The effects of habitat availability and quality on small mammals abundance in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Different causal mechanisms have been suggested to explain species decline in fragmented landscapes, mainly those related with the amount and configuration of habitat for species (habitat availability), and those related with the habitat patch quality. Here we quantify the effects of habitat availability and quality on the abundance of three small mammals in a landscape at the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We compared species with different habitat preferences and dispersal abilities (Nectomys squamipes, Marmosa paraguayana and Didelphis aurita). The most sensitivity species to fragmentation (N. squamipes) was affected by habitat quality variables only, while the least sensitive species (D. aurita) did not suffer any effect of habitat quality and availability. M. paraguayana, a species with an intermediate degree of sensitivity, responded to both habitat quality and availability. We recommend combining information on both habitat availability and quality to unravel species persistence in fragmented landscapes.