Does resource availability govern vertical stratification of small mammals in an Australian lowland tropical rainforest?

Title
Does resource availability govern vertical stratification of small mammals in an Australian lowland tropical rainforest?
Publication Date
2006
Author(s)
Rader, Romina
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9056-9118
Email: rrader@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rrader
Krockenberger, Andrew
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1071/WR04108
UNE publication id
une:21466
Abstract
Mammal assemblages of rainforest communities are commonly vertically stratified. This can be associated with competition for, or access to, resources in the upper canopy layers of the forest. This study investigated the extent of vertical stratification in a small mammal community of a tropical rainforest and whether any structure was related to resource abundance. The mammal community was vertically stratified, with 'Pogonomys mollipilosus' and 'Cercartetus caudatus' found only in the upper canopy layers and 'Rattus' sp., 'Isoodon macrourus' and 'Antechinus flavipes rubeculus' on the ground and in the understorey layer. 'Melomys cervinipes' and 'Uromys caudimaculatus' were found at all four height layers. Total rodent captures were not significantly correlated with the abundance of fruit and flower resources, but arboreal captures of 'M. cervinipes' and 'P. mollipilosus' were correlated with the number of individual canopy trees of four prominent flower- and fruit-yielding species: 'Syzigium sayeri', 'Acmena graveolens', 'Argyrodendron perelatum' and 'Castanospermum australe'. We suggest that arboreal behaviour in these rodents serves to provide the advantages of first access to food resources, the availability of abundant resources in the canopy, and, ultimately, reduced competition in the upper strata.
Link
Citation
Wildlife Research, 33(7), p. 571-576
ISSN
1448-5494
1035-3712
Start page
571
End page
576

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