Patterns of forest layer use by small mammals at Fonte Grande State Park, Vitória, Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil.
Abstract
We analysed data from the mammal survey at Fonte Grande State Park, Vitória, Brazil to investigate the patterns of forest layer use by marsupials and rodents, and the importance of sampling different forest layers in small mammal surveys. In addition, we estimated whether 1.5- meter high traps were able to detect arboreal species in a secondary forest with short trees. Two forest layers were sampled: ground and understory. Seven terrestrial and arboreal small mammal species were recorded after 3,456 trap nights: four marsupials (Caluromys philander, Didelphis aurita, Marmosa murina, and Metachirus nudicaudatus) and three rodents (Sciurus aestuans, Phyllomys pattoni, and Rattus rattus, the latter an invasive species from Eurasia). Data from only two species allowed statistical testing: Rattus rattus explored both layers equally, while M. murina used the understory more often. The understory was the forest layer used more often by the small mammals, adding to 63.36% of the captures. An individual of Caluromys philander, a highly arboreal species, was trapped at 1.5 meters. The abundance of marsupials in this study was higher than that of rodents. The results showed that: 1) species differ in the use of forest layers; 2) placing traps at different forest layers is essential in small mammal surveys; and 3) traps placed at about 1.5 meters are able to detect highly arboreal species in a secondary forest with low trees.
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