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Azevedo CSD, Paula CDS, Teixeira CP, Lessa LG. Is resource partitioning between two sympatric species of Gracilinanus (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) related to trophic and spatial niches? MAMMALIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2021-0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Small mammal species may occur in sympatry, and it is relevant to investigate the mechanisms that lead to coexistence of the closely related species. Despite this, studies evaluating the coexistence of closely related Neotropical marsupials are insipient. The aim of this study was to analyse the mechanisms of resource partitioning between the sympatric species of mouse opossums Gracilinanus agilis and G. microtarsus (Didelphidae), evaluating their trophic and spatial niche. We hypothesized that G. agilis and G. microtarsus differ in at least one niche dimension (space use or food preferences) as a mechanism of coexistence. In the study we analysed trophic niche by evaluating the frequency of occurrence of food items present in Gracilinanus faeces. Also, we analysed spatial niche by comparing the vegetal stratum where the individuals were captured and its relationship with the environmental complexity. Both species presented a high trophic niche overlap, with differences in the frequencies of occurrence of the consumed items. Although the most frequent items in the faeces were Hymenoptera, Isoptera and Coleoptera, their proportion differed significantly between the two species. The variety of food items also differed, with flowers being more frequent in G. agilis diet, whereas fruits were more recorded for G. microtarsus. The spatial niche was very similar, with both species being more captured in the forest understory. However, habitat complexity influenced the abundance of both species, especially litter depth and its biomass of leaves. The results indicated that the coexistence of the two species is associated with the trophic and spatial niche, and that this niche segregation could be allowing closely related species of Gracilinanus to coexist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal , Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri , Campus JK, MGT 367, no 5000, Cep: 39100-000 , Diamantina , Minas Gerais , Brazil
- Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente , Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto , Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, s/n, Bauxita, Cep: 35400-000 , Ouro Preto , Minas Gerais , Brazil
| | - Camilla de Souza Paula
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal , Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri , Campus JK, MGT 367, no 5000, Cep: 39100-000 , Diamantina , Minas Gerais , Brazil
| | - Camila Palhares Teixeira
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas , Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Campus Ibirité , Avenida São Paulo (Rod. MG 049 URB), no 3996, Vila do Rosário, Cep: 32412-190 , Ibirité , Minas Gerais , Brazil
| | - Leonardo Guimarães Lessa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal , Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri , Campus JK, MGT 367, no 5000, Cep: 39100-000 , Diamantina , Minas Gerais , Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas , Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri , Campus JK, MGT 367, no 5000. Cep: 39100-000 , Diamantina , Minas Gerais , Brazil
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de Lima MF, Silvestre MDPSA, dos Santos EC, Martins LC, Quaresma JAS, de Barros BDCV, Silva MJA, Lima LNGC. The Presence of Mycobacterium leprae in Wild Rodents. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061114. [PMID: 35744632 PMCID: PMC9228809 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Leprosy is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. There is a lack of data regarding environmental reservoirs, which may represent a serious public health problem in Brazil, especially in the state of Pará, which occupies the fourth position in incidence of cases in the country. Previous studies report evidence of infection occurring among armadillos, mangabei monkeys, and chimpanzees. In the present study, wild animals were captured and tested for the presence of anti-PGL-1 antibodies and M. leprae DNA. Fieldwork was carried out from October to November of 2016 in the cities of Curionópolis and Canaã dos Carajás, southeast of Pará state. Small and medium-sized wild animals were captured using appropriate traps. A total of 15 animals were captured. Sera and viscera fragments were collected and tested by ELISA and PCR methods. The presence of M. leprae DNA was confirmed by sequencing of specific gyrase gene in three animals of two different species, including one Necromys lasiurus (liver sample) and two Proechimys roberti (kidney and liver samples). This unprecedented finding suggests that species other than those previously reported are responsible for maintaining M. leprae in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell Furtado de Lima
- Bacteriology and Mycology Section, Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC), Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil; (M.F.d.L.); (M.d.P.S.A.S.); (E.C.d.S.); (M.J.A.S.)
