Small Mammal Species Diversity Research Articles

What is the size of the Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) hunting range in a mosaic landscape?

Abstract Western Barn Owls hunt primarily small mammals in open areas, but they also hunt in urban, forest and wetland habitats. The landscape structure of their hunting range, therefore, affects the composition of their prey, knowledge of which can be a good starting point for estimating the size of their hunting range. Our goal was to estimate whether owls catch most of their prey within a circle with radius of 1, 2, 3, 4 or even 5 kilometres. In this study, we used five pellet samples of different size, collected between 2015 and 2019 from a settlement near the Drava River (Péterhida, Hungary). Our results showed that the annual distribution, diversity, and evenness of small mammal species detected from the samples was similar regardless of the sample size. The distribution of small mammal functional groups preferring urban, open, forest and wetland habitats was also similar. For this reason, the pellet samples were merged. Our results suggest that Western Barn Owls catch a significant part of their prey within a circle of 2-kilometre radius around its breeding or roosting site in the landscape, which consists of patches of habitat with a mosaic distribution. In a hunting range of this size, the proportion of small mammal functional groups preferring different habitats obtained from the pellets overlapped with the proportion of their preferred habitats.

Small-mammal abundance and species diversity: land use and seasonal influences in the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania

Land use, habitat suitability, and seasonality can fundamentally shape small-mammal abundance, species richness, diversity, evenness, and composition. However, how these characteristics of small mammals are determined by land use, habitat type, and rainfall seasonality is still poorly understood for most ecosystems. We analyze how land use (protection in a national park, pastoralism, and crop agriculture), habitat type, and rainfall seasonality influence small-mammal relative abundance, species richness, and diversity in the Tanzania Serengeti Ecosystem. We used 141 live traps to capture 612 small mammals in the wet and dry seasons of 2017 and 2018. Relative abundance was higher in the pastoral land than in the park or agricultural land and in the dry season in all the three land use types. Species richness and diversity were highest in the park, middling in the agricultural land, and lowest in the pastoral land. The high relative abundance in the pastoral land was primarily due to the numerical dominance of two generalist species in the shrubland (grass rat Arvicanthis niloticus) and cropland (multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis), resulting in low species richness and diversity. High species richness and diversity in the park indicate high habitat heterogeneity, whereas high species diversity in the agricultural land during the dry season reflects high food availability during and soon after harvests. Thus, human activities apparently exert deleterious effects on some specialist small mammals as a result of reduced habitat heterogeneity while promoting the abundance of some generalist species in African savanna ecosystems. However, increased abundance of generalist species reduces small mammal species diversity while increasing the risk of human–small mammal conflicts. We offer several testable hypotheses motivated by our results.

Diversity and Density of Small Mammal Species with Different Seasons and Habitats in Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, North-east Zone of Nigeria

The study examined diversity and density of small mammal species with different seasons and habitats in Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, North-East, Nigeria. The university environment was divided in to four (4) habitat types, namely; University residential area (URA), Acacia woodlot (AWL), Lake Area (LA) and Farm Land (LF) were used for the study. Small Mammal species survey was carried out for the period of six (6) months from August to October, 2022 (wet season) and January, to March, 2023 (dry season). Capture Mark–Recapture (CMR) and indirect observations methods were adopted; Survey was conducted using spring door traps of different sizes set at the habitat types during late evening hours 6:00 pm and checked in the morning hours from 6:00-8:30am for four (4) days per week with each habitat types being visited one day per week, making total of (96) man-days. Each habitat type was visited twice a day (morning and evening) which gave a total of (65;60) trapping night in both wet and dry seasons, the number decreased to 60 trapping night in the dry season was due to the wearing a way of vegetation cover. (32) Visits per habitat types and one (1) night survey per month. A total of ten (10) species of small mammals belonging to ten (10) families and seven (7) orders were recorded in the study. African Hedgehog Atelerix albiventris and White toothed shrew Crocidura flavescens were the most occurring species across The findings of the study shows that the overall diversity index was (1.692), where Four-toed hedgehog Atelerix albiventris had the highest species diversity90.363) and estimated population density of (64.44) followed by Giant pouched rat Cricetomys gambianus with (0.277; 0.018) respectively, Cape hare Lepus capensis and Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon who’s having the lowest diversity of (0.017) with (0. 564) density each in the study area. The month of February has higher number of captured percentage with (24%) in dry season, followed by October with (19%) in the wet season, the lowest capture percentage occurred with August (14%) in the wet season. University Residential Area had more number of individual species having (37.82 %), while Farm land had the least captured percentage of(16.85%).The trap success in both wet season and dry season’s period were (33.04%; 21.67%)respectively. Habitat alteration and destruction due to ongoing constructions project, mainly for university deployment might have accounted for small mammal species low diversity and density in Federal University Gashua.

