Elevational zonation of mammals in the central Philippines

1989 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence R. Heaney ◽  
Paul D. Heideman ◽  
Eric A. Rickart ◽  
Ruth B. Utzurrum ◽  
J. S. H. Klompen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Oceanic Island ◽  
Fruit Bats ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Land Bridge ◽  
Fruit Bat ◽  
Murid Rodents ◽  
Forested Areas

ABSTRACTTrapping and netting of small mammals on a land-bridge island (Leyte) and on an oceanic island (Negros) revealed similar patterns of elevational change in abundance and species richness. Fruit bats (Pteropodidae) reached their greatest local densities in agricultural areas, and were least abundant in montane mossy forest. The fruit bats found to be common in agri-cultural areas are widespread in Southeast Asia: in contrast, species that were most common in forested areas are Philippine endemics. Fruit bat abundance was greater on the oceanic island than on the land-bridge island. Trappable small mammals (families Soricidae and Muridae) showed no change in species richness with increasing elevation, but did show a gradual increase in overall abundance. Even though the oceanic island was depauperate of non-volant mammal species, it had the higher abundance of non-volant mammal individuals; however, this may have been due primarily to differences associated with the elevation of sampling sites. Murid rodents at the higher elevations on Leyte tend to be those that are members of the old endemic group of Philippine murids, and those at lower elevations tend to be members of more recently arrived groups. Most non-volant small mammals at all elevations on the oceanic Negros, and in agri-cultural areas on Leyte, are non-native species.

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

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 737 ◽  
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.

The scientific, financial and ethical implications of three common wildlife-trapping designs

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen P. Waudby ◽  
Sophie Petit ◽  
Matthew J. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Capture Rate ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
Capture Rates

Abstract ContextTrapping design influences information collected about wildlife populations and biodiversity. Trapping is also resource-intensive and has animal welfare implications. AimsThe scientific, financial and ethical performances of three trap designs were compared for estimating diversity and sampling small vertebrates. MethodsSmall vertebrates were trapped over 16 trapping sessions, from April 2009 to May 2011, with aluminium box-style (Elliott) traps and two pitfall trap designs (shallow–wide and deep–narrow), in an arid environment. Key resultsShallow pitfalls recorded highest overall species richness (S=22) and diversity (qD=10.622), reptile diversity (qD=8.112) and reptile capture rates (13.600 individuals per 100 trap nights). Shallow and deep pitfalls sampled ~79.0% and 85.0% (respectively) more small mammals than did Elliott traps. Deep pitfalls sampled the greatest diversity (qD=6.017) and number (29.700 individuals per 100 trap nights) of small mammals, and captured the greatest number of small mammal species (0.003) and individuals (0.106) per dollar. Shallow pitfalls were the most cost-efficient trap type for sampling reptile species (0.003) and individuals (0.044) per dollar. Between-session recapture rates were greatest in Elliott traps, indicating an increased likelihood of biased capture rates for certain small mammal species over time. Elliott traps were the least efficient traps on most scientific and cost measures, and recorded the greatest overall recapture rates, particularly for Sminthopsis crassicaudata and S. macroura. Body size of one species only, the nationally threatened Pseudomys australis, influenced its capture rate, with larger individuals more likely to be caught in deep pitfalls. Mortality was highest in pitfalls and mostly related to interactions between animals caught in the same trap. Key conclusionsShallow pitfalls are suitable for studies focused on estimating species richness, and reptile diversity and abundance. Deep pitfalls are cost-effective for sampling small mammals. Ethical issues associated with pitfalls could be managed by checking traps more often at night, and/or including materials that provide increased protection from predators caught in the same trap, particularly during periods of high abundance. ImplicationsTrap design profoundly influences cost-effectiveness and welfare outcomes of wildlife research. We provide a tool to assist cost-benefit related decisions.

Test of the prey-base hypothesis to explain use of red squirrel midden sites by American martens

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1372-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean E Pearson ◽  
Leonard F Ruggiero
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Landscape Variables ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
American Martens

We tested the prey-base hypothesis to determine whether selection of red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) midden sites (cone caches) by American martens (Martes americana) for resting and denning could be attributed to greater abundance of small-mammal prey. Five years of livetrapping at 180 sampling stations in 2 drainages showed that small mammals, particularly red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) and shrews (Sorex spp.), were more abundant at midden sites than at non-midden sites. However, logistic regression indicated that middens occurred in spruce–fir (Picea engelmannii – Abies lasiocarpa) stands, being correlated with decreasing lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) basal area, decreasing distance to water, and increasing canopy cover. Since middens were not randomly distributed, we constructed multiple linear regression models to determine the variability in small-mammal abundance and species richness attributable to structural and landscape variables. Regression models indicated that abundance of small mammals, red-backed voles, and uncommon small mammals could be predicted from structural and landscape variables, but midden presence did not significantly improve these models. Midden presence was a significant but weak predictor of small-mammal species richness. Our data do not support the prey-base hypothesis for explaining martens' selection of resting and denning sites near red squirrel middens at the scales we tested.