| | | | - Everaldina Cordeiro dos Santos
- Bacteriology and Mycology Section, Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC), Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil; (M.F.d.L.); (M.d.P.S.A.S.); (E.C.d.S.); (M.J.A.S.)
| | - Lívia Caricio Martins
- Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers Section, Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC), Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil;
| | | | | | - Marcos Jessé Abrahão Silva
- Bacteriology and Mycology Section, Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC), Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil; (M.F.d.L.); (M.d.P.S.A.S.); (E.C.d.S.); (M.J.A.S.)
| | - Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa Lima
- Bacteriology and Mycology Section, Evandro Chagas Institute (IEC), Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil; (M.F.d.L.); (M.d.P.S.A.S.); (E.C.d.S.); (M.J.A.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-(91)-98379-3537
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André CL, Côrtes MC, Heming NM, Galetti M, Alves RSC, Bovendorp RS. Bamboo shapes the fine-scale richness, abundance, and habitat use of small mammals in a forest fragment. MAMMAL RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00616-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Furtado LO, Felicio GR, Lemos PR, Christianini AV, Martins M, Carmignotto AP. Winners and Losers: How Woody Encroachment Is Changing the Small Mammal Community Structure in a Neotropical Savanna. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.774744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Years of fire suppression, decreases in herbivores, and global climate change have led to shifts in savannas worldwide. Natural open vegetation such as grasslands and shrublands is increasing in wood density, but the effects for small mammals are not well understood. While most of the mammal studies from the Brazilian Cerrado are concentrated in the core area of this large Neotropical savanna, its southern portions are suffering from biome shifting through woody encroachment. Herein, we surveyed a small mammal community from the southeastern boundary of Cerrado (Santa Bárbara Ecological Station) and evaluated the micro and macro environmental variables shaping community structure in order to investigate how the woody encroachment in the last 15 years may have influenced this assemblage. We recorded 17 species of marsupials and rodents along five distinct habitats in a gradient from grasslands to woodlands. Although richness was not affected by microhabitat variables, total and relative abundance varied according to habitat type and in relation to herbaceous, shrub, and tree density. Rodents such as Calomys tener and Clyomys laticeps were positively affected by increasing herb cover, Cerradomys scotti and Oligoryzomys nigripes by shrub cover, while the marsupial Didelphis albiventris had higher association with increasing tree cover. We detected an increase of 27.4% in vegetation density (EVI) between 2003 and 2018 in our study site, and this woody encroachment negatively affected the abundance of some small mammals. The open-area specialists Cryptonanus chacoensis and C. scotti had a decrease in abundance, while D. albiventris and O. nigripes were favored by woody encroachment. Our data suggest that woody encroachment is shifting community composition: small mammals often associated with grasslands and open savannas are likely to be negatively affected by woody encroachment; while species that rely on tree-covered habitats are likely to benefit from an increasing woody landscape. Therefore, forest-dwellers are gradually replacing open-vegetation inhabitants. Active management of open formations (e.g., with prescribed burning) may be needed to maintain Cerrado biodiversity, especially considering the open-area endemics.