Species diversity, abundance, and movement of small mammals in the dry evergreen forest at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Abstract. Chanachai Y, Nathalang A, Duengkae P, Sukmasuang R. 2022. Species diversity, abundance, and movement of small mammals in the dry evergreen forest at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Biodiversitas 23: 5892-5901. Small mammals play an integral role in the forest ecosystem. This research was conducted on The Mo Singto Forest Dynamics Plot, Khao Yai National Park. Trapping of small mammals was carried out in June-September 2019 and from January-April 2020 based on a total of 64 Tomahawk for small mammal live traps were systematically placed in an 8×8 grid of 20 m intervals, ripe bananas and palm oil as bait was used. Trap cages were opened for 3 consecutive months per season in each study period covering a total study period of 1 year. The result showed that a total of 4015 individuals from 9 species, 9 genera, 4 families and 3 orders were captured with a sampling effort of 32,555 trap nights. The most common species were Red Spiny Rat (Maxomys surifer), followed by Northern Tree Shrew (Tupaia belangeri), Long-tailed Giant Rat (Leopoldamys sabanus), Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Menetes berdmorei), Asian House Rat (Rattus tanezumi), Indomalayan Niviventer (Niviventer fulvescens), Savile's Bandicoot Rat (Bandicota savilei), (Tamiops mcclellandii), and Short-tailed Gymnure (Hylomys suillus) respectively. Considering the number of small mammals caught, Maxomys surifer was the most abundant, accounting for 61.69% of all mammals caught. The sex ratio was found to somewhat favor females in both seasons. This study indicated that the small mammal diversity was high in the primary dry evergreen forest. These results have important implications not only for conservation but are also useful for further investigation if there is any disturbance or change in the area or any potential disasters that may occur in the future.

Small Vertebrates in Central Forest Spine (CFS) Landscape: CFSI PL1 Tanum - Sungai Yu Forest Reserves, Pahang

Small vertebrate assessments were conducted in Pahang’s three forest reserves: Tanum, Sungai Yu and Ulu Jelai. The Central Forest Spine (CFS) initiative has identified these forest reserves as CFSI PL1. The assessments were carried out from July until August 2019. This study aims to determine species diversity and update the checklist of small vertebrates in the forest reserves. A 1ha plot was established in each forest reserve for this study. Traps were used to capture and document these vertebrates, including 100 collapsible cage traps, three harp traps, 10 mist nets, and 25 pitfall traps deployed at each sampling site. In addition, the surveys also carried out active searches for herpetofauna and direct observations. Overall, this study recorded 102 species from 35 families of small vertebrates. Of these, small mammals (26 spp. from eight families), birds (56 spp. from 17 families) and herpetofauna (20 spp. from 10 families) were recorded during this study. Tanum FR recorded the highest species diversity of small mammals (H’ value=2.745). Ulu Jelai FR has the highest diversity of birds (H’ value=3.366), and Sungai Yu FR has the highest diversity of herpetofauna (H’ value=2.313). Eleven small mammal species are recorded as new distributional records for the forest reserves. As for birds, this study contributes 25 additional species to the previous checklist of birds in PL1. Compilation of the studies also recorded 22 threatened species of vertebrates in PL1. This information is expected to assist the stakeholders in developing a management plan for the forest mosaics in the corridor to serve as an important habitat for small vertebrates continuously.

