Avaliação da ocupação e da adequabilidade ambiental para a preguiça-de-coleira (Bradypus torquatus, Illiger 1811): uma abordagem multi-espacial e multi-temporal com contribuições para a conservação da biodiversidade.

Abstract

Food production is one of the main responsible for climate change, once converting natural habitats into large agricultural landscapes plays a fundamental role in global warming. Additionally, the habitat loss may interrupt gene flows and important ecological processes. Therefore, changes in land use and its effects on climate change correspond to one of the main causes of species extinction. Arboreal species are the most affected by habitat loss, due to their high dependence on forests, as is the case of the maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus), exclusive of the threatened Atlantic Forest. Thus, the main objective of this present thesis was to understand the influence of environmental factors in the occupancy probability of B.torquatus and to evaluate the current and future environmental suitability for the species, besides contributing to the generation of open biodiversity data. The first chapter sought to compile and make available occurrence data on the xenarthrans, in order to contribute with several analyzes and ecological modeling. The second chapter aimed to identify the influence of forest cover and other variables on the occupancy probability of B.torquatus. The third chapter evaluated the environmental suitability for the species, considering regeneration and climate change scenarios. As a result: 1) We compiled over 30,000 xenarthran records, from different institutions around the world and from different sources - including data that until then were unavailable for public access; 2) The occupancy probability of the maned sloth is 0.97, but it decreases abruptly at 35% of forest cover, reaching zero in areas with less than 20% of forest cover. In addition, open areas cover, such as pastures, abandoned pastures and exposed soil, has a negative effect on B.torquatus occupancy probability, whereas areas with the presence of important trees to their diet affect positively; 3) Natural regeneration can mitigate the effects of climate change on environmental suitability for maned sloth. Overall, this thesis reinforces that forest areas are important predictors for species, and their low coverage implies in unsuitable areas for their presence. Additionally, the provision of xenarthran data will favor the development of several research and conservationist assessments focused on the group. The products generated here will contribute to goals and actions established in national action plans, aiming the long-term conservation of the species.