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Bubadué J, Cáceres N, Melo G, Sponchiado J, Battistella T, Newton J, Meloro C. Niche partitioning in small mammals: interspecific and biome-level analyses using stable isotopes. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Small mammal assemblages from South America provide a unique opportunity to measure coexistence and niche partitioning between marsupials and placentals. We tested how these two major clades partition environmental resources by comparing stable isotopic ratios of similar sized Didelphidae and Sigmodontinae in four Brazilian biomes: Pampas grassland, Pantanal wetland, Cerrado woodland savanna, and Atlantic Forest. Generally, didelphid isotopic niche follows a scaling law, because we found an association between δ15N enrichment and body mass. Sigmodontines that primarily partition the environment via forest strata showed a greater intake of C4 or/and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants than didelphids, as reflected by their wider trophic niche. Values of δ13C were highest in savannas and grasslands (Cerrado and Pampas biomes), and values of δ15N were highest in the Atlantic Forest (in sigmodontines) and Pampas (in didelphids). While assessing patterns between the two major Brazilian biomes (Atlantic Forest and Cerrado), we found evidence of a broader trophic niche for both clades in the Cerrado. In the Atlantic Forest, niche occupation by Didelphidae was completely enclosed within the Sigmodontinae trophic niche. Both clades showed less overlap in the Cerrado, a less productive environment. Our results highlight the importance of a comparative framework and the use of stable isotopes for testing ecological questions related to how small mammalian communities partition their niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamile Bubadué
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Nilton Cáceres
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Geruza Melo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Jonas Sponchiado
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Thaís Battistella
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Jason Newton
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará, IFCE, Jaguaribe, CE, Brazil
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Farroupilha, IFFar, Alegrete, RS, Brazil
- National Environmental Isotope Facility, East Kilbride, United Kingdom
| | - Carlo Meloro
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Bubadué JM, Hendges CD, Cherem JJ, Cerezer FO, Falconí TP, Graipel ME, Cáceres NC. Marsupial versus placental: assessing the evolutionary changes in the scapula of didelphids and sigmodontines. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
It is not a new concept that marsupials and placentals are distant and distinct clades among mammals. In South America, these animals coexist, occupy similar niches and, in some cases, are similar in appearance. This is especially true with respect to the locomotor categories of smaller rodents belonging to the family Cricetidae or, more specifically, the subfamily Sigmodontinae, compared with the marsupials of the Didelphidae family. In this study, we have investigated both the similarities and the differences between the two clades by examining locomotion-dependent adaptation, a crucial survival mechanism that has affected the morphology of both clades. We applied geometric morphometrics to quantify the shape of the scapula, which is a very adaptable structure. We found similar morphological adaptations between the clades, especially with respect to adaptation to life in trees. Moreover, Didelphidae are influenced by phylogenetic history to a greater extent than Sigmodontinae with regard to variation of scapula shape and allometry. These differences can be explained by the greater degree of body size variation that exists within the Didelphidae. Didelphidae have an ancient evolutionary history in South America compared with the Sigmodontinae, which have undergone a very successful and rapid diversification more recently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamile M Bubadué
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Carla D Hendges
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro Universitário Cenecista Bento Gonçalves, Arlindo Franklim Barbosa, São Roque, Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jorge J Cherem
- Caipora Cooperativa, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Felipe O Cerezer
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Tania P Falconí
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul,, Brazil
| | - Maurício E Graipel
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Nilton C Cáceres
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul,, Brazil
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Owen RD, Camp JV, Sage R, Rodríguez L, Bruyn VJM, McAllister RC, Jonsson CB. Sympatry and habitat associations of sigmodontine rodents in a neotropical forest-savanna interface. MAMMALIA 2019; 84:227-238. [PMID: 34290454 PMCID: PMC8291367 DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2019-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Small mammal communities in the Neotropics are composed largely of sigmodontine rodents. However, many questions regarding these communities remain unanswered, especially those pertaining to fine-scale sympatry and habitat selection. To address this, we examined sigmodontine community structure and vegetation in the western margin of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest and the southwestern-most extent of the Cerrado (CE) (an extensive South American savanna ecoregion) of Paraguay. Vegetation classifications were derived from satellite imagery combined with maps based on extensive ground-based surveys. The three most abundant species (Akodon montensis, Hylaeamys megacephalus, and Oligoryzomys nigripes) were found most often in microsympatry with conspecifics, and were negatively associated with other species. Akodon montensis was associated with high forest (HF), and H. megacephalus with bamboo understory (BU), whereas O. nigripes did not exhibit a habitat preference. The first two species' distributions within the landscape were found to be driven primarily by habitat selection, and O. nigripes by a behavioral response (avoidance) to the presence of the other two species. Moreover, habitat influences whether or not a particular species associates with, or avoids, conspecifics or other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D. Owen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA; and Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica, Raul Casal 2230, C.P. 1371, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Jeremy V. Camp
