scholarly journals Small mammal diversity in Semi-deciduous Seasonal Forest of the southernmost Brazilian Pampa: the importance of owl pellets for rapid inventories in human-changing ecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. e20206025
Author(s):  
Narla Shannay Stutz ◽  
Patrícia Hadler ◽  
Jorge José Cherem ◽  
Ulyses Francisco José Pardiñas
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Mammal Assemblages ◽  
Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Diversity ◽  
Owl Pellets

The Pampa biogeographic province covers a mere 2% of the Brazilian territory (176,496 km²). However, it stands out as a complex and diverse ecosystem, although its mammal communities are still scarcely understood. Human activities are transforming the territory into a mosaic of agroecosystems, native and exotic forest fragments, and grasslands. Here we conducted the first investigation to determine the richness of small mammal assemblages in the region based on extensive analyses of owl pellets (Tyto furcata). Craniodental remains were studied from samples collected from 12 Semi-deciduous Seasonal Forest sites in the municipality of São Lourenço do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. A total of 2,617 individuals belonging to 19 taxa were recorded, including 2 marsupials (Didelphidae; 0.42%), 2 chiropterans (Molossidae, Phyllostomidae; 0.12%), and 15 rodents (Cricetidae, Muridae, Caviidae; 99.46%). The rodent genera Oligoryzomys, Mus, Calomys, and Akodon were the most common taxa. Large samples also included poorly known taxa, such as the cricetids Bibimys, Juliomys (recording here its southernmost occurrence), Lundomys, and Wilfredomys. From a biogeographical point of view, the recorded assemblage embraces a mixture of Platan, Pampean, and Atlantic Forest elements, highlighting the role of the southernmost Brazilian hills as a wedge favoring the penetration of forest micromammals to higher latitudes. Our findings testify to the great diversity of the Pampa, but also point to a growing homogeneity and dominance of rodent species that are widespread in agroecosystems. Rapid inventories based on owl pellets emerge as a suitable, economic, non-invasive tool to document these community changes.

scholarly journals Artisanal mining impacts small mammals while chainsaw milling is a more sustainable practice in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Adjei Lawer ◽  
Anne-Christine Mupepele ◽  
Alexandra-Maria Klein
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Artisanal Mining ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Undisturbed Forest ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Communities

AbstractLogging and mining are widespread in most West African countries and considering their socio-economic importance, little is known about their ecological impacts. In this study, we investigated the effects of chainsaw milling (logging) and artisanal mining on terrestrial small mammal communities in a tropical forest in Ghana. For this, we compared abundance, diversity measures and community composition of small mammals active at the forest floor in logged, mined and undisturbed forest sites. We found that abundance was higher in logged and undisturbed forest sites than in mined sites. Small mammal species richness, Shannon diversity and Pielou’s evenness did not differ significantly among the three forest disturbance categories. Community composition of small mammals varied between mined and undisturbed sites as well as between mined and logged sites, suggesting differential species responses to altered environments. This may be due to the presence of pits in mined forest sites, hence a reduction in exploitable ground habitat structures for shelter, nesting or food. Overall, our results suggest that artisanal mining has strong impacts on community composition of forest floor small mammals in tropical forests while the effect of logging by chainsaw milling activities is minimal, especially when practiced at low intensity. This effect was moderated by elevation and distance to streams that equally shaped small mammal communities. More research on the effects of specific forms of logging and mining activities on small mammals are urgently needed to better protect species in forests impacted by logging and mining.

Spatial and temporal organisation of small mammal communities in the Monte desert, Argentina

Mammalia ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Corbalán ◽  
Ricardo Ojeda
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Sand Dunes ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuations ◽  
Monte Desert ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Assemblages ◽  
Mammal Communities

The coexistence of desert small mammals can be explained by differences in microhabitat use, morphology, body size, diet and foraging. The aim of this study was to quantify the structure of small mammal assemblages and the seasonal fluctuations in their abundance using mark – recapture techniques in habitats of different structural heterogeneity (mesquite forest, creosotebush community, and sand dunes) in the temperate Monte desert of Argentina. Habitat heterogeneity was characterised by 10 vegetation variables. The mesquite forest and the creosotebush community showed the highest diversity and habitat heterogeneity. The relative abundance of each species underwent remarkable variations between habitats. The sigmodontinae rodents

scholarly journals Didelphimorphia and Rodentia (Mammalia) from Sierras de Tecka and surrounding areas, northwestern Chubut, Argentina

Check List ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro I. Schiaffini ◽  
Analía L. Giménez ◽  
Gabriel M. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Mammal Fauna ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Calomys Musculinus ◽  
New Localities ◽  
Mammal Assemblages ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Caviomorph Rodents ◽  
Total Species ◽  
Owl Pellets

The small mammal fauna from northwestern Chubut Province (Argentina) is poorly known. We herein report small mammal assemblages from three new localities: Sierras de Tecka, an extra-Andean system elevated 900 m.a.sl.; Estancia La Mimosa on the Tecka river valley (at ca. 650 m.a.sl.); and Arroyo Pescado (at ca. 620 m.a.sl.) 40 km north of the other sites. Specimens were recovered from disaggregated owl pellets. Total species richness includes 16 native (13 sigmodontine and two caviomorph rodents, and one marsupial) and one introduced species. Estancia La Mimosa had the highest richness (n = 14), while Arroyo Pescado the lowest (n = 11). Four species were only recorded at Estancia La Mimosa (Akodon iniscatus, Calomys musculinus, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus and Mus musculus), two in Sierras de Tecka (Notiomys edwardsii and Microcavia australis) and one in Arroyo Pescado (Geoxus valdivianus). This work also adds new localities for Akodon iniscatus, Geoxus valdivianus, Lestodelphys halli and Notiomys edwardsii in western Chubut Province. 

scholarly journals Applying abundance/biomass comparison curves to small mammals: a weak tool for detect urbanization-related stress in the assemblages?

