Tree reproductive phenology determines the abundance of medium–sized and large mammalian assemblages in the Guyana shield of the Brazilian Amazonia

Abstract

Assemblages of medium and large–sized mammals were studied in the Guyana shield of the Brazilian Amazonia. Diurnal and nocturnal line–transect samplings were carried out via the line–transect method in five different forest types along a 10–km transect, along which we also recorded habitat variables, such as tree species diversity, reproductive phenology, and residual fruit productivity. Group density was separately calculated for all mammalian species in the five forest types. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to determine which habitat variables best predicted the mammalian species densities in the sampled forests. The sole determinants of mammalian densities in the forest types studied were basal area of each forest type, total number of tree species in each forest type, and tree reproductive phenology.