The effect of anthropic pressures and elevation on the large and medium-sized terrestrial mammals of the subtropical mountain forests (Yungas) of NW Argentina

We conducted a 55-day long camera-trap survey in the Yungas subtropical forest in NW Argentina, to assess the effect of human accessibility, conservation status of the area, domestic animals and elevation on the diversity and composition of the large and medium-sized native terrestrial mammal assemblage. The study area is covered by continuous forest and has its center in the small community of Acambuco, in the Acambuco Provincial Reserve.
We recorded 15 species of native mammals. Native mammal species richness decreased with elevation. Other predictive variables had no effect on species richness, probably as a result of the relatively narrow range of conditions assessed in this study. The effect of elevation on mammal assemblages should be considered in landscape planning processes aimed at promoting biodiversity conservation