Diversidade e influência da mineração sobre a comunidade de lagartos na Floresta Nacional de Carajás, sudeste do Pará, Brasil

Abstract

The Amazonian biome harbors high lizard diversity and suffers from anthropogenic pressures and lack of long term studies. The National Forest (FLONA) of Carajás is located in the southeastern state of Pará and has a rich on iron ore soil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the composition, richness and abundance of lizard community, provide information on the natural history of those lizards and to determine the effects of mining in two forest vegetation types of the FLONA: rain forest and metalophylic savannah, commonly known as Canga. Lizards were collected between October 1, 2008 and November 16, 2012 by pitfall traps with drift fence, time constrained search and occasional encounters. We recorded 23 species of lizards on eight families, but the expected richness for FLONA not been reached. The most abundant species were Tretioscincus agilis (n = 47), Chatogekko amazonicus (n = 40) and Notomabuya frenata (n = 31). We recorded 21 species in the forest only with 15 being unique to this area. In the Canga we recorded eight species and only two been exclusive. Richness and abundance were higher in the forest area (20 spp.; n = 235) and the most effective method of sampling was pitfall traps. Richness and abundance of lizards were higher in impacted forest (19 spp.; n = 143). In Canga richness was higher in impacted area (6 spp.) while the abundance was higher in not impacted area (n = 21). All these differences were not significant. Species abundance was similar in areas not impacted but varied in impacted ones, being higher in portions closer to the impact and lower in that more distant, indicating that mining influences the lizard community of FLONA Carajás.