Effects of habitat fragmentation on the movement patterns and dispersal ability of the brown spiny rat (Maxomys rajah) in the Planted Forest Zone of Sarawak, Eastern Malaysia

Shadbolt, Antony Bruce; Ragai, Roslina

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0168-7_17

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This is supported by the observation that individuals in this study sometimes traveled parallel to fallen wood, close against the side. Traveling on top of woody debris has also been hypothesized to provide a simple substrate to allow for faster, more efficient travel and to allow small mammals to scan more effectively for predators while moving (Shadbolt & Ragai ). Therefore, in terms of foraging and predation risk, fallen wood may be an important microhabitat feature for maintaining populations of small mammals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Movement Behavior of Native and Invasive Small Mammals Shows Logging May Facilitate Invasion in a Tropical Rain Forest

et al. 2016

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Invasive species pose one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. This study investigates the extent to which human disturbance to natural ecosystems facilitates the spread of non‐native species, focusing on a small mammal community in selectively logged rain forest, Sabah, Borneo. The microhabitat preferences of the invasive Rattus rattus and three native species of small mammal were examined in three‐dimensional space by combining the spool‐and‐line technique with a novel method for quantifying fine‐scale habitat selection. These methods allowed the detection of significant differences for each species between the microhabitats used compared with alternative, available microhabitats that were avoided. Rattus rattus showed the greatest preference for heavily disturbed habitats, and in contrast to two native small mammals of the genus Maxomys, R. rattus showed high levels of arboreal behavior, frequently leaving the forest floor and traveling through the understory and midstory forest strata. This behavior may enable R. rattus to effectively utilize the complex three‐dimensional space of the lower strata in degraded forests, which is characterized by dense vegetation. The behavioral flexibility of R. rattus to operate in both terrestrial and arboreal space may facilitate its invasion into degraded forests. Human activities that generate heavily disturbed habitats preferred by R. rattus may promote the establishment of this invasive species in tropical forests in Borneo, and possibly elsewhere. We present this as an example of a synergistic effect, whereby forest disturbance directly threatens biodiversity and indirectly increases the threat posed by invasive species, creating habitat conditions that facilitate the establishment of non‐native fauna.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Movement Behavior of Native and Invasive Small Mammals Shows Logging May Facilitate Invasion in a Tropical Rain Forest

et al. 2016

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“…Due to the scarcity of available information on their dispersal (e.g. Emmons 2000;Wells et al 2006aWells et al , 2008aWells et al , 2008bNakagawa et al 2007;Shadbolt and Ragai 2010), nothing is known about the influence of geographic and man-made landscape features on their migration and genetic structuring. However, species affinities to water and swimming abilities should be crucial for maintaining gene flow across geographic features such as large rivers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Messing about on the river: the role of geographic barriers in shaping the genetic structure of Bornean small mammals in a fragmented landscape

et al. 2019

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Landscape features may restricting dispersal and gene flow, and increase demographic isolation among sub-populations. In addition, landscape features may represent potential dispersal barriers depending on species vagility. To predict the persistence of populations and to formulate adequate conservation measures it is essential to understand the ability of species to transverse landscape barriers. Using population genetic techniques we assessed the importance of physical barriers along the Kinabatangan River for a suite of non-volant small mammals. Cytochrome b sequence variation was examined for each of the 19 species sampled across both riverbanks. Haplotype networks and molecular variance analyses indicated contrasting patterns of genetic isolation between riversides for different taxa. Genetic isolation between riversides ranged from moderate to complete in tree shrews and squirrels, whereas no isolating effect could be detected in murids and gymnures. Although genetic divergence between forest fragments on the same side of the river could only be studied in a subset of six species, the results suggest an additional dispersal barrier for two of these studied species. While barrier effects of a paved road and tributaries could not be verified, large oil palm plantations seem to have disrupted gene flow in these species. Furthermore, the findings suggest higher genetic connectivity on the more continuously forested compared to the more fragmented riverside, and underline the importance of forest corridors as essential conservation measures to maintain genetic diversity in a fragmented landscape such as that along the Kinabatangan River.

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“…). Factors that can cause changes in movement behavior include increased competition, increased predation (Lees & Peres ; Shadbolt & Ragai ), and higher mortality risks from inhospitable microclimates (Lees & Peres ). Alternatively, species movement can be unaffected by agriculture if farmlands provide adequate resources (Luck & Daily ) or if species are already highly vagile (Estrada et al.…”

Section: Impacts Of Anthropogenic Disturbances On Vital Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Four studies assessed species survival on birds in fragmented forest landscapes. Fragmentation resulted in reduced survival in 24 species, relative to contiguous forest, likely caused by increased predation, reduced resources, and higher mortality risks when vagile species traverse the matrix (Lees & Peres ; Shadbolt & Ragai ). Conversely, eight bird species exhibited no negative effects from fragmentation.…”

Section: Impacts Of Anthropogenic Disturbances On Vital Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impacts of tropical forest disturbance on species vital rates

Cosset

Gilroy

Edwards

2018

Conservation Biology

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Tropical forests are experiencing enormous threats from deforestation and habitat degradation. Much knowledge of the impacts of these land-use changes on tropical species comes from studies examining patterns of richness and abundance. Demographic vital rates (survival, reproduction, and movement) can also be affected by land-use change in a way that increases species vulnerability to extirpation, but in many cases these impacts may not be manifested in short-term changes in abundance or species richness. We conducted a literature review to assess current knowledge and research effort concerning how land-use change affects species vital rates in tropical forest vertebrates. We found a general paucity of empirical research on demography across taxa and regions, with some biases toward mammals and birds and land-use transitions, including fragmentation and agriculture. There is also considerable between-species variation in demographic responses to land-use change, which could reflect trait-based differences in species sensitivity, complex context dependencies (e.g., between-region variation), or inconsistency in methods used in studies. Efforts to improve understanding of anthropogenic impacts on species demography are underway, but there is a need for increased research effort to fill knowledge gaps in understudied tropical regions and taxa. The lack of information on demographic impacts of anthropogenic disturbance makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions about the magnitude of threats to tropical ecosystems under anthropogenic pressures. Thus, determining conservation priorities and improving conservation effectiveness remains a challenge.

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Effects of habitat fragmentation on the movement patterns and dispersal ability of the brown spiny rat (Maxomys rajah) in the Planted Forest Zone of Sarawak, Eastern Malaysia

Cited by 5 publications

References 19 publications

Movement Behavior of Native and Invasive Small Mammals Shows Logging May Facilitate Invasion in a Tropical Rain Forest

Movement Behavior of Native and Invasive Small Mammals Shows Logging May Facilitate Invasion in a Tropical Rain Forest

Messing about on the river: the role of geographic barriers in shaping the genetic structure of Bornean small mammals in a fragmented landscape

Impacts of tropical forest disturbance on species vital rates

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