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-15
Author(s):  
Ermellina di Bagno ◽  
Corrado Battisti ◽  
Francesco Zullo ◽  
Giovanni Amori
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Level ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Synanthropic Species ◽  
Mosaic Landscapes ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Mammal Assemblages ◽  
Almost All

AbstractUrbanization is a form of pervasive human-induced disturbance. We tested the effectiveness of Abundance/Biomass Comparisons (ABC) as an approach in detecting stress due to landscape urbanization in large small mammal assemblages obtained from pellets of Barn Owl (Tyto alba; Strigiformes). We compared three assemblages sampled in not urbanized contexts (agro-mosaic landscapes) with three assemblages preyed in highly urbanized contexts. In all assemblages, the role of strictly synanthropic species (in our case: rodents) emerged since almost all of total biomass was assigned to these species: indeed, everywhere (both in agro-mosaic and urbanized sites) species of low trophic level (i.e. omnivorous/herbivorous rodents) significantly prevail in biomass when compared to insectivorous species (i.e. shrews, Soricomorpha) linked to less anthropized habitats. This biomass dominance in rodent species is highlighted by the data on evenness, showing lower values in biomass when compared to abundance. This pattern did not match with the classic assumption expressed by the ABC model (i.e., species with higher biomass are typical of undisturbed assemblage) and could be wrongly interpreted. Our study evidenced as ABC approach is a not reliable tool to detect the effect of urbanization as landscape disturbance acting on small mammal assemblages. Therefore we suggest that the ABC assumptions are not universal but limited only to assemblages where high body mass species coincide to species of a higher trophic level.

scholarly journals Diversity of small mammals synusias of the open forest sites of the Beskydy and Jeseníky Mts.

Beskydy ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-134
Author(s):  
L. Čepelka ◽  
J. Suchomel ◽  
L. Purchart ◽  
M. Heroldová
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽  
Rodent Species ◽  
Microtus Agrestis ◽  
Microtus Arvalis ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Communities ◽  
Muscardinus Avellanarius

Small mammal communities were studies in tree plantations in 2007-2011. The monitoring was conducted at 18 plots in the Jeseníky Mts. and 18 plots in the Beskydy Mts. using snap traps placed in lines. A total of 588 individuals of 10 species were captured in the Jeseníky Mts. and 577 individuals of 13 species in the Beskydy Mts. The Beskydy lot encompassed 5 insectivorous species and 8 rodent species, 4 of them eudominant (Apodemus flavicollis, D=43.33 %; Clethrionomys glareolus, D=21.49 %; Microtus agrestis, D=18.54 %; and Sorex araneus, D=10.05 %), one subdominant (Apodemus sylvaticus, D=2.77 %), two recedent (Microtus arvalis, D=1.39 %; Muscardinus avellanarius, D=1.04 %) and six sub-recedent (Microtus subterraneus and Sorex minutus: D=0.35 % and Apodemus agrarius, Neomys anomalus, Sorex alpinus and Talpa europea: D=0.17 %). The occurrence of 3 insectivorous species and 7 rodent species was confirmed in the Jeseníky Mts. Four species were eudominant (A. flavicollis, D=30.1 %; Clethrionomys glareolus, D=27.04 %; Microtus agrestis, D=24.49 %; and S. araneus, D=12.59 %), one species subdominant (Microtus arvalis; D=3.57 %), five species sub-recedent (A. sylvaticus, D=0.68 %; Crocidura suaveolens and Microtus subterraneus: D=0.34 %, Muscardinus avellanarius and S. minutus: D=0.17 %). According to the employed indexes, the total biodiversity was slightly higher in the Jeseníky Mts. (H=1.53; d=0.76; E=0.66) than in the Beskydy Mts. (H=1.52; d=0.72; E=0.59). The structure of the small mammal communities was strongly affected by the herb layer composition.

scholarly journals Mow the Grass at the Mouse’s Peril: Diversity of Small Mammals in Commercial Fruit Farms

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linas Balčiauskas ◽  
Laima Balčiauskienė ◽  
Vitalijus Stirkė
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Common Vole ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
The Common ◽  
Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Diversity

Small mammals are not only pests but also an important part of agricultural ecosystems. The common vole is a reference species for risk assessment of plant protection products in the European Union, but no data about the suitability of the species in the Baltic countries are present so far. Using the snap-trap line method, we evaluated species composition, abundance, and diversity of small mammal communities in commercial orchards and berry plantations in Lithuania, testing the predictions that (i) compared with other habitats, small mammal diversity in fruit farms is low, and (ii) the common vole is the dominant species. The diversity of small mammals was compared with control habitats and the results of investigations in other habitats. Out of ten small mammal species registered, the most dominant were common vole and striped field mouse. Small mammal diversity and abundance increased in autumn and decreased in line with the intensity of agricultural practices but were not dependent on crop type. In the most intensively cultivated fruit farms, small mammals were not found. The diversity of small mammal communities in fruit farms was significantly higher than in crop fields and exceeded the diversities found in most types of forests except those in rapid succession.

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