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A survey of small mammals within a Sabah tree plantation in Malaysia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Robert B. Stuebing  and
Joseph Gasis
Robert B. Stuebing
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Sabah Campus, Sabah Campus, Sabah, Malaysia
Joseph Gasis
Affiliation:
Danum Valley Field Centre, c/o Sabah Foundation Branch Office, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia
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Abstract

A survey of small mammals was made in a tree plantation in Sabah, East Malaysia. Transects within pure plantings of Eucalyptus deglupta, Gmelina arborea, Albizia falcataria, and A. falcataria/Theobroma cacao were compared with a similar transect laid through seven-year-old logged forest near the plantation. A total of 16 small mammal species were trapped, with 11 found in the logged forest area, and 15 in the plantation. Values for the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H') and for biomass were highest in logged forest, which also showed a low (<45%) Percent Similarity when compared with any of the plantation areas. Highest diversity and biomass values within the plantation were found in Albizia falcataria plantings, while the lowest were found in A. falcataria underplanted with Theobroma cacao. All plantation areas were dominated by Maxomys whiteheads, whereas A. falcataria plantings had the highest numbers of Tupaia glis and Tupaia tana.

The study shows that although tropical plantations of exotic tree species can support a large number of species of scansorial small mammals, overall diversity and species biomass per hectare is much lower than that found in logged forest.

Keywords

Malaysiamuridsplantationsrodentstree shrews
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , May 1989 , pp. 203 - 214
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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