What determines species composition and diversity of hypogeous fungi in the diet of small mammals? A comparison across mammal species, habitat types and seasons in Central European mountains

AbstractThe diets of small mammals in different hemiboreal spruce-dominated, oak-dominated and mixed forests in western part of Lithuania were studied by examination of fungal spores in fresh fecal pellets of caught animals. In the diets of mice (Apodemus spp.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and common and pygmy shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus), 22 different fungal taxa were identified, 15 of which were hypogeous fungi. The sporocarp abundance and the spores in fecal samples of Elaphomyces fungi prevailed in study area during this investigation. Although most of the captured individuals consumed fungi, the consumption varied among small mammal species. The data show that the fungi were more frequent and taxonomically diverse in Myodes glareolus than in Apodemus spp. diets. The study provided evidence that the fungal component in the diets of insectivorous Sorex species is more diverse than previously known. The availability of sporocarps and the fungal component in the diets of small mammals showed seasonal effects. Annual hypogeous and epigeous sporocarp abundances did not vary significantly across forest types. The significant difference in mycophagy was observed across all forest cover types, with the greatest fungal diversity in fecal samples collected in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree stands.

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A novel approach for tracing mycophagous small mammals and documenting their fungal diets

Botany ◽

10.1139/cjb-2018-0222 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (9) ◽

pp. 475-785

Author(s):

Véronique B. Cloutier ◽

Yves Piché ◽

J. André Fortin ◽

Jean. A. Bérubé ◽

Hélène Glémet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Its Region ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Glaucomys Sabrinus ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Hypogeous Fungi ◽

Sequestrate Fungi ◽

Flying Squirrels ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Canadian Boreal Forest

We developed a method combining passive baiting (animals that are not trapped) with DNA meta-barcoding of the feces acquired, to study fungi in the diet of small mammals. Mammal and fungal species were identified using genomic DNA of 596 fecal samples collected in five regions of the eastern Canadian boreal forest. For identification of the small mammal species, the cytochrome b region was used. A total of eight species of small mammals displayed hypogeous fungi consumption, with northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) and red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) as the top consumers. For identification of their fungal diets, the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was used. We recovered 722 taxa of Ascomycota, 429 Basidiomycota, 81 Zygomycota, 4 Chytridiomycota, 1 Glomeromycota, and 44 unidentified fungal taxa. Of these, 28 were hypogeous sequestrate fungi (underground fructification), which presumably are dug out by small mammals for consumption. Otherwise, for the remaining fungi [epigeous (above ground fructification) or microscopic fungal species], it is unclear which ones are selected by the animal as a dietary source or result from incidental contamination. Our paper presents a promising approach for tracing mycophagy in small mammals, and our results suggest that fungal diversity is important for the diet of some small mammals.

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Diversity of small land mammals in a subtropical Atlantic forest in the western region of the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-06032014012914 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Renan Maestri ◽

Daniel Galiano ◽

Bruno Busnello Kubiak ◽

Jorge Reppold Marinho

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Spatial Autocorrelation ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Small Mammals ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Similar Species ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Interior Forest

Small land mammals possess features that significantly influence the dynamics of ecosystems and participate in various levels of the food web. In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest the richness of these animals is high, which makes them even more ecologically and numerically relevant in this environment. In this context, we investigated the species composition of small mammals in an unexplored area of southern Brazil, and compared the species composition of this area with other Atlantic Forest regions in order to understand how this community is related to others. The study area was located in an interior Atlantic forest formation, at a transition region between deciduous and Araucaria forests. Small mammals were captured at five collection points using pitfall traps. We compared the species composition found in our studied area with the composition of other 11 studies in different regions by a cluster analysis, and we investigated the presence of spatial autocorrelation between communities with a Mantel test. We recorded 779 individuals from 21 species of small rodents (15 species) and marsupials (six species) during the 13 months of the collection period. This richness was high compared to other studies conducted in the Atlantic Forest formations near to coastline and in interior forest formations. This may be a result of the conditions provided by this transition area (deciduous and Araucaria forests), where could be found elements of the both forests formations, which probably allows the establishment of small mammal species from both forest types. Despite differences in sampling effort of the studies, our results suggest that the interior forest formations may harbor a number of species comparable to the formations near the coast. The species composition of this area was similar to those found in other interior forest formations with the same phytophysiognomy characteristics and at nearby regions, and it was less similar to the distant formations located in southeastern and northeastern Brazil and nearby to the coastline. This can be a result of both the spatial autocorrelation (i.e. more nearby communities tend to have more similar species composition) and the differences of forest characteristics among regions.

