Abstract
The global biodiversity crisis has pushed the globe into a 6th mass extinction with a large extent of species loss resulting in unstable ecosystems and communities that are less resistant to disturbances. The Amazon Basin is the most speciose ecosystem on the planet and has undergone a rapid transformation in the last five decades. This study utilized mammals and herpetofauna as representative taxon to observe how these anthropogenic activities may be influencing wildlife communities. Two sites of varying human presence in the Basin were surveyed, Santa Cruz, which is surrounded by human altered habitats and Madre Selva, adjacent to extensive primary forest. Using camera traps and visual encounter surveys, mammal and herpetofauna communities of these sites were measured and compared. The results reveal two distinct communities in terms of species abundance and composition. Madre Selva fostered a greater richness and rarer species likely due to less disturbance in and around the station. The differences in abundance, composition, and biodiversity patterns are likely response to anthropogenic activity, as seen when comparing the effects of habitat type and human presence. The human activity and forest type within the sites are not solely responsible for the community variation. Much of the variation observed is likely attributed to landscape transformation surrounding the sites and regional differences. In addition to environmental differences, human habitat alterations contribute to a heterogenous landscape throughout the Basin that unique species assemblages fill. Those species that can adjust to human presence, like species with smaller home range requirements or resistance to disease, are able to remain in these spaces while others move out into more suitable habitat.
