Influence of microhabitat structure and disturbance on detection of native and non-native murids in logged and unlogged forests of northern Borneo

Jeremy J Cusack,Robert M Ewers,Oliver R Wearn,Henry Bernard

doi:10.1017/s0266467414000558

Jeremy J Cusack, Robert M Ewers + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266467414000558

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Abstract

Abstract:Understanding the habitat preferences of native and non-native species may offer valuable insights into the mechanisms favouring invasion of disturbed habitats. This study investigated the determinants of trap-site detection probability of three native (Maxomys surifer, Maxomys whiteheadi and Leopoldamys sabanus) and one invasive (Rattus rattus) species of terrestrial murid (Muridae) in logged and unlogged forests of northern Borneo. We established four and two trapping grids in repeatedly logged and unlogged forest, respectively, for a total of 500 sampled trap sites. From these, we obtained 504 detections of the four species over 3420 trap nights. For each species, probability of detection was modelled as a function of both the structural components and disturbance level of the forest patch measured around each trap site. Each of the four species showed contrasting microhabitat preferences: M. surifer favoured increased canopy closure and intermediate ground and understorey vegetation cover; M. whiteheadi preferred increased ground vegetation cover and canopy height; L. sabanus favoured sites with larger amounts of coarse woody debris and less leaf litter; and R. rattus was associated with increased ground vegetation cover. Within logged forest, detection probabilities of the three native species did not vary significantly with level of patch disturbance, whereas that of the invasive R. rattus increased markedly in more degraded sites. This latter finding will have increasingly important implications when considering the rapid degradation of forests in the region, and the resulting expansion of suitable habitat for this competitive species.

Highlights

Understanding the habitat preferences of species within modified environments can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms facilitating invasion by non-native species (Maskell et al 2006, Melero et al 2008, Thompson et al 1995)
We investigate the determinants of trapsite detection probability of four non-volant rodent species (Muridae, hereafter murids), including three native and one non-native, in logged and unlogged tropical forests of northern Borneo
The first aim of this study was to investigate how specific components of microhabitat structure measured at the trap level influence the detection probability of three native (Maxomys surifer, Miller; Maxomys whiteheadi, Thomas and Leopoldamys sabanus, Thomas) and one nonnative (Rattus rattus, Linnaeus) species

Summary

Introduction

Understanding the habitat preferences of species within modified environments can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms facilitating invasion by non-native species (Maskell et al 2006, Melero et al 2008, Thompson et al 1995). The island of Borneo in South-East Asia has undergone some of the highest deforestation rates in the world (Achard et al 2002, Sodhi et al 2010) These have reduced it to a patchwork of land-uses consisting mostly of logged secondary forests and fragmented agricultural landscapes, with very few expanses of old-growth forest remaining outside of protected areas (Bryan et al 2013, McMorrow & Talip 2001, Reynolds et al 2011). In this context, many studies have highlighted the value of logged forests to both the maintenance of key ecological processes and the conservation of a variety of taxa

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