NON-FLYING MAMMALS AND LANDSCAPE CHANGES IN THE TROPICAL RAIN-FOREST REGION OF LOS-TUXTLAS, MEXICO

The rapid and extensive conversion of Neotropical rain forests to a landscape consisting of pasture lands and other agricultural habitats has meant the local disappearance, fragmentation and isolation of vertebrate populations. To avoid further losses in biodiversity in Neotropical rain forests, it is imperative to determine how the different species that constitute the different vertebrate communities have responded to the anthropogenic alterations of their natural habitats. To provide data in this direction, we sampled non flying mammals in 35 forest fragments, in six disturbed forest sires, in 12 regenerating forests, in 20 arboreal agricultural habitats (cacao, coffee, mixed, citrus and allspice), in four live fence sites and in four pasture sites at Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Sampling indicated that area of forest fragments and isolating distance were important variables influencing species richness. Disturbed forest had fewer species and individuals present and supported a lower non flying mammal biomass than undisturbed and regenerating forests. Shaded plantations (cacao, coffee and mixed) were richer in species and in individuals than unshaded ones (citrus, allspice). Species richness in forests and agricultural habitats were associated to horizontal plant diversity and vertical foliage diversity. Pasture habitats were the poorest man-made habitats in non flying mammal species. Live fences supported a higher biomass and species of non flying mammals than pastures and were similar to forest and shaded man made habitats in species assemblages.