2.1 Study areas
The Mato Grosso do Sul State, located in Midwestern Brazil, is divided into two main regions: the floodplains, which encompass the Pantanal wetlands, and the plateau, which is dominated by the dry, tropical Cerrado savanna. Most of the Pantanal floodplains is still pristine and some areas harbor low impact traditional extensive livestock (Harris et al., 2005).
The plateau region is dominated by Cerrado vegetation, composed of dense grasslands with sparse shrubs, savanna and woodland areas. Nevertheless, large portions of the plateau have been modified for economical purposes (e.g. agriculture and intensive livestock) and native remnants have been fragmented into small patches (Reynolds et al., 2016). This study has taken place on both regions of Mato Grosso do Sul state.