Disponibilidade e ocupação de cavidades em cupinzeiros epígeos do cerrado sob diferentes manejos de fogo

Abstract

The Cerrado has a great diversity of fauna and flora species associated with different phytophysiognomies, but due to the intense anthropic pressure, more than half of its territory has already suffered a significant loss of natural landscapes. Fire is an important ecological factor for the biome and many conservation units (UCs) use firebreaks as a fire prevention and management strategy, preventing large extensions of vegetation from being affected by fires. However, little is known about the effects of this management on the landscape and ecology of the species found in these reserves. In Emas National Park, many species of animals occupy the interior of epigean termite mound cavities throughout the year, either for shelter, reproduction or protection during fires, since the temperature changes little inside. In order to investigate the effect of fire management on the availability and occupation of termite mounds and cavities, I carried out samplings in 36 pairs of plots in two treatments (firebreak and natural), totaling 72 hectares. All termite mounds and cavities in the plots were counted and georeferenced and measurements of the dimensions of termite mounds with cavities were performed. The study showed that there is no difference in the number of termite mounds between natural areas (n=722) and firebreaks (n=843), but it did show that there is a difference in the number of cavities between the two treatments, being greater in managed areas (firebreak n= 53, natural n=18). With regard to the dimensions of the termite mounds and the cavities, there was no difference between the treatments, nor the groups of occupied and unoccupied cavities. The occupation rate of the cavities was 43% in firebreaks and 16% in natural areas.