Effects of Landscape Attributes on Medium- and Large Terrestrial Non-Volant Mammals: A Systematic Review of Camera Trap Studies (2010--2023)

Terrestrial landscapes are undergoing unprecedented transformations due to human activities, resulting in habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation on a global scale. This has severe effects on wildlife, especially on medium- and large-sized terrestrial mammals. Landscape ecology seeks to understand how habitat configuration, quantity, quality, and connectivity impact wildlife populations. This article presents a meta-analysis exploring the effects of landscape attributes and habitat fragmentation on populations of medium- and large-sized terrestrial mammals, highlighting the role of landscape ecology in biodiversity conservation. A total of 180 articles published between 2010 and 2023 were analyzed, selected from scientific databases. Patterns were evaluated in terms of geographic coverage, research topics, response variables, land use, and landscape metrics applied. Most studies were conducted in the Americas, Asia, and Africa, focusing on tropical and subtropical biomes. Of these, 68.89% centered on mammal communities in general. The most frequently studied response variables were species richness (28.45%), occupancy (25.63%), and abundance (12.39%). The most commonly used landscape metrics were related to human disturbances and habitat quantity. Studies were mainly conducted in native forests (77.17%) and areas with agricultural activities (42.39%). This review highlights the growing importance of camera traps in mammalian research and the need to understand landscape effects on their conservation. Species were observed to respond differently to landscape transformation, with some exhibiting ecological flexibility and others experiencing negative impacts.