Abstract
Foreseeing faunal responses to fire is a challenging issue, due to the context-dependent effects of fire. Although previous studies have registered declines in the abundance of vertebrates, particularly small mammals, following changes in fire regimes, the mechanisms driving these changes are still poorly understood. Hence, we investigated the effects of a severe fire on the abundance, survival, and body condition of a semelparous didelphid (Gracilinanus agilis) inhabiting one of the largest Cerrado remnants in the Triangulo Mineiro region. Using a before–after approach, G. agilis individuals were monitored from 2011 to 2016 through monthly live-trapping sessions. Gracilinanus agilis population followed repeated oscillations every year, with marked declines in abundance after the mating season, irrespective of the 2014´s fire. Although fire reduced population size, it did not lead to a precipitous decline in G. agilis abundance. Survival rates were not affected by fire; instead were determined by the sex and breeding status of individuals. The fire caused a decrease only in female body condition, which resulted in a reduced length of the breeding season and a lower number of juveniles following the disturbance. Our results support the contention that fire affects small mammals indirectly, mainly through its effects on recruitment. The observed weak fire effects on the population level seem to be associated with the less sensitive dynamics of fast-living species. Hence, we emphasize the need to investigate the mechanisms driving faunal responses to fire, especially considering the recent changes in fire regimes and the role of life histories on species responses.
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Data availability
The raw data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Natália Oliveira Leiner, upon request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the students of Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos at Federal University of Uberlândia for their help in data collection and for providing data that allowed writing this manuscript. We are especially grateful to Celine Melo, Natália M. Torres and two anonymous reviewers that provided suggestions that improved manuscript quality. Finally, we thank Instituto de Biologia (INBIO/UFU) and Estação Ecológica do Panga (PES) for providing logistical support.
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This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (PELD APQ-03202–13 and APQ-04815–17) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq PELD 441225/2016–0 and CNPq PELD 441142/2020–6) also provided financial support.
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Both authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data collection were performed by RCR, and analysis was performed by RCR and NOL. All authors worked on manuscript preparation. Finally, both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This study followed the guidelines and protocols declared in the American Society of Mammalogists (Sikes 2016) and the ethical principles on animal research as regulations of National Advice of Control and Animal Experimentation (CONCEA/Brazil). All animal experiments were approved by the Ethics Committee on Use of Animals of the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil; Reference number 152/13.
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Rossi, R.C., Leiner, N.O. Effects of severe fires on the survival and body condition of Gracilinanus agilis in a Cerrado remnant. Mamm Biol 103, 205–214 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00340-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00340-5