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40204, USA; and Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Sage
- Sociedad Naturalista Andino Patagónica (SNAP), Paso Juramento 190, 3° piso, 8400 Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Laura Rodríguez
- Departamento de SIG, Fundación Moises Bertoni, Prócer Argäello 208 e/Mcal. López y Guido Boggiani, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Vicente J. Martínez Bruyn
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Ryan C. McAllister
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40204, USA
| | - Colleen B. Jonsson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
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Hannibal W, Cunha NLD, Figueiredo VV, Teresa FB, Ferreira VL. Traits reveal how habitat-quality gradients structure small mammal communities in a fragmented tropical landscape. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wellington Hannibal
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Biogeografia de Mamíferos; Universidade Estadual de Goiás; Quirinópolis Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação; Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul; Campo Grande Brazil
| | - Nicolay Leme da Cunha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação; Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul; Campo Grande Brazil
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización; INIBIOMA; CONICET-Universidad Nacional del7 Comahue; San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
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Machado AF, Marks CF, Peres B, Melo GL, Cáceres NC. Movement and use of environmental structures, climbing supports and shelters by Akodon montensis (Sigmodontinae, Rodentia) in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. MAMMALIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2018-0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Movements under environmental structures and on supports, and the use of shelters by Akodon montensis were assessed using the spool-and-line technique. Movements of a few individuals of Thaptomys nigrita, Brucepattersonius iheringi and Oligoryzomys nigripes were also assessed and briefly described. Akodon montensis often used fallen logs, lianas and ferns as climbing supports for movements. The species moved under different environmental structures with differing frequencies, with greater use of dense litter followed by lianas and fallen branches. The studied sigmodontine species used shelters of different compositions and structures, and differed in displacement behavior. This study is the first to contribute to understanding the movement and use of environmental structures, shelters and climbing supports by A. montensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielli F. Machado
- Department of Ecology , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) , Bento Gonçalves Avenue, Agronomia , Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
- Laboratory of Mammalogy , Department of Ecology and Evolution , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) , Roraima Avenue, Camobi , Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
| | - Cristiane F. Marks
- Laboratory of Mammalogy , Department of Ecology and Evolution , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) , Roraima Avenue, Camobi , Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
| | - Brisa Peres
- Laboratory of Mammalogy , Department of Ecology and Evolution , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) , Roraima Avenue, Camobi , Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
| | - Geruza L. Melo
- Laboratory of Mammalogy , Department of Ecology and Evolution , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) , Roraima Avenue, Camobi , Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação , Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT) , Av. Expedição Roncador Xingu , Nova Xavantina, MT 78690-000 , Brazil
| | - Nilton C. Cáceres
- Laboratory of Mammalogy , Department of Ecology and Evolution , Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) , Roraima Avenue, Camobi , Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
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Multi-scale approach to disentangle the small mammal composition in a fragmented landscape in central Brazil. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Cardoso TDS, Braga CADC, Macabu CE, Simões RDO, Costa-Neto SFD, Maldonado Júnior A, Gentile R, Luque JL. Helminth metacommunity structure of wild rodents in a preserved area of the Atlantic Forest, Southeast Brazil. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2018; 27:495-504. [DOI: 10.1590/s1984-296120180066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract The helminth fauna and metacommunity structure of eight sympatric sigmodontine rodents were investigated at the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, an Atlantic Forest reserve located in the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeast Brazil. Rodents of the species Abrawayaomys ruschii, Akodon montensis, Blarinomys breviceps , Delomys dorsalis, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oxymycterus quaestor and Thaptomys nigrita were found infected with helminths. Akodon montensis presented the highest total helminth species richness, with six different species of helminths. The nematode Stilestrongylus lanfrediae was the most abundant and prevalent helminth species observed. The host-parasite network analysis showed little interactions among host species. Akodon montensis seems to act as a keystone-species in the rodent community. This species shared the nematodes Stilestrongylus aculeata with A. ruschii and Protospirura numidica criceticola with T. nigrita, and the cestode Rodentolepis akodontis with D. dorsalis. The congeners host species O. flavescens and O. nigripes shared the nematodes Guerrerostrongylus zetta and S. lanfrediae. The rodents B. breviceps and O. quaestor did not share any helminths with other hosts. The helminth metacommunity showed a random pattern on both infracommunity and component community levels, indicating different responses by each helminth species to the environmental gradient.
