Abstract

VARGAS-RAMIREZ, Laura C.; COLMENARES-PINZON, Javier E.  and  SERRANO-CARDOZO, Víctor H.. Microhabitat use by an assamblage of small non volant mammals in an oak forest in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombian Andes. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2018, vol.89, n.2, pp.479-487. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2018.2.1933.

Between October 2014 and September 2015, during 5 consecutive days of each month, the associations between small non-volant mammals and the characteristics of their habitats were evaluated in an oak forest fragment in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombian Andes, in the department of Santander. Five sampling stations with 20 Sherman traps each one were established. In each station 10 plots were demarcated, in which 17 structural vegetation variables were quantified. Three hundred and fifty-eight individuals corresponding to 5 rodent species, 1 shrew species and 1 marsupial species were caught in an area of approximately 1.8 hectares. Different statistical approaches were implemented to quantitatively assess the relationship between the abundance of individuals and the characteristics of their habitats. Finding a significant positive correlation between the depth of the fallen leaves and the abundances of Rhipidomys fulviventer, Thomasomys laniger, Neomicroxus bogotensis, Marmosops cacucae y Cryptotis cf. tamensis. Abundances changed overtime, with January and May being the months where more individuals were caught. Nevertheless, we only found a significant statistical relationship between R. fulviventer monthly abundances and the monthly average precipitation.

Keywords : Oak forest; Colombia; Diversity; Microhabitat; Rodentia.

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