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List of Species and Conservation Status of Avifauna and Small mammal around Bade Segment Area of River Yobe, Yobe State, Nigeria

International Journal of Current Science Research and Review ◽

10.47191/ijcsrr/v4-i12-18 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 04 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Adam, L. I. ◽

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Small Mammal ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Bird Species ◽

Line Transect ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Mammal Species ◽

River Bank ◽

Small Mammal Species

The study was carried out to assess a Checklist of avifauna and small mammal species along Bade catchment area of Yobe State, Nigeria. Preliminary survey was conducted around the river, three (3) habitat types were identified; (river bank, farm lands and flood plain). The line transect was 8 km in length. Two (2) transects were established per habitat type, making a total of six (6) transects. The transects were 100 m apart to the left or right in order to avoid double counting of species. A distance of 200m was maintained between each habitat. The data obtained were analyses using descriptive statistics (Frequency tables and Charts were used to portrayed the findings. The result of the study; showed that a total of 50 bird species in 28 families were recorded. RB had the highest individuals of Fifty (50) species while FP has the lowest with ten (10) species. The Bird family Columbidae has the highest number with six (6) of species, while the lowest were Ardeidae, Sturnidae and Tytonidae with one species in each of the habitat types. However, checklist of small mammal species also indicated that a total of 6 species of small mammals belonging to 4 families were identified. The result of the study shows that the family Muridae has 3 species which was the highest number of per family identified in the study area, this is due to the fact that Muridae family are the most common small mammals in the study area. And both bird small species fell under least concern (LC) category except Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus which felled under near threatened (NT) species. However, awareness campaign should also be organize for the residents around the study area on the presence, distribution of bird and small mammal species and also disturbing effect of their activities on bird and small mammal around the segment area of river Yobe.

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The influence of fire on populations of small mammals of the Kruger National Park

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v24i1.624 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

N. G Kern

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Species Composition ◽

Small Mammals ◽

Small Mammal ◽

National Park ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Low Diversity ◽

Small Mammal Species

A total of 16 000 trap-nights was employed over eleven months to examine the influence of burning on small mammal populations in two major veld-types of the Kruger National Park. Four burning treatments (control, annual August burning, triennial August and April burning) were examined in detail and the following parameters determined: small mammal species composition, population density, biomass and species diversity. The control treatment had a high, stable small mammal density, biomass and diversity; the annual burning treatment had a low diversity and was dominated by Tatera leucogaster. The triennial burning treatments showed a cycle of species composition from domination by T. leucogaster following burning, through domination by other rodent species to domination by Crocidura hirta at the end of the cycle. The distributions and movements of the small mammals can be explained in terms of cover and litter preferences.

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Do the assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates in nearshore waters of Western Australia vary among habitat types, zones and seasons?

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315405011100h ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 85 (2) ◽

pp. 217-232 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

M.D. Wildsmith ◽

I.C. Potter ◽

F.J. Valesini ◽

M.E. Platell

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Subtidal Zone ◽

Habitat Types ◽

Environmental Characteristics ◽

Deposit Feeding ◽

Number Of Individuals

Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled seasonally in the subtidal and upper and lower swash zones at two sites in each of six nearshore habitat types on the lower west coast of Australia. The habitat types, which differed mainly in the extent of their exposure to wave activity and whether sea grass and/or nearshore reefs were present, had been distinguished quantitatively using values for a suite of seven statistically-selected enduring environmental characteristics (Valesini et al., 2003). The core samples yielded 121 species representing eight phyla, among which the Polychaeta, Malacostraca and Bivalvia were the most speciose classes, contributing ∼38, 23 and 10%, respectively, to the total number of individuals. The total number of species and mean density of macroinvertebrates at the most protected habitat type (1), i.e. 70 and 209·2 individuals 0·1 m−2, respectively, were far greater than in any other habitat type. Habitat type influenced species composition to a greater extent than either zone or season. Furthermore, the extents of the differences among the species compositions of the six habitat types statistically matched the extents of the differences among the values for the suite of enduring environmental characteristics that distinguished each of those habitat types. Overall, the species composition at habitat type 1 was the most distinct, containing five abundant species of polychaetes that were adapted to deposit-feeding in calm waters with high levels of organic material and which were rare in all other habitat types. In contrast, the fauna at the most exposed habitat type was characterized by four crustacean species and a species of bivalve and polychaete, whose mobility and tough external surface facilitated their survival and feeding in turbulent waters. The zonal differences in faunal compositions among habitat types were greatest in the case of the subtidal zone. The faunal compositions differed among zones and seasons only at the most protected habitat type.

