Effects of Landscape Characteristics on Abundance of Giant Anteaters in Intensively Farmed Areas

ABSTRACT Anthropogenic activities such as livestock grazing and agriculture drive the conversion and homogenization of ecosystems. These impacts lead to local extirpations and changes in native species abundance and distribution, particularly in biodiversity‐rich tropical regions where agricultural frontiers expand. The giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla ), a large mammal species, has been affected by land use changes. However, little is known about the role of landscape features in predicting its mean relative abundance in agricultural landscapes. To address this gap, we evaluated the influence of landscape composition and configuration on mean relative abundance. We sampled 55 landscapes in a transition zone between two hotspots, the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, where most of Brazil's agricultural commodities are produced. The giant anteater occupied most of the study area, and its mean relative abundance varied little among sampled landscapes. Mean relative abundance was positively related to the proportion of remaining native forest. In landscapes with < 50% native forest, the predominant scenario in our region, mean relative abundance increases slightly with edge density and decreases slightly with distance between native vegetation patches. Vast monocultures with little native forest may force the giant anteater to explore edges for resources, affecting thermoregulation and increasing human conflict. Our findings support the assertion that small patches of native forest play an important role in wildlife conservation. Native forest and connectivity between vegetation patches are crucial for the persistence of this charismatic and endangered mammal in landscapes heavily modified by agricultural activity.