Diversity of small mammals on the early second commercial cycle of Eucalyptus plantations in southeast Brazil

In this study we surveyed small mammals on a silvicultural landscape during the early second 7-year commercial cycle of Eucalyptus plantations in southeast Brazil. To do so we used the same method (pitfall traps) and part of the same sampling units used by a previous study during the early first commercial cycle. Our results suggest that Eucalyptus plantations are used as habitat by part of the original assemblage of small mammals along their commercial cycles. Four new species were detected on the second cycle but three were only detected on the first. In both cycles Eucalyptus plantations presented smaller abundance of small mammals than native vegetation and abandoned pastures around. Oligoryzomys nigripes (a species from the Atlantic forest) replaces O. flavescens and Calomys tener (species from Cerrado) from the first to the second commercial cycle. Species richness of the landscape matrix tend to remain lower than the native vegetation and abandoned pastures on the early second commercial cycle. Similarly to the first cycle, the species that use Eucalyptus plantations are not affected by the distance to the border of the conservation areas (i.e., native vegetation and abandoned pastures). The land sharing approach of the silvicultural sector in Brazil apparently prevented a higher small mammal species local extinction in relation to a former matrix of pastures. This provides a relevant conservation value to local silvicultural landscapes due to the role of small mammals in local trophic network.

Automated summary

The study found that Eucalyptus plantations serve as habitats for small mammals during their commercial cycles, with some new species appearing in different cycles. Small mammal abundance is lower in Eucalyptus plantations compared to native vegetation and abandoned pastures.