Non-volant small mammals in the different vegetation types of two protected restinga areas, Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Recent environments, such as restingas, present high habitat heterogeneity, with different vegetation types throughout its geographic range. In this study, we provided the first assessment of how the composition and abundance of non-volant small mammals are influenced by the habitat heterogeneity of the different vegetation types in the restinga of the Paulo Cesar Vinha State Park and the Environmental Protection Area of Setiba, state of Espirito Santo. We used live traps in 24 sampling sites distributed over four vegetation types from April to October 2019 to capture mammals. We found a pattern in the assemblage’s composition, showing a difference in richness and abundance of species among vegetation types. We recorded 21 species of small mammals. The restinga forest showed the highest richness and abundance of species, in contrast the beach vegetation zone showed the lowest richness and abundance. Our results pointed to a high richness of small mammals for the two protected restinga areas in general. This was the first study with non-volant small mammals in the restinga environment that assessed the habitat’s heterogeneity and how species change their composition in different vegetation types. We noted the veracity of the hypothesis of habitat heterogeneity, with higher richness and abundance of species in vegetation types with higher heterogeneity. In addition to verifying the specificity of habitat of species recorded exclusively in forest environments. These results represent the first step to assist in actions for the conservation of mammals in a coastal environment with high anthropogenic pressure.