Terrestrial small mammal community structure in a relic forest and anthropogenic habitats in Man region, Western Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Terrestrial small mammals play important ecological roles in tropical ecosystems. They are regularly used to measure the level of habitat disturbance. This study aimed to determine the impacts of human activities on the species composition and relative abundance of terrestrial small mammal communities in Man region. Four types of habitats, including a relic forest, a fallow, rubber and coffee plantations, were sampled using Sherman live traps. With a trapping effort of 2,800 trap-nights, 132 individuals of terrestrial small mammals were collected. These specimens belong to seven species of Muridae family Grammomys buntingi, Hylomyscus simus, Lophuromys sikapusi, Malacomys edwardsi, Mus muscoloides, Mus setulosusand Praomys rostratus and one species of Soricidae family, Crocidura olivieri. The relic forest and rubber plantation recorded the highest species richness with 7 species each. The lower species richness was obtained in a coffee plantation with 4 species.In the relic forest, Crocidura olivieri and Malacomys edwardsi were the most abundant (AR = 22.92%) species. Crocidura olivieri also dominated in the fallow (RA = 26.83%). Mus musculoides (RA = 48%) and Mus setulosus (RA = 27.79%) were dominant in rubber and coffee plantations, respectively. The higher Shannon-Wiener Index was obtained in the relic forest (H'= 1.77) and the lower in the coffee plantation (H' = 1.35). Sorensen's similarity coefficient showed great similarity between the species composition of the relic forest and the rubber plantation.