Small Mammals (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) From Serra Do Ouro Branco: Southern Portion of Espinhaço Mountain Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

RESUMOA Serra do Ouro Branco, está localizada na porção sul da Cadeia do Espinhaço, região de transição entre o Cerrado e a Mata Atlântica, no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. O objetivo deste estudo foi inventariar os pequenos mamíferos do Parque Estadual da Serra do Ouro Branco (PESOB) e do Monumento Natural Estadual de Itatiaia, unidades de conservação da Serra do Ouro Branco, e comparar com a diversidade encontrada em outras áreas da Cadeia do Espinhaço. A amostragem durou 24 meses (2009)(2010) utilizando pitfall traps. Foram registradas 19 espécies de pequenos mamíferos, 13 de roedores e seis de marsupiais, com um esforço de 6664 armadilhas/noite. A área de estudo apresentou baixa similaridade com outras áreas do Espinhaço. Foram registradas espécies raras e inéditas para esta cadeia de montanhas. Foi detectada elevada dissimilaridade em toda a Cadeia, revelada pelo grande número de ocorrências únicas (40%) e baixo número de espécies que ocorreram em pelo menos metade das áreas inventariadas (17%). Assim, a alta riqueza e diversidade registradas aliadas a particularidade na composição de espécies de cada área e a escassez de dados para a região norte e principalmente central da cadeia do Espinhaço reforçam a importância de mais estudos e inventários de pequenos mamíferos em toda a sua extensão. Palavras-chave: inventário; marsupiais; Quadrilátero Ferrífero; roedores; Serra do Ouro Branco ABSTRACT -SMALL MAMMALS (RODENTIA AND DIDELPHIMORPHIA) FROM SERRA DO OURO BRANCO: SOUTHERN PORTION OF ESPINHAÇO MOUNTAIN RANGE, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZILSerra do Ouro Branco is located at the south portion of Espinhaço Range, at a transition area between Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Here, we surveyed small mammals communities from Parque Estadual Serra do Ouro Branco and Monumento Natural Estadual do Itatiaia, two protected areas, and compared them with the diversity recorded in the remaining Espinhaço mountain range. Sampling occurred over 24 months (2009)(2010) using pitfall traps. Nineteen species, 13 rodents and six marsupials, were recorded in 6,664 traps /night. The study area has low similarity with other areas of Espinhaço Range; high dissimilarity was the main pattern found, as revealed by the large number of singletons (40%) and few species found at least in half of the areas (17%). Thus, the elevated richness and diversity registered allied to the singularity in composition of species in each area and the scarcity of data for the north and mainly for the central region of Espinhaço, reinforce the importance and urgency of more studies and inventories of small mammals in all mountain range extension.

Survey of Small Mammals (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) in a Cerrado Reserve: Central Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

“…Bonvicino et al 2002, Geise & Astúa 2009, Pereira & Geise 2009, Paglia et al 2012, Nogueira et al 2015, Patton et al 2015. A similar pattern represented by species shared with Atlantic Forest, Caatinga and Cerrado was observed in other studies carried on the Espinhaço Range (see Pereira & Geise 2007, 2009, Câmara & Oliveira 2012, Braga et al 2016 which is a contact zone between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest to the south and a transition zone between the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Caatinga in the northern (Giulietti et al 1997).…”

“…Furthermore, Câmara & Oliveira (2012) reported one of the largest species richness in the Central Espinhaço (n = 24), both studies using only wire traps. Indeed, the species composition of PERP was grouped with other areas at the Central Espinhaço (Leal et al 2008, Câmara & Oliveira 2012, showing greater similarity in species composition in relation to the Serra de Ouro Branco (Braga et al 2016), localized at the Southern Espinhaço. Despite the greater similarity in species composition between the three areas located in the Central Espinhaço, they present heterogeneous vegetation formations, composed of different physiognomies from Cerrado such as rock grassland, Cerrado stricto sensu, woodland savanna, and riparian forests.…”

“…The Espinhaço Mountain Range represents the most continuous Precambrian orogenic belt in the Brazil's territory and extends approximately 1,200 km between its north and south limits, delimiting a contact zone between Atlantic Forest and Cerrado at South and Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes at North (Giulietti et al 1997, Almeida-Abreu et al 2005. Although the Espinhaço Range has been the focus of studies of naturalists over the last two centuries, basic information about the small mammal's species richness and composition is still scarce (Lessa et al 2008, Braga et al 2016. The Central Espinhaço in Minas Gerais state is within the Cerrado (savanna), and the predominant vegetation type consists of "campos rupestres" (rock grassland), although the vegetation mosaic also includes semi-deciduous and dwarf forests (Mendonça-Filho 2005, Bünger et al 2014).…”

A new record of Calassomys apicalis (Rodentia, Cricetidae) in the Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

“…The increase in recent years of new small mammal's records in campos rupestres areas at the Espinhaço Mountain Range is noteworthy, and has provided important data on its distribution, taxonomy and ecology (see Pereira & Geise, 2009;Pardiñas et al, 2014;Loss et al, 2015;Braga et al, 2016). Nevertheless, the current level of knowledge on the composition and distribution of Phyllotini rodents in habiting rock outcrops in campos rupestres across this wide re-.49 gion is still scarce.…”

Ethnozoology as Complementary Method to Inventory Medium and Large-Bodied Mammals: The Case Study of Serra Do Ouro Branco, Brazil

“…Thus, the conservation of the local biodiversity depends on combined efforts between local communities and environmental agencies (Brasil 2000). Studies conducted in these CUs revealed high richness of amphibians (São Pedro & Feio 2011), lizards , and small mammals (Braga et al 2016). The fauna of small mammals includes rare species not found in other studied areas of the Espinhaço Mountain Range (Braga et al 2016).…”