Terrestrial Small Mammal Diversity and Microhabitat Associations in Shade Coffee Agroecosystems

Abstract

Microhabitats are proxies for resource availability and degree of predation risk. Small mammals respond to these cues by selecting for specific microhabitat characteristics. In agricultural systems, microhabitats are shaped by the management practices, in turn determining the distribution of local mammal communities and their persistence within the area. Coffee agroecosystems are acclaimed for their potential to conserve biodiversity, but little has been done to study the effects of different production methods on small mammals. We compared the terrestrial small mammal communities between two coffee farms under differing management practices and tested for microhabitat associations for each species. Only five species of small mammals were trapped in the farms. Results indicate that while species richness did not differ between the two farms, the abundance of trapped individuals was significantly higher in the low shade coffee system as compared to the high shade system. Furthermore, ravines acted as pockets of habitats for local populations, with higher species diversity in areas closer to the ravines. Finally, no two small mammal species displayed the same set of microhabitat associations. Keywords: Microhabitat, small mammal, diversity, coffee agroecosystems