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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 33(7)

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

R. Rader A B and A. Krockenberger A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CRC for Tropical Rainforest Ecology and the School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: romina.rader@jcu.edu.au

Wildlife Research 33(7) 571-576 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR04108
Submitted: 3 November 2004  Accepted: 13 September 2006   Published: 15 November 2006

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.


Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Australian Canopy Crane Research Facility for permission and assistance in using the crane to conduct the canopy component of the trapping study. We particularly thank Dick Cooper for crane driving, technical assistance and companionship. He will be sadly missed. This study was supported by Australian Geographic, Rainforest CRC and James Cook University grants, awarded to Romina Rader, and authorised by Queensland EPA Permit F1/000433/01/SAA and JCU Animal Ethics Approval A679_01. The authors also thank Michael Cermak, Bradley Howlett, Robyn Wilson, Steve Van Dyck, Lawrence and Paul Mason and numerous volunteers for advice and assistance during the study.


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