Medium and large mammal responses to fire in a neotropical savanna system in Guyana

Abstract

Fire management remains controversial worldwide, in spite of longstanding Indigenous burning practices that have shown benefits to biodiversity. In the Neotropics, limited information is available on wildlife response to fire, particularly for medium and large mammals. We conducted 1 year of transect surveys to detect signs and live sightings of mammals in the Rupununi, Guyana, within a habitat matrix of savanna, wetland, and forest, where Indigenous fire management is practiced. Species richness showed a non-linear relationship with time since fire. The number of live observations decreased with time since fire. Individual species responded differently, and this may be explained by habitat preference and post-fire resource availability. Savanna species—giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), and crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous)—favored fire, while forest-associated species—agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) and tapir (Tapirus terrestris)—avoided fire prone areas, although some species showed no such response. Our data suggest that mammals in the Rupununi show an ecological response to traditional fire management practices, but that fires affecting forested areas or forest connectivity could negatively impact wildlife. We recommend the promotion of traditional knowledge of fire and fire management among Indigenous Peoples, and the integration of this expertise to inform fire management policies. Combining traditional and scientific knowledge may help people and wildlife adapt to fire regimes that are increasingly driven by climate change and anthropogenic activities within fire prone savanna and forest landscapes.