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First Detection of Bartonella spp. in Small Mammals from Rice Storage and Processing Facilities in Myanmar and Sri Lanka

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9030658 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 658

Author(s):

Inga Böge ◽

Martin Pfeffer ◽

Nyo M. Htwe ◽

Pyai P. Maw ◽

Siriwardana Rampalage Sarathchandra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Small Mammals ◽

Target Genes ◽

Bartonella Henselae ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Suncus Murinus ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Urban Settlements ◽

D 12 ◽

Zoonotic Bacteria

(1) Background: Bartonella spp. are zoonotic bacteria with small mammals as main reservoirs. Bartonella spp. prevalence in small mammals from Myanmar and Sri Lanka are yet unknown. (2) Methods: Small mammals were snap trapped in Sri Lanka and Myanmar in urban surroundings. Spleens-derived DNA was screened for Bartonella spp. using conventional PCR based on three target genes. Positive samples were sequenced. (3) Results: 994 small mammals were collected comprising 6 species: Bandicota bengalensis, Bandicota indica, Rattus exulans, Rattus rattus, Mus booduga, and Suncus murinus. In Myanmar, the Bartonella prevalence in Bandicoot rats (68.47%) was higher than in Rattus rattus (41.67%), Rattus exulans (21.33%), and Suncus murinus (3.64%). Furthermore the prevalence in Myanmar (34%, n = 495) was twice as high as in Sri Lanka (16%, n = 499). In Sri Lanka, Bartonella spp. occurred almost exclusively in R. rattus. In Myanmar, Bartonella kosoyi was mainly detected (56%), followed by Bartonella sp. KM2529 (15%), Bartonella sp. SE-Bart D (12%) and Bartonella henselae (1%). In Sri Lanka, B. phoceensis (60%) and Bartonella sp. KM2581 (33%) were predominant. (4) Conclusions: Bartonella spp. were detected in all investigated small mammal species from Myanmar and Sri Lanka for the first time. Bartonella kosoyi and B. henselae are zoonotic. As these small mammals originated from urban settlements, human bartonellosis seems likely to occur.

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Diversity and Diet Differences of Small Mammals in Commensal Habitats

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13080346 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 346

Author(s):

Linas Balčiauskas ◽

Laima Balčiauskienė ◽

Andrius Garbaras ◽

Vitalijus Stirkė

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Small Mammal ◽

Trophic Ecology ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Additional Food ◽

Δ13c And Δ15n ◽

Degree Of Separation ◽

Kitchen Gardens ◽

Dietary Plasticity ◽

The Stability

The stability of diversity of syntopic (inhabiting the same habitat in the same time) small mammals in commensal habitats, such as farmsteads and kitchen gardens, and, as a proxy of their diet, their isotopic niches, was investigated in Lithuania in 2019–2020. We tested whether the separation of species corresponds to the trophic guilds, whether their diets are related to possibilities of getting additional food from humans, and whether their diets are subject to seasonal trends. We analyzed diversity, dominance and distribution of hair δ13C and δ15N values. Diversity and dominance was not stable and differed according to human influence. The highest small mammal species richness occurred in commensal habitats that provided additional food. The degree of separation of species was higher in homestead habitats than in kitchen gardens, where a 1.27 to 35.97% overlap of isotopic niches was observed between pairs of species. Temporal changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the hair of the mammals were not equally expressed in different species. The isotopic overlap may depend on dietary plasticity, minimizing interspecific competition and allowing co-existence of syntopic species. Thus, small mammal trophic ecology is likely related to intensity of agricultural activities in the limited space of commensal habitats.

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Species composition and population structure of small mammals of the vishera reserve at low abundance

Russian Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1007/s11184-005-0024-z ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 135-137

Author(s):

V. Yu. Dubrovskii ◽

M. V. Roshchin ◽

S. A. Cherepushkin

Keyword(s):

Population Structure ◽

Species Composition ◽

Small Mammals

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Powerline Easements: Do They Promote Edge Effects in Eucalypt Forest for Small Mammals?

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr96116 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 737 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Ross L. Goldingay ◽

Robert J. Whelan

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Edge Effects ◽

Native Species ◽

Vegetative Cover ◽

Mammal Species ◽

Terrestrial Mammals ◽

Eucalypt Forest ◽

Hair Sampling ◽

South Wales ◽

Antechinus Stuartii

The distribution and abundance of small terrestrial mammals were assessed in forest adjacent to powerline easements at three different sites in New South Wales. At each site, four transects of 300 m length extended into the forest from the edge of the easement. The abundances of two native species (Antechinus stuartii, Rattus fuscipes) did not differ significantly with distance from the easement but abundances differed markedly among sites. Mammals were captured in only one easement where dense vegetation was present. Feral carnivores, which may mediate edge effects on small mammals, were surveyed by using hair-sampling tubes. Cats and dogs were detected only 50–200 m inside the forest. Foxes were not detected by hair-tubes but were observed on two easements. These results suggest that powerline easements may not create edge effects in eucalypt forest for some native mammal species, although further studies are needed to determine the generality of this conclusion. We recommend that easement management should be more benign to native mammals, given the ubiquity of this form of habitat fragmentation. Promotion of dense vegetative cover and habitat linkages within easements could achieve this.

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