The role of gallery forests in the distribution of cerrado mammals

Abstract

The Cerrado biome contains a rich mammal community, with an influence from the Amazonian and Atlantic rainforests, principally observed in the gallery forests. In this paper, through literature review, it is shown that the non-volant mammal community of the gallery forests is distinct from the mammal communities of any other physionomy of the Cerrado. Additionally, the gallery forests contain twice as many species common to the rainforests when compared to all the other physiognomies of the Cerrado combined. The gallery forests appear to provide habitat within the Cerrado for rainforest mammals, increasing the biodiversity of this biome. As such, gallery forests may function as dispersion corridors for these species.