Do mammals use human-modified landscapes? A survey of medium- and large-sized species in an Atlantic Forest-Cerrado pastureland

Abstract Protected areas alone are insufficient to address the growing global biodiversity crisis, as habitat destruction and human-induced landscape changes outside these areas continue to threaten wildlife populations. In Brazil, up to 20% of the endemic species threatened with extinction occur outside designated governmental protected areas (PAs), yet the mammalian community composition within private lands remains understudied. Our research assessed the composition of medium- and large-sized terrestrial mammals in a livestock production farm in southeastern Brazil. We also compared the mammal richness of this private agroecosystem with that of the adjacent PA. Employing camera trapping, direct observations, and indirect signs surveys, we recorded 25 native mammal species across eight orders, with an estimated richness of 27 species. Six of these are Vulnerable to extinction. Notably, the private agroecosystem exhibited relatively higher mammalian richness compared to that documented at the PA, likely due to variations in habitat coverage and sampling efforts, and it also exceeded that of other unprotected private areas within the Cerrado. Furthermore, species composition differences between the studied private agroecosystem and PA suggest that some species not recorded in modified landscapes are highly sensitive to human-induced changes, while some absent at PA are associated with open landscapes. Conversely, the presence of certain species found in the private agroecosystem and not in the PA may reflect specific habitat preferences. Our findings underscore the potential for mammals’ conservation within well-managed agroecosystems that protect native vegetation. These areas can support significant mammalian richness while integrating economic production with effective management practices.