Patterns of arboreal and terrestrial space use by non-volant small mammals in an Araucaria forest of southern Brazil

Maury S.L Abreu,Larissa R De Oliveira

doi:10.1590/0001-3765201420130063

Maury S.L Abreu, Larissa R De Oliveira

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765201420130063

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Abstract

Despite the advances in the techniques for researching arboreal small mammals, detailed ecological data, such as habitat use patterns, are practically nonexistent for many species. Using 150 live-traps installed on the ground, understory (1.0-5.0m) and canopy (>5.0m) we investigated patterns of arboreal and terrestrial space use by small mammals in an Araucaria Forest in southern Brazil (29°29'08″S; 50°12'26″W). We also measured 19 microhabitat variables that could potentially influence the abundance of such mammals on each trap station. The results indicated that Akodon montensis and A. serrensis were mainly terrestrial. Delomys dorsalis was also terrestrial, but it also used understory (17.24% of captures). Juliomys sp. and Gracilinanus microtarsus were the most arboreal small mammals recorded. A. montensis was associated with dense vegetation, while A. serrensis selected positively opened areas. Juliomys sp. and G. microtarsus were associated to microhabitat variables related to the access and movement within the canopy. Moreover, bromeliads on arboreal layer were an important factor for these two arboreal species. This is the first study to report microhabitat associations by Juliomys sp. and A. serrensis, and we demonstrated that vertical stratification and microhabitat use were both synergic mechanisms to determine habitat use by small mammals on the Araucaria Forest of southern Brazil.

Highlights

Similar species that coexist spatially frequently show differences on their feeding strategies, habitat use, or patterns of time use allowing the resource partitioning (Schoener 1974)
Correspondence to: Maury Sayão Lobato Abreu E-mail: maury.abreu@gmail.com (Vieira and Baumgarten 1995, Graipel et al 2003) and space use (Leite et al 1996, Busch et al 2001). These mammals occupy a wide variety of habitats with different characteristics, both on the ground and in the upper strata of the forest, and studies have demonstrated that the arboreal layers exhibit a unique and diverse small mammal fauna (e.g. Cunha and Vieira 2002, Graipel 2003, Grelle 2003, Vieira and Monteiro-Filho 2003, Graipel et al 2006)
We investigated the patterns of the use of arboreal and terrestrial space by non-volant small mammals in an Araucaria Forest of southern Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Similar species that coexist spatially frequently show differences on their feeding strategies, habitat use, or patterns of time use allowing the resource partitioning (Schoener 1974). For the Neotropical non-volant small mammals, studies have indicated different mechanisms of species segregation, especially on diet (Leite et al 1996), daily activity (Vieira and Baumgarten 1995, Graipel et al 2003) and space use (Leite et al 1996, Busch et al 2001). These mammals occupy a wide variety of habitats with different characteristics, both on the ground and in the upper strata of the forest, and studies have demonstrated that the arboreal layers exhibit a unique and diverse small mammal fauna (e.g. Cunha and Vieira 2002, Graipel 2003, Grelle 2003, Vieira and Monteiro-Filho 2003, Graipel et al 2006). Despite the advances in the techniques for arboreal survey (e.g. Graipel 2003, Delciellos et al 2006), detailed ecological data, like habitat use patterns, are practically nonexistent for many species (Kays and Allison 2001)

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