Large mammals alter soil chemistry and increase the fertility of the Atlantic Forest

by André Julião, São Paulo Research Foundation
July 1, 2026

A study published in the journal Ecological Monographs indicates that large mammals, such as tapirs, peccaries, collared peccaries, and deer, alter the chemical composition of the leaf litter and soil in tropical forests of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. As a consequence, they provide greater availability of nutrients and, possibly, greater soil fertility.

The work was carried out by members of the Biodiversity and Climate Change Research Center (CBioClima), a Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center (CEPID) supported by FAPESP and based at the Institute of Biosciences of São Paulo State University (IB-Unesp), in Rio Claro. The results emphasize the importance that these animals – heavily targeted by illegal hunting and with declining populations – have for the long-term survival of the biome, even within areas where forest cover remains intact.

Keep reading (in Portuguese): https://agencia.fapesp.br/grandes-mamiferos-alteram-a-quimica-do-solo-e-aumentam-a-fertilidade-da-mata-atlantica/58565

Read the Ecological Monographs paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecm.70070