The loss of vegetation cover has distinct but short-term impact on multiple vertebrate taxa in a grassland ecosystem

Vegetation cover in grasslands typically fluctuates over time, for example, declining with grazing and disappearing entirely with burning. This temporal change in vegetation cover may impact the composition of vertebrate communities by altering habitats or perceived predation pressure. We manipulated vegetation cover in a high-elevation (ca. 1240–1500 m above sea level) grassland ecosystem and measured its effect on the community structure of birds and small mammals using a Before-After-Control-Impact study design. We established 12 plots (each plot 100 × 100 m) at Telperion Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa, which were assigned to three treatments: mowed with cut grass left in situ (mowed-litter), mowed with cut grass cleared (mowed-cleared), and non-mowed (control). We sampled birds and small mammals over three sampling periods: before the treatment (August 2019), immediately after the treatment (October 2019), and three months after treatment (January 2020). We used point counts and Sherman live traps to surveys birds and small mammals, respectively. We observed a total of 2801 individuals of 38 species of birds and 98 individuals of eight species of small mammals. Species richness and diversity of small mammals and birds was significantly higher in the non-mowed plots compared with the mowed plots. Birds also showed differences in community composition in mowed and non-mowed treatments immediately after mowing but these differences disappeared three months after mowing, whereas small mammal composition did not differ before and after mowing. The best performing generalized additive model showed that vegetation biomass had a significant positive influence on bird species richness but not rodents. On the other hand, diversity of both taxa was significantly influenced by grass biomass. Our study suggests that loss of vegetation cover in grasslands has significant short-term effects on birds and small mammals, but that these faunal communities rapidly return to pre-loss conditions within a few months. Hence controlled vegetation removal (e.g. mowing) could be considered an appropriate tool for managing these high-elevation grasslands.

Disentangling direct from indirect effects of habitat disturbance on multiple components of biodiversity.

Human habitat disturbance affects both species diversity and intraspecific genetic diversity, leading to correlations between these two components of biodiversity (termed species-genetic diversity correlation, SGDC). However, whether SGDC predictions extend to host-associated communities, such as the intestinal parasite and gut microbial diversity, remains largely unexplored. Additionally, the role of dominant generalist species is often neglected despite their importance in shaping the environment experienced by other members of the ecological community, and their role as source, reservoir and vector of zoonotic diseases. New analytical approaches (e.g. structural equation modelling, SEM) can be used to assess SGDC relationships and distinguish among direct and indirect effects of habitat characteristics and disturbance on the various components of biodiversity. With six concrete and biologically sound models in mind, we collected habitat characteristics of 22 study sites from four distinct landscapes located in central Panama. Each landscape differed in the degree of human disturbance and fragmentation measured by several quantitative variables, such as canopy cover, canopy height and understorey density. In terms of biodiversity, we estimated on the one hand, (a) small mammal species diversity, and, on the other hand, (b) genome-wide diversity, (c) intestinal parasite diversity and (d) gut microbial heterogeneity of the most dominant generalist species (Tome's spiny rat, Proechimys semispinosus). We used SEMs to assess the links between habitat characteristics and biological diversity measures. The best supported SEM suggested that habitat characteristics directly and positively affect the richness of small mammals, the genetic diversity of P. semispinosus and its gut microbial heterogeneity. Habitat characteristics did not, however, directly impact intestinal parasite diversity. We also detected indirect, positive effects of habitat characteristics on both host-associated assemblages via small mammal richness. For microbes, this is likely linked to cross species transmission, particularly in shared and/or anthropogenically altered habitats, whereas host diversity mitigates parasite infections. The SEM revealed an additional indirect but negative effect on intestinal parasite diversity via host genetic diversity. Our study showcases that habitat alterations not only affect species diversity and host genetic diversity in parallel, but also species diversity of host-associated assemblages. The impacts from human disturbance are therefore expected to ripple through entire ecosystems with far reaching effects felt even by generalist species.

