Effect of forest fire on mammals: comparisons of species diversity on different time-period and area

Abstract

Abstract Fire is one of the threats to biodiversity, although it also has a positive impact on particular species. It is important to understand the response of mammals to fire concerning its function as key components of the food webs and the essential role in the ecosystem. To investigate the impact of fire on mammal biodiversity, a 40 days observation was conducted on two period times (two years and four years after fires) at a sago plantation forest in Riau Province, Indonesia. A strip transect method as direct observation was used at three conditions (burned areas, unburned areas, and conservation areas) together with traps for indirect observations. Fires have an impact on decreasing the number of species, species richness, and composition of mammals at two years after the fire but do not cause the extinction of all mammal species. The fire also impacted the number of species gain and loss, where no addition to the number of species lost in two periods. Species begin to recovery after four years including adapted generalist species, e.g. Macaca fascicularis. The presence of three different areas forms habitat heterogeneity that affects the diversity of mammal species in a post-fire habitat.