Rodent communities associated with three traditional agroecosystems in the San Luis Potosi Plateau, Mexico

Abstract

This paper analyzes the rodent richness and abundance of the farmed, edge and unfarmed areas of three agroecosystems in the San Luis Potosi Plateau, Mexico. These were studied throughout a year, with visits every 2 months. The conclusions generated were: (a) rodent communities of the agroecosystems behaved in agreement with the heterogeneity-diversity and diversity-stability hypotheses; (b) there was no clear edge effect; (c) no strict “farmland species” could be defined and, although the croplands tended to have distinct rodent assemblages, on a regional scale they remained associated with their unfarmed surroundings; (d) only the consideration of multiple factors, all associated with rainfall pattern, could explain rodent community differences.