The Role of Habitat Amount and Vegetation Density for Explaining Loss of Small-Mammal Diversity in a South American Woodland Savanna

The focus of research and conservation in tropical regions is mainly devoted to forest ecosystems, usually neglecting the processes underlying widespread, more open biomes, like savannas. Here we test a wide range of sampled woodland sites across the South American savanna for the direct and indirect effects of habitat loss and vegetation density on the diversity of small-mammal species. We quantify the direction and magnitude of the effects of habitat amount (habitat loss), vegetation density (tree or foliage density), and patch size (species-area effect) on species composition and richness. We also test whether the relative effect sizes of landscape and patch-related metrics predict a persistence gradient from habitat specialist to generalist species across 54 sites. We used structural equation models (SEM) to test our predictions. After 22,032 trap-nights considering all sampled sites and 20 small-mammal species identified, the structural equation model explained 23.5% of the variance in the richness of small-mammal species. Overall, we found that landscape-level metrics were more important in explaining species richness, with a secondary role of patch-level metrics such as vegetation density. The direct effect of local landscape was significant for explaining species richness variation, but a strong positive association between regional and local landscapes was also present. Furthermore, considering the direct and indirect paths, SEM explained 46.2% of the species composition gradient. In contrast to species richness, we recorded that the combined landscape-level and patch-level metrics are crucial to determining small-mammal species composition at savanna patches. The small mammals from the South American woodland savanna exhibit clear ecological gradients on their species composition and richness, driven by habitat specialist (e.g., Thrichomys fosteri, Monodelphis domestica, and Thylamys macrurus) and generalist (e.g., Didelphis albiventris, Rhipidomys macrurus, and Calomys callosus) species’ responses to habitat amount and/or vegetation density, as seen in dense-forest Neotropical biomes.

Population and Community Responses of Small Mammals to Single-tree Selection Harvest in Laurentian Hardwood Forests

Small mammals are ubiquitous members of vertebrate communities that are sensitive to habitat change. In the Great Lakes region of North America, small mammal communities have changed rapidly, but experimental tests of potential mechanisms are lacking. Using a before-after, control-treatment design, we quantified the response of small mammals to single-tree selection harvest in Laurentian hardwood forests of Wisconsin, United States. We documented changes in forest structure and small mammal abundance, species diversity, and community similarity from silvicultural treatment. Treatment reduced tree density and canopy cover and increased mean tree diameter, woody stem density, variation in woody stem density, and volume of coarse woody debris. Peromyscus and northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) were dominant community members across treatments and years. White-footed mice (P. leucopus) outnumbered woodland deer mice (P. maniculatus gracilis) before treatment, but declined by almost fifty percent after treatment; deer mice and total rodent (i.e., Rodentia) abundances were unchanged. Small mammal species diversity increased twofold following treatment. Our experiment identified species-specific responses within Peromyscus to timber harvest: white-footed mice, the numerically dominant and generalist species, were most sensitive to habitat change, and their response produced cascading effects to small mammal community structure. Future experiments should assess these small mammal responses in a multi-year framework and quantify their effects on the broader vertebrate community.

Вплив осушувальної меліорації на кількісний та видовий склад дрібних ссавців

The article is devoted to the research on the abundance and species composition of small mammals in the territory of central Ukraine (Cherkasy, Poltava, and Kyiv oblasts) affected by land development by drainage. The drainage areas of the studied region are located mainly in fens, which in most cases are connected with river valleys. The vegetation there used to be represented by reed sets with thickets of reed–mace as well as various sedges and horsetails. The drainage process consists of several stages. It is possible to outline four of them within the studied areas. The aim of the research was to analyse the influence drainage has on the abundance and species composition of small mammals. In total, 4161 rodents and shrews were captured at a sampling effort of 60 890 trap-days. It was found that drainage is a strong anthropogenic factor that shapes the abundance and species composition of small mammals within the drained lands of central Ukraine. It was revealed that the species diversity of small mammals decreases essentially as the area of drainage grows. In general, with drainage, the number of hydrophilous species decreases sharply or they become extinct, whereas the number of species that prefer open habitats increases. At the same time, the general diversity index (H) reaches the greatest value in areas of the second stage of drainage, and, as drainage works expand, the species diversity decreases significantly. The abundance dynamics of small-mammal species both by habitats and drainage stages is presented. The research results make it possible to understand some patterns drainage causes to the fauna of shrews and rodents, and, accordingly, the specifics of adaptation of the latter to those patterns. The obtained data can be used to estimate and foresee the number of small mammals within different regions of Ukraine, to develop measures to control harmful rodents in drainage areas, to predict the real scale of economic damage caused by them, and to elaborate some theoretical issues in biogeography.

Small mammal species diversity and distribution in the Selous ecosystem, Tanzania

Threats to ecosystems are ever increasing from different drivers mostly being linked to anthropogenic activities. This has brought about various measures to restore/protect the wildlife in these areas. Considering the background of most protected areas in East Africa, small mammals have been given least attention, compared with large mammals, although they play a fundamental role in maintaining ecosystem health. It is therefore necessary to understand how small mammals are distributed in any given ecosystem as a baseline information to enable holistic and informed management. We investigated the diversity and distribution of small mammals in the Selous ecosystem, Tanzania. Two methods were used; Capture Mark Recapture (CMR) using grids of 70 m x 70 m and random placement of havahart traps in the selected habitats. Between July 2018 and June 2020, a total of 887 individuals belonging to 20 species were captured in 28 224 trap nights with 3% trap success. The small mammal species captured consisted of rodents (91.8%), Macroscelidea (3.9%), Carnivores (2.4%) Eulipotyphla (1.6%), and Primates (0.3%). Acomys ngurni (36%) and Aethomys chrysophilus (17%) were the most captured species, whereas Atilax paludinosus (0.23%), Helogale pervula (0.23%), Rattus rattus (0.23%) and Galerella sanguinea (0.11%) were the least contributing species. Acomys ngurui and Lemniscomys rosalia were the most distributed species occurring in all four habitats, whereas Cricetomys ansorgei, Rattus rattus, Mungos mungo and Genetta genetta had low occurrence. Grammomys selousi is reported for the first time in the northern part of the Rufiji River. Acomys ngurni abundance differed significantly (χ2 = 12, df = 3, p = 0.007) between the four habitats being higher in the seasonal riverine forest and across seasons (χ2 = 6, df = 2, p = 0.049), with more individuals occurring in the wet season. The Sable Forest habitat had the highest species diversity (H' = 2.065) and the lowest diversity (H' = 1.506) was recorded in perennial riverine forest/thickets. The highest species diversity (H' = 1.65) was recorded in the dry season and the lowest diversity in the wet season (H' = 1.445). Most small mammals were associated with seasonal riverine forest than other habitats. Overall, the results from this study show that, the park is rich in small mammal fauna. Therefore, considerations in updating the General Management Plan (GMP) and other plans to include the small mammals in the park management actions is recommended.

Small Mammals of Tekai Tembeling Forest Reserve (TTFR), Jerantut, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia

Despite the increasing numbers of hydro-dam worldwide, only a handful of studies evaluated their impacts on biodiversity especially terrestrial small mammals. This survey aimed to provide an updated checklist and diversity status of small mammals inhabiting the Tekai-Tembeling Forest Reserve (TTFR), an area that has been extensively logged for the next phase of construction of dam. To elucidate further the species assemblages and diversity of small mammals within TTFR, a comparison was made to a nearby forest, Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve (UJFR), which was also has been logged for the development of Telom Dam. 10 days survey conducted in March 2018 by using cage-trapping and mist-netting techniques, successfully recorded a total of 27 species (Shannon Index (H’) = 3.11) in TTFR and 23 species (H’=2.62) in UJFR. Most of these species in TTFR were bats (56 individuals representing 22 species), rodents (three species representing four individuals) and squirrels (two species representing three individuals). Insectivorous bat species, Narrow-winged Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus cf. stenopterus), are the most abundance in TTFR mainly because insectivorous bats behavior that forage understory in a lowland forest and some of these bats is known to forage in groups. Results from this study indicated that richness and diversity of small mammal’s species assemblages appear to decline in TTFR at which this can be associated to less sampling approaches due to the seasonal impact (rainy season) and habitat disturbance or habitat changes resulted from extensive logging activity. A good mitigation measures should be conducted immediately to prevent elimination species at the study area.

Species Diversity of Non-Volant Small Mammals Between Lowland and Highland of Gunung Serapi, Kubah National Park, Sarawak

The study of non-volant small mammals was conducted at Kubah National Park (KNP), Sarawak for eight days between November 2018 until February 2019. The objective of this study was to determine the species diversity of non-volant small mammals at the highland (>750 – 805 m a.s.l.) and lowland (<200 m a.s.l.) at KNP. The elevation of Gunung Serapi is 911 m a.s.l. but the highest accessible area is at 805 m a.s.l. The distance between two sampling sites is approximately 4.5 km. Humidity and temperature measurement were also recorded at both sites. A total of 50 cage traps were set up at the highland and 50 cage traps at the lowland. The baits that were used in this study were oil palm and banana. A total of 26 individuals from 11 species, eight genera and four families were captured. However, there is no significant difference in species diversity between low and high elevations because the elevation of KNP was not high enough to distinguish species that are highland or lowland specialist.

The effect of the character of urban development on the small mammal communities in a northern city

Communities of small mammals on the territory of Yakutsk and in its vicinity have been studied. Residential areas, undeveloped sites, suburban zone, and agricultural lands are covered. A total of 2,736 cone-days and 525 trap-days are accumulated and 388 specimens of small mammals from 13 species belonging to Rodentia and Eulipotyphla orders are collected. The abundance of small mammals in different types of environment have varied from 2.2 to 22.9 individuals per 100 cone-days. The highest values of species diversity are found in the suburban zone in the areas of surviving natural biotopes. The zone of the city’s residential areas is characterized by the lowest abundance and species diversity of small mammals, primarily Eulipotyphla, and also by the presence of eusynanthropicMus musculus and Rattus norvegicus. The undeveloped territories of the city are characterized by a high total abundance of small mammals, but poor community composition, which is close in its structure to floodplain biotopes. Communities of agrocenoses are also poor, due to elimination of forest species, and characterized by uneven distribution of small mammals among the biotopes. On the whole, the anthropogenic effect of urbanization is manifested in poor composition of communities and changes in the dominance structure. The appearance of the house mouse in the zone of detached housing indicates intensifying urbanization of the territory and ongoing synantropization of the fauna.

The effects of a zoo environment on free‐living, native small mammal species

One of the main threats to native species conservation is urbanisation. It is causing changes to natural habitats and species composition. Urban green spaces have shown to have conservation value for native species by providing safe spaces in urban areas. They typically contain a variety of habitats and plant species which is correlated with greater abundance and diversity of small mammal species. Zoos are a vital resource for animal conservation and, in some instances, could be considered as an urban green space for native species conservation. Their unique environment provides free-living, native species an abundance of resources including food and shelter. This project involved the live trapping of free-living small mammal species (<40 g) between enclosures in Dudley Zoological Gardens to study the effects of the zoo environment. There were no significant differences found between the total number of captures and trap proximity to enclosures. There was a significant difference in total captures found between different enclosure trapping areas. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted to the data and there were significant relationships between abundance and both habitat type and enclosure species. Habitats associated with semi-natural woodland had the greatest diversity and total captures of small mammals. Total captures were lower in trapping areas that were associated with predatory species. Similar to research on green spaces, habitat was an important factor determining abundance, but predator enclosures were a factor unique to zoos. This study illustrates the potential of zoos as an urban green space and for the study of small mammals.

Acceleration of Forest Structural Development for Large Trees and Mammals: Restoration in Decades or Centuries?

There is a demand for more progressive restoration directives to regenerate forest ecosystems impacted by harvesting, wildfire, insect outbreaks, and mineral resource extraction. Forest restoration may take many decades and even centuries without active silvicultural intervention to grow large trees that provide suitable habitat for various wildlife species. We tested the hypotheses (H) that, compared with unmanaged (unthinned and old-growth) stands, large-scale precommercial thinning (heavy thinning to &lt;500 stems/ha) of young lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia), at 20–25 years post-treatment, would enhance: (H1) the architecture of large overstory trees (e.g., diameter, height, and crown dimensions); (H2) mean (i) total abundance and species diversity of forest-floor small mammals, (ii) abundance of tree squirrels; and (H3) relative habitat use by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). There were three levels of thinning with mean densities of crop trees/ha: 353 (low), 712 (medium) and 1288 (high), an unthinned, and old-growth stand replicated at three areas in south-central British Columbia, Canada. Mammal abundance and habitat use were measured during the period 2013 to 2015. Mean diameter of crop trees was significantly different among stands with the low-density, medium-density, and old-growth stands having diameters larger than the high-density and unthinned stands. Mean height of crop trees was highest in the old-growth stands. Mean crown volume of crop trees was significantly different among stands with the low-density stands 2.1 to 5.8 times higher than the high-density, unthinned, and old-growth stands, and hence partial support for H1. Mean total abundance of forest-floor small mammals was significantly different among stands with the low-density and old-growth stands 1.9 to 2.4 times higher than the other three treatment stands. Mean abundances per stand of the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) (range of 4.8 to 12.0) and the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) (range of 3.2 to 4.3) were similar among stands. Mean relative habitat use by mule deer was similar among stands, but variable with counts of pellet-groups/ha in the thinned stands were 3.8 to 4.2 and 2.1 to 2.3 times higher than the unthinned and old-growth stands, respectively. Thus, mean total abundance of forest-floor small mammals of H2 was supported, but species diversity and abundance of tree squirrels was not. Enhanced relative habitat use by mule deer (H3) was not supported. To our knowledge, this is the first concurrent measurement of several mammal species in heavily thinned, unthinned, and old-growth forest across three replicate study areas at 20–25 years post-treatment. Although not all mammal responses were significant, there was a strong indication that restored forests via heavy thinning (&lt;500 trees/ha) produced large overstory trees (at least for diameter and crown dimensions) in stands 33 to 42 years old. Comparable old-growth stands, albeit with crop trees of greater height and merchantable volume, ranged from 120 to 167 years of age. Restored forests with large trees capable of supporting at least these mammal species may be achieved in decades rather than centuries.

Current diversity of small mammals of the “Sarykum Barkhans” of Dagestan Reserve

We studied the species diversity and abundance of small terrestrial mammals in the spring and autumn period of 2016-2019 in four groups of habitats of the protected area “Sarykum barkhans” of the Dagestan Nature Reserve: barkhan, floodplain forest, ailant plantations, the territory of the cordon. During the study period, 10 species of terrestrial small mammals were recorded – E. roumanicus, C. suaveolens, C. leucodon, M. musculus, M. macedonicus, A. fulvipectus, C. migratorius, M. socialis, D. sagitta, D. nitedula. Apodemus and Mus mice are the dominant species in the studied area. Mice of Apodemus and M. macedonicus were registered for the first time in the territory of barchans. Indicator species of xerophilic ecosystems – C. migratorius, M. socialis, D. sagitta, were recorded locally, exclusively in the only biotope of barkhan. H. auritus, S. pygmaeus, A. major, M. arvalis, A. terrestris, R. norvegicus, M. tamariscinus, which were previously noted by several authors, were not registered (both traces of vital activity and animals themselves) in the studied area during the whole period of research (2016-2019). Seasonal and annual fluctuations of species diversity and abundance taking into account groups of biotopes and small mammal habitats were revealed.

Small mammals from the lasting fragments of Araucaria Forest in southern Brazil: a study about richness and diversity

ABSTRACT Rodents and marsupials together, form the most rich group of mammals in Brazil, they are distributed in all biomes, including Atlantic Forest, and can be used to analyze environmental quality. The Araucaria Forest is a threatened formation of the Atlantic forest with few areas remaining intact and a huge lack of knowledge about the potential of its secondary forest fragments to act as habitat refuges to native fauna. This study evaluated the species richness and diversity of non-volant small mammals among five vegetation types within a protected area in an Araucaria Forest area from southern Brazil. The sampling was made in six bimonthly campaigns during a year, by pitfall and live traps. This effort resulted in 875 captures of 625 individuals from 16 species. The most common species in Pine Plantation was Oligoryzomys nigripes, in Natural Regeneration forest was Thaptomys nigrita and Akodon montensis was most often captured in the other vegetation. Although differences in species composition were found among the different vegetation types, there was no significant difference in species richness. Nevertheless, true diversity values were significantly lower in the Pine Plantation. The results demonstrated that the substitution of native for exotic vegetation generated a negative impact on the group diversity. More studies, in other Araucaria Forest areas are necessary to allow better understanding of the processes driving this loss of diversity in this biome threatened by antropic action.

Non-volant small mammals (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) diversity in an isolated area of the Serra da Mantiqueira, Minas Gerais state, Brazil

The southeastern Atlantic Forest of the Zona da Mata Mineira is located in the extreme north of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The Serra da Mantiqueira, is a mountainous region with a high diversity of small non-volant mammal species, several of which are rare species or endemic lineages. The presence of cryptic species in small mammals makes the karyotype an excellent tool for identification and detection of new lineages. We analyzed the karyotype of 14 species: 11 rodents – Abrawayaomys ruschii, Akodon cursor, Blarinomys breviceps, Delomys sublineatus, Juliomys ossitenuis, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Oxymycterus dasytrichus, Rhipidomys tribei, Sooretamys angouya, and Thaptomys nigrita; and three marsupials – Monodelphis scalops, Philander quica, and Marmosops incanus. We described for the first time the fundamental autosomal number and the morphology of sex chromosomes of Abrawayaomys ruschii, a rare sigmodontine species, and described a new karyotype for Blarinomys. The revision of published karyotypes of the species herein studied enabled the expansion of the geographic distribution of Oligoryzomys nigripes and Delomys sublineatus.

Season and habitat affect diversity, abundance and reproductive state of small mammals near Lake Abaya, Ethiopia

Abstract This study investigated the spatio-temporal association of small mammals in human-modified habitats. Small mammals were sampled using Sherman traps along 200 m transects (with one trap at every 10 m interval) in each of four habitats (cropland, forest patch, scrubland and wetland) replicated twice. Additional trapping was carried out in rural settlements comprising of eight homesteads, with five traps per homestead. Trapping was conducted in three sessions during the agricultural seasons: rainy (October), off-rain (December) and dry (February) over two years (2018 and 2019). In each session, trapping was carried out for three consecutive nights. A total of 497 small mammals belonging to 12 species from four families (Soricidae, Macroscelididae, Gliridae and Muridae) were captured. Murine rodents accounted for 99.4% of the animals with Mastomys erythroleucus (58%) being the dominant species. The scrubland had the highest small mammal species diversity while the cropland had the lowest. M. erythroleucus was not strongly associated with any spatio-temporal parameter and scored majority of seasonally reproducing individuals in the cropland, signifying its pest importance. Though disconnected from protected areas, habitats such as the scrubland harbor diverse small mammal species (including a vulnerable-endemic species, Grammomys minnae), suggesting the habitats’ significance for ecosystem functioning and conservation.