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Corrêa MR, Bellagamba YM, Magalhães APD, Martins JP, Cruz AJDR, Kozovitz AR, Messias MC, de Azevedo CS. Microhabitat structure and food availability modelling a small mammal assemblage in restored riparian forest remnants. MAMMALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2017-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Small mammal populations respond to environmental changes in secondary riparian forest remnants in different ways, depending on the influences of biotic and abiotic variables. The present study evaluated how habitat/microhabitat structure and food availability influence small mammal assemblages in restored riparian forest remnants. Pitfall traps disposed in three linear transects were used to collect small mammals during 9 months of field work. General linear models were built to test the hypothesis that microhabitat structure (litter biomass and type – leaves and branches) and food availability (richness of zoochoric tree species and arthropods) influence species richness and abundance of small mammals. Three hundred and eighty-two individuals belonging to 14 species were captured. Biomass and type of litter (leaves or branches) provided greater structural to microhabitats, allowing the coexistence of morphologically similar species. Besides, food availability influenced foraging strategies of marsupials, forcing them to use the forest floor when zoochoric plants were rare. Thus, litter structure and food availability, allowing spatial segregation of the small mammal species using the forest fragments. We concluded that the maintenance of small mammals and their ecosystem services in restored riparian forests are dependent on habitat structure and food availability, thus, litter and zoochoric plants should be conserved in riparian forest fragments, especially those reforested.
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Gentile R, Cardoso TS, Costa-Neto SF, Teixeira BR, D'Andrea PS. Community structure and population dynamics of small mammals in an urban-sylvatic interface area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ZOOLOGIA 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/zoologia.35.e13465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The Atlantic Forest is one of the most disturbed Brazilian biomes, with 183 out of 298 species of mammals occurring in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In this study, we aimed to characterize the diversity, community structure, and habitat use of small mammals in the FIOCRUZ Atlantic Forest Campus (CFMA), including areas of Pedra Branca State Park (PBSP, subunit Pau da Fome), state of Rio de Janeiro. We also compared species diversity and composition between two moments 15 years apart (2001 and 2012–2015) and analyzed the population dynamics of the marsupial Didelphisaurita (Wied-Neuwied, 1826). Small mammal captures were made in different habitats: sylvatic-urban interface areas near human dwellings, disturbed forest, and preserved forest areas. Five marsupial species and four rodent species were captured in both periods. There was a reduction in species richness and β diversity between the two periods, indicating that disturbances in the environment over the years may have affected the small mammal community structure. The most altered environment showed the greatest species richness and abundance, while the forest areas showed the smallest values, which may be explained by the loss of mammal species, mainly specialist species in forested areas. We identified three groups of species according to habitat preferences: one related to environments with a higher density of vegetation in upper strata – Marmosaparaguayana (Tate, 1931) and Monodelphisamericana (Müller, 1776), another related to a higher density in lower forest strata – Akodoncursor (Winge, 1887), and another with no association with the investigated habitat variables – D.aurita and Oligoryzomysnigripes (Olfers, 1818). The small mammal community structure showed a low level of nestedness in both sampling periods. This study is the first report to evaluate the community structure of small mammals in the sylvatic-urban interface area of Pedra Branca State Park, the largest forest reserve within an urban area in Brazil. The surveys indicate that the small mammal diversity was low in both sampling periods and in both areas, and a species loss in the Pau da Fome locality was observed, despite it is a conservation unit. The greater species abundance and richness in the most disturbed areas suggest an increase of factors favoring the occurrence of synanthropic and opportunistic species.
