Mamede S B, Alho C J R
Universidade para o Desenvolvimento do Estado e da Região do Pantanal - UNIDERP, Rua Ceará, 333, CEP 79003-010, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
Braz J Biol. 2006 Nov;66(4):991-8. doi: 10.1590/s1519-69842006000600006.
The Pantanal is a large savanna wetland (138,183 km2 in Brazil), important for its wildlife, fed by tributaries of the upper Paraguay River, center of South America (Brazil, touching Bolivia and Paraguay). Uplands are plateaus (250-1,200 m high, 215,000 km2 in Brazil) and flatland is the Pantanal (80-150 m high, 147,574 km2 in Brazil). Rivers are slow moving when they meet the flatland (slope 0.3-0.5 m/km east-west; 0.03-0.15 m/km north-south), periodically overflowing their banks, creating a complex seasonal habitat range. Recurrent shallow flooding occupies 80% of the Pantanal; during the dry season flooded areas dry up. Fluctuating water levels, nutrients and wildlife form a dynamic ecosystem. A flooding regime forms distinct sub-regions within the Pantanal. A mammal survey was carried out in the sub-region of the Rio Negro from April, 2003 through March, 2004 to study the diversity and abundance of terrestrial mammals during the dry and flooding seasons. A total of 36 species were observed in the field. The capybara Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris was the most frequent species, followed by the crab-eating-fox Cerdocyon thous and the marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus. The highest abundance of species was observed during the dry season (August and September), when there is a considerable expansion of terrestrial habitats, mainly seasonally flooded grassland. Animal abundance (in terms of observed individual frequencies) varied during the dry and wet seasons and the seasonally flooded grassland was the most utilized habitat by mammals in the dry season.
潘塔纳尔湿地是一片广袤的热带稀树草原湿地（在巴西面积达138,183平方公里），因其丰富的野生动物资源而闻名，由南美洲中部巴拉圭河上游的支流供水（巴西境内，与玻利维亚和巴拉圭接壤）。高地为高原（海拔250 - 1200米，在巴西面积215,000平方公里），而平原则是潘塔纳尔湿地（海拔高80 - 150米，在巴西面积147,574平方公里）。河流在汇入平原时流速缓慢（东西向坡度为0.3 - 0.5米/公里；南北向坡度为0.03 - 0.15米/公里），会周期性地漫过河岸，形成复杂的季节性栖息地。反复出现的浅洪泛区占潘塔纳尔湿地面积的80%；旱季时，被洪水淹没的区域会干涸。水位、养分和野生动物的波动构成了一个动态生态系统。洪水状况在潘塔纳尔湿地内形成了不同的子区域。2003年4月至2004年3月，在里奥内格罗子区域进行了一项哺乳动物调查，以研究旱季和洪季陆地哺乳动物的多样性和丰富度。实地共观察到36个物种。水豚Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris是最常见的物种，其次是食蟹狐Cerdocyon thous和沼泽鹿Blastocerus dichotomus。在旱季（8月和9月）观察到的物种丰富度最高，此时陆地栖息地大幅扩张，主要是季节性被洪水淹没的草地。动物数量（以观察到的个体频率计算）在旱季和雨季有所不同，季节性被洪水淹没的草地是旱季哺乳动物最常利用的栖息地。
