The Pantanal is a fire-dependent Brazilian biome. Both the annual flood pulse and fire events are important drivers that condition the structure of its vegetation formations. Among the biome’s physiognomies are paleo-levees, which are ancient formations of riparian vegetation associated with abandoned river channels known as cordilleiras. When affected by fire, these environments can have their structure and species composition altered. Many trees in the Pantanal are adapted to fire and flooding, but high-intensity fires can result in additional impacts on vegetation structure. Therefore, we conducted a study in levees areas in the Refúgio Ecolóogico Caiman in the Pantanal after the 2019 fire. We investigated how species structure and composition might be affected by fire. The study showed differences in species composition between burned and unburned areas, attributed to the history of fires in the zones analyzed. The unburned area has been unburned for more than 25 years, while the burned área experienced fires in 2007 and 2019. Although no significant differences were observed in richness, abundance, basal area, and diversity, fire does affect species composition. Resilience was observed in species such as Curatella americana and Attalea phalerata, which show the ability to regenerate after fires. The results indicate that the vegetation of the paleo-levees in the Refúgio Ecológico Caiman is resilient to fire, highlighting the importance of these areas in integrated fire management since, even if affected, they will not suffer major structural changes.
