Small mammals of Maulino forest remnants, a vanishing ecosystem of south-central Chile
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The Maulino forest, located at the coastal range of south central Chile, has been severely disrupted by intense human activities. Currently, landscape is dominated by large extensions of plantations of Monterrey pine, where remnants of native forest are immersed. Here, we assess consequences of Maulino forest fragmentation and habitat replacement upon small mammal fauna. We describe habitat characteristics, small mammal's composition and abundance in native forests (fragmented and continuous), but also in Pinus plantation. Population and body condition were compared among habitats, along with movement among native and Pinus forests. Higher species richness was found in continuous forest comprising Abrothrix longipilis, A. olivaceus, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, Irenomys tarsalis, Geoxus valdivianus, Rattus rattus, Octodon bridgesi, Thylamys elegans, and Dromiciops gliroides. Higher abundance was observed in fragmented forest and Pinus plantations, where A. longipilis, A. olivaceus, O. longicaudatus, and T. elegans accounted for 80% of total captures. Population structure and body size were not affected negatively by fragmentation and habitat replacement, although habitat characteristics differed among surveyed habitats. Fragmentation of Maulino forests seems to have a significant impact on overall small mammal's richness, threatening the persistence of rare taxa of small mammals. Conservation and management practices are discussed to favor protection of this highly endangered habitat.
Copyright 2005, Walter de Gruyter
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- Taxonomic status of Micronycteris homezi (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)
- Small mammals of Maulino forest remnants, a vanishing ecosystem of south-central Chile
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- Mensural discrimination of Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in the southeastern United States
- Bats of the Potaro Plateau region, western Guyana
- Activity rhythms, movements and patterns of sett use by badgers, Meles meles, in a Mediterranean woodland
- Camera-trap study of ocelot and other secretive mammals in the northern Pantanal
- Defense behavior and nest architecture of Metachirus nudicaudatus Desmarest, 1817 (Marsupialia, Didelphidae)
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- Cache pilferage in red-rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina) (Rodentia)
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- Possible evidence of a thermoregulatory response to increasing above ground ambient temperature in the water vole (Arvicola terrestris L.)
- A documented 20th century record of Javan Rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus from Cambodia
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Articles in the same Issue
- Species with fuzzy borders: the taxonomic status and species limits of Saunders' vlei rat, Otomys saundersiae Roberts, 1929 (Rodentia, Muridae, Otomyini)
- Taxonomic status of Micronycteris homezi (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)
- Small mammals of Maulino forest remnants, a vanishing ecosystem of south-central Chile
- Small mammal communities of tropical forest habitats in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India
- Mensural discrimination of Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in the southeastern United States
- Bats of the Potaro Plateau region, western Guyana
- Activity rhythms, movements and patterns of sett use by badgers, Meles meles, in a Mediterranean woodland
- Camera-trap study of ocelot and other secretive mammals in the northern Pantanal
- Defense behavior and nest architecture of Metachirus nudicaudatus Desmarest, 1817 (Marsupialia, Didelphidae)
- New data on chromosomes from murid Rodents of Benin - The karyotype of Myomys derooi
- Glyphonycteris daviesi (Hill, 1964), a rare Central American and Amazonian bat recorded for Eastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)
- Cache pilferage in red-rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina) (Rodentia)
- Winter distribution of European pine marten (Martes martes) scats in a protected area of Galicia, Spain
- Possible evidence of a thermoregulatory response to increasing above ground ambient temperature in the water vole (Arvicola terrestris L.)
- A documented 20th century record of Javan Rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus from Cambodia
- Régime alimentaire du rat-taupe géant, Cryptomys mechowi, sur le plateau de Bateke, République Démocratique du Congo
