and educators inform us of how they are using these data.

Wild dogs at stake: deforestation threatens the only Amazon endemic canid, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis).

The persistent high deforestation rate and fragmentation of the Amazon forests are the main threats to their biodiversity. To anticipate and mitigate these threats, it is important to understand and predict how species respond to the rapidly changing landscape. The short-eared dog Atelocynus microtis is the only Amazon-endemic canid and one of the most understudied wild dogs worldwide. We investigated short-eared dog habitat associations on two spatial scales. First, we used the largest record database ever compiled for short-eared dogs in combination with species distribution models to map species habitat suitability, estimate its distribution range and predict shifts in species distribution in response to predicted deforestation across the entire Amazon (regional scale). Second, we used systematic camera trap surveys and occupancy models to investigate how forest cover and forest fragmentation affect the space use of this species in the Southern Brazilian Amazon (local scale). Species distribution models suggested that the short-eared dog potentially occurs over an extensive and continuous area, through most of the Amazon region south of the Amazon River. However, approximately 30% of the short-eared dog's current distribution is expected to be lost or suffer sharp declines in habitat suitability by 2027 (within three generations) due to forest loss. This proportion might reach 40% of the species distribution in unprotected areas and exceed 60% in some interfluves (i.e. portions of land separated by large rivers) of the Amazon basin. Our local-scale analysis indicated that the presence of forest positively affected short-eared dog space use, while the density of forest edges had a negative effect. Beyond shedding light on the ecology of the short-eared dog and refining its distribution range, our results stress that forest loss poses a serious threat to the conservation of the species in a short time frame. Hence, we propose a re-assessment of the short-eared dog's current IUCN Red List status (Near Threatened) based on findings presented here. Our study exemplifies how data can be integrated across sources and modelling procedures to improve our knowledge of relatively understudied species.

Mammals recorded in isolated remnants of Atlantic Forest in southern Goiás, Brazil / Mamíferos registrados em áreas isoladas de Mata Atlântica no sudoeste de Goiás

Abstract: Habitat fragmentation is one of the principal causes of the decline of species worldwide, and the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado savanna biomes are among the most severely affected by this process. While highly fragmented, remnants of Atlantic Forest can still be found within the Cerrado domain of southern Goiás, where previous studies have revealed high levels of biodiversity. To inventory the mammalian species that occur in the region, two fragments of semideciduous Atlantic Forest were sampled between 2011 and 2016, using line transect surveys and camera trapping. A total of 1016 records were obtained of 30 mammal species, of which eleven are under some threat of extinction. The species richness recorded on this study was similar to or higher than the values reported from other areas of Goiás, which reinforces the importance of the maintenance of these remnants, located in private properties, for the conservation of the region's mammals.

Resumo: A fragmentação de hábitat é uma das principais causas do declínio das espécies e tanto a Mata Atlântica quanto o Cerrado são considerados um dos biomas mais afetados do mundo. As regiões sul e sudoeste de Goiás são intensamente fragmentadas, mas ainda abrigam alguns dos últimos remanescentes relictuais de Mata Atlântica dentro do domínio do Cerrado e estudos prévios revelaram uma alta biodiversidade. Com o objetivo de elaborar a lista de espécies de mamíferos que ocorrem para a região, dois fragmentos de florestas semideciduais da Mata Atlântica foram amostrados entre 2011 a 2016, através de transecções lineares e armadilhas fotográficas. Foram obtidos um total de 1.016 registros de 30 espécies de mamíferos, das quais onze estão ameaçadas de extinção. A alta riqueza registrada foi similar ou maior ao de outras áreas no Estado e reforça a importância da manutenção desses remanescentes localizados em propriedades particulares para a conservação das espécies.

Mammals of the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, northwestern Pará, Brazil / Mamíferos da Floresta Nacional de Saracá-Taquera, Pará, Brasil

Abstract: The Amazonian rainforest harbors one of the most diverse mammal faunas found anywhere in the world, although this fauna is still poorly known. Inventories are essential for the understanding of the biology and ecology of species, and provide basic data for conservation. Over 15 years of sampling in the Saracá-Taquera National Forest, we recorded 72 species of small (nonvolant), medium, and large mammals belonging to 30 families in 10 orders. These taxa included 29 species endemic to the Amazon biome, and 14 classified as threatened with extinction. Overall, the mammalian species richness recorded in the present study was equal to or greater than that recorded in other Amazonian studies, reflecting high levels of diversity on a biogeographic scale. This reinforces the importance of this national forest for the maintenance of the region's mammalian fauna. Some of the species were recorded in the region for the first time, thus extending their known geographic distribution.

Resumo: A floresta amazônica abriga uma das maiores riquezas de mamíferos do mundo. Entretanto, existe pouco conhecimento sobre a fauna local. Estudos de levantamentos podem contribuir para o incremento no conhecimento sobre a biologia e a ecologia das espécies e são a base para a conservação. Ao longo de 15 anos de amostragem, nós registramos 72 espécies de pequenos, médios e grandes mamíferos pertencentes a 10 ordens e 30 famílias, das quais 29 espécies são endêmicas da Amazônia e 14 são também consideradas ameaçadas de extinção. No geral, a riqueza de mamíferos foi igual ou superior ao de outros estudos conduzidos no bioma, indicando uma alta diversidade em escala biogeográfica. Os resultados mostram a importância desses ambientes para a manutenção das espécies. Algumas tiveram seu primeiro registro para a área e outras a ampliação da sua área de distribuição.