ATLANTIC MAMMAL TRAITS: a data set of morphological traits of mammals in the Atlantic Forest of South America.

Measures of traits are the basis of functional biological diversity. Numerous works consider mean species-level measures of traits while ignoring individual variance within species. However, there is a large amount of variation within species and it is increasingly apparent that it is important to consider trait variation not only between species, but also within species. Mammals are an interesting group for investigating trait-based approaches because they play diverse and important ecological functions (e.g., pollination, seed dispersal, predation, grazing) that are correlated with functional traits. Here we compile a data set comprising morphological and life history information of 279 mammal species from 39,850 individuals of 388 populations ranging from -5.83 to -29.75 decimal degrees of latitude and -34.82 to -56.73 decimal degrees of longitude in the Atlantic forest of South America. We present trait information from 16,840 individuals of 181 species of non-volant mammals (Rodentia, Didelphimorphia, Carnivora, Primates, Cingulata, Artiodactyla, Pilosa, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla) and from 23,010 individuals of 98 species of volant mammals (Chiroptera). The traits reported