Pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em um mosaico de Mata Atlântica limítrofe com plantação de eucalipto, Alagoas, Brasil

Abstract

The small mammals (marsupials and rodents) constitute a group with highly diversified lifestyles, and as a result, they play important roles in ecosystem functioning. The Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC), a biodiversity hotspot in Northeast Brazil, represents a portion of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest that is severely impacted. The aim of this study was to characterize the community structure of small mammals in a forest remnant within the PEC, adjacent to eucalyptus plantations. Campaigns were conducted for seven months in 2022, using pitfall traps and live traps in forest, edge, and eucalyptus environments, with two stations in each type of environment, totaling six points. Ten species were captured, including seven marsupials and three rodents. The didelphids Marmosa murina and M. demerarae were the most frequently captured species (N= 7 and 11, respectively). The marsupial species Didelphis albiventris and the rodent Oligorizomys nigripes were represented by only one captured individual each. The forest and edge environments showed similarities in terms of species composition, richness, and diversity, sharing five out of the seven species present. In contrast, they exhibited significant dissimilarity in community parameters compared to the Eucalyptus area, where three species were captured. The marsupial Monodelphis domestica was the only didelphid captured in the cultivation area, exclusively found in that location. Eucalyptus environments favor species with terrestrial habits, as they are more open and homogeneous, resulting in lower species richness and diversity of small mammals compared to forest and edge habitats. Studies on the community composition of small mammals in altered environments, especially in eucalyptus plantation landscapes, are scarce in the PEC. Therefore, it is crucial to continue research efforts aimed at filling these knowledge gaps.