scholarly journals Fish fauna in forested and rural streams from an ecoregion of high endemism, lower Iguaçu River basin, Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosilene Luciana Delariva ◽  
Mayara Pereira Neves ◽  
Crislei Larentis ◽  
Bruna Caroline Kotz Kliemann ◽  
Mara Cristina Baldasso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Total Species ◽  
Iguaçu River

Abstract The fish fauna of eight streams with different land uses of their watersheds (forested and rural areas) in the lower Iguaçu River basin was inventoried, in order to evaluate the composition and species richness. The fishes were sampled quarterly from May 2015 to February 2016, using the electrofishing technique. In total, 4,239 individuals were captured, belonging to six orders, 11 families and 26 species. The orders Siluriformes and Characiformes, and the families Characidae and Trichomycteridae were the most specious. Of the total species sampled, 65% were endemic to the Iguaçu River basin, four are not described and four are non-native. As expected to the Iguaçu River basin, the inventoried fauna revealed low richness and high endemism, however was highly nested within the species composition reported for main channel of Iguaçu River and their larger tributaries. The species recorded here corresponded to a subset of 24.5% of the 106 species documented for the basin. The streams presented different faunas, with only two species (Astyanax bifasciatus and Trichomycterus stawiarski) common to both forested and rural streams. In addition, higher species richness was recorded in streams inserted in conservation units. The presence of non-native species was more frequent in rural streams. These results highlight the importance of the preservation of forested areas in the watersheds of lower Iguaçu, which presents a peculiar fish fauna, along with several threats to biodiversity such as habitat loss by intensive agriculture use.

Effects of grassland succession on communities of small mammals in Illinois, USA

Biologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Native Grasslands ◽  
Open Ground ◽  
Grassland Habitats

AbstractNative grasslands are among the most imperiled of the North American ecosystems, with only ∼4% of their pre-settlement area remaining, but some grassland habitats are being restored and maintained through such methods as prescribed burning and mowing, which may provide habitat for animal species endemic to this ecosystem. I determined how succession of the plant community, due to a four-year rotational burn in 16 grassland fragments, influenced species richness and local abundances of small mammals in Illinois, USA. Species richness was relatively low in grasslands that were recently burned and highest in older successional grasslands. The most abundant species, Microtus ochrogaster, M. pennslyvanicus, Peromyscus maniculatus, P. leucopus, and Reithrodontomys megalotis showed very different responses to succession; Microtus spp. were most abundant in older successional grasslands, preferring areas with more cover of bunchgrasses, whereas the other three species were relatively abundant in grasslands of all successional ages. P. maniculatus was most abundant in any habitat that had ample open ground. The grasslands at my study site are a mixture of restored and non-restored grasslands. Overall, adding additional time between burns and restoring more of the grasslands by planting bunchgrasses that are native to this area may increase abundances of most mammal species at my study site.

scholarly journals Management Intensity and Forest Successional Stages as Significant Determinants of Small Mammal Communities in a Lowland Floodplain Forest

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1320
Author(s):  
Josef Suchomel ◽  
Jan Šipoš ◽  
Ondřej Košulič
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽  
Intensive Management ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Management Intensity ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Small Mammal Species

The conversion of forests from complex natural ecosystems to simplified commercial woodlands is one of the major causes of biodiversity loss. To maintain biodiversity, we need to understand how current management practices influence forest ecosystems. We studied the effects of forest successional stage and management intensity on the abundance, species richness, and assemblage composition of small mammals. Our results show that management intensity significantly contributes to reducing the number of species after clearcutting. We revealed that intensively managed clearings can make the dispersal or foraging activity of small mammals difficult and hence negatively influence their abundance and species richness. The significantly higher species richness of small mammal species was recorded within more extensively rather than intensively managed clearings. In contrast, we did not observe significant changes in species richness and abundance after intensive management in old-growth forests. Species Clethrionomys glareolus and Apodemus flavicollis reached the greatest abundance in old-growth forest patches. On the other hand, Microtus arvalis and Microtus subterraneus were species mainly associated with the successionally youngest forest stands. Our analysis suggests that intensive management interventions (i.e., vegetation destruction by pesticides and wood debris removal by soil milling) in clearings produce unhostile environments for majority of the small mammal species.

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

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.

scholarly journals Diversity and Diet Differences of Small Mammals in Commensal Habitats

Diversity ◽  
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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