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Gorosito IL, Marziali Bermúdez M, Douglass RJ, Busch M. Evaluation of statistical methods and sampling designs for the assessment of microhabitat selection based on point data. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene L. Gorosito
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Intendente Güiraldes 2160 ‐ Ciudad Universitaria C1428EGA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Mariano Marziali Bermúdez
- Departamento de Física Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Intendente Güiraldes 2160 ‐ Ciudad Universitaria C1428EGA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | | | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Intendente Güiraldes 2160 ‐ Ciudad Universitaria C1428EGA Buenos Aires Argentina
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Delciellos AC, Vieira MV, Grelle CEV, Cobra P, Cerqueira R. Habitat quality versus spatial variables as determinants of small mammal assemblages in Atlantic Forest fragments. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Fragment size, isolation, and matrix properties have received considerable attention as predictors of species richness, abundance, and composition in habitat patches. However, measurements of habitat attributes or habitat quality are more directly related to the proximate effects of habitat fragmentation and may be more determinant of assemblages than traditional explanatory variables at local scales. We determine how habitat structure in fragments—a measure of habitat quality—compares to fragment size, isolation, and matrix properties as determinants of richness, abundance, and composition of non-volant small mammals in a fragmented landscape of Atlantic Forest. Small mammals were surveyed once in 25 fragments in the Macacu River watershed, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1999 to 2001 and 2005 to 2009. A total of 83 candidate models were formulated and compared by Akaike Information Criteria. Habitat structure was one of the main determinants of small mammal assemblages in fragments, as important as fragment isolation for species composition and climatic season for species richness. Rodents were more abundant in fragments with increased overstory and understory vegetation density and more fallen logs. The contrary pattern was found for overall species richness and for species of terrestrial habit, which were more abundant in fragments with more open forest: decreased overstory and understory vegetation density and less fallen logs. Habitat quality in fragments may be a more important determinant of assemblages of small mammals and other vertebrates than previously considered in landscape and land use studies.
O tamanho e isolamento dos fragmentos e as propriedades da matriz têm recebido considerável atenção como preditores da riqueza, abundância e composição de espécies em manchas de habitat. Entretanto, medidas dos atributos do habitat ou da qualidade do habitat são mais diretamente relacionadas aos efeitos imediatos da fragmentação de habitat, e seriam mais determinantes das comunidades do que as variáveis explicativas tradicionais. Determinamos como a estrutura do habitat nos fragmentos—uma medida da qualidade do habitat—se compara ao tamanho e isolamento dos fragmentos, e às propriedades da matriz como determinantes da riqueza, abundância e composição de espécies de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em uma paisagem fragmentada de Mata Atlântica. Os pequenos mamíferos foram amostrados uma vez em 25 fragmentos na Bacia do Rio Macacu, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, de 1999 a 2001 e de 2005 a 2009. Um total de 83 modelos foram formulados e comparados utilizando o Critério de Informação de Akaike. A estrutura do habitat foi um dos principais determinantes das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos nos fragmentos de mata, tão importante quanto o isolamento entre fragmentos para a composição de espécies e os efeitos das estações climáticas sobre a riqueza de espécies. Os roedores foram mais abundantes nos fragmentos com estratificação vertical e sub-bosque mais densos e com maior presença de troncos caídos. O padrão contrário foi encontrado para a riqueza total de espécies e para espécies de hábito terrestre, que foram mais abundantes em fragmentos com estratificação vertical e sub-bosque menos densos e menor presença de troncos caídos. A qualidade do habitat em fragmentos pode ser determinante das comunidades de pequenos mamíferos e outros vertebrados, mais importante do que considerado previamente em estudos de paisagens e uso da terra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Delciellos
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , CP 68020, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-902 , Brazil (ACD, MVV, CEVG, PC, RC)
| | - Marcus V. Vieira
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , CP 68020, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-902 , Brazil (ACD, MVV, CEVG, PC, RC)
| | - Carlos E. V. Grelle
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , CP 68020, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-902 , Brazil (ACD, MVV, CEVG, PC, RC)
| | - Priscilla Cobra
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , CP 68020, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-902 , Brazil (ACD, MVV, CEVG, PC, RC)
| | - Rui Cerqueira
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , CP 68020, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-902 , Brazil (ACD, MVV, CEVG, PC, RC)
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