TY - JOUR
T1 - Habitat associations of small mammals in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa
AU - Simelane, Felicity Nonsimiso
AU - Mahlaba, Themb'Alilahlwa A.M.
AU - Shapiro, Julie Teresa
AU - Macfadyen, Duncan
AU - Monadjem, Ara
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments: Ernest Oppenheimer and Son, Nicky and Strilli Oppenheimer are thanked for providing financial assistance and access to the property. The staff of Wakefield Farm, especially the property manager, Thu-lani Mnguni, is thanked for assistance in the field and for logistical support. We also thank Phumlile Simelane for assisting with fieldwork. J.T.S. received support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1315138, a National Geographic Young Explorer’s Grant, and a grant from The Explorers Club Exploration Fund, Mamont Scholar’s Program.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.
PY - 2018/3/1
Y1 - 2018/3/1
N2 - Mountains provide important habitats for many species and often have high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Habitat associations of terrestrial small mammals were investigated at Wakefield Farm at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa from July 2015 to January 2016. Sherman live traps were used to capture small mammals on 35 grids in six different habitats. A total of 472 individuals, from 14 species, were recorded, comprising: 10 rodents, three shrews and one golden mole. Species diversity differed across habitats and seasons. The riparian habitat had the highest species richness, diversity and abundance of small mammals. Species composition also differed across habitats with the indigenous forest and rocky outcrops supporting the most distinct assemblages.
AB - Mountains provide important habitats for many species and often have high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Habitat associations of terrestrial small mammals were investigated at Wakefield Farm at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa from July 2015 to January 2016. Sherman live traps were used to capture small mammals on 35 grids in six different habitats. A total of 472 individuals, from 14 species, were recorded, comprising: 10 rodents, three shrews and one golden mole. Species diversity differed across habitats and seasons. The riparian habitat had the highest species richness, diversity and abundance of small mammals. Species composition also differed across habitats with the indigenous forest and rocky outcrops supporting the most distinct assemblages.
KW - Drakensberg
KW - habitat association
KW - small mammals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046020143&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/mammalia-2016-0130
DO - 10.1515/mammalia-2016-0130
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85046020143
SN - 0025-1461
VL - 82
SP - 144
EP - 152
JO - Mammalia
JF - Mammalia
IS - 2
ER -
