Sampling biases of small non-volant mammals (Mammalia: Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) surveys in Paraná state, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT The lack of information on biological aspects of small mammals in Brazil fits into two of the main gaps in knowledge of biodiversity – the Linnean and Wallacean shortfall. We performed a broad compilation of studies developed in the Paraná state to consolidate the first list of non-volant small mammal species. Furthermore, we indicate which regions lack information and greater sampling efforts to understand the biological aspects of small mammals. We listed 50 species belonging to 30 genera, five families, and two orders, which represent 37% of marsupials and small rodent species occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Our results indicate that are regions in the Paraná state, such as the southwest, without a single record of small mammals, reveling a Wallacean shortfall of approximately 138.584 km2. Studies on the small-bodied mammal fauna in the state of Paraná are influenced by accessibility bias, concentrated at sites less than 50 kilometers distant from cities, roads, or airports. New research will not only have the challenge of knowing the species richness in regions that are still poorly or hitherto no studied, but also evaluate the state and the population dynamics of the species that persist in densely anthropized areas.