Abundance and richness of small mammals in fragmented Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

作者：Passamani M^*; Fernandez F A S

来源：Journal of Natural History, 2011, 45(9-10): 553-565.

DOI：10.1080/00222933.2010.534561

• small mammals
• landscape ecology
• fragmentation
• Atlantic Forest
• Brazil

Understanding the mechanisms that determine the abundance of small mammals in fragmented landscapes is crucial for the conservation of their populations. The abundance of marsupials and rodents was studied from 1999 to 2001 in fragments of Atlantic Forest. A capture-mark-recapture study was carried out in three small fragments (2.8-9.1 ha), two medium-sized fragments (158.9-197.6 ha) and three control areas within an 840-ha forest block. Twenty small mammal species were captured and the abundance was higher in small fragments than in either medium-sized or large ones. The marsupial Marmosops incanus and the rodent Euryoryzomys russatus were more abundant in small fragments; the marsupials Caluromys philander and Gracilinanus microtarsus showed a trend in the opposite direction. Our results suggest that several species are positively affected by increased productivity or by the habitat changes produced by edge effects in small fragments, including a sparser canopy and denser understorey vegetation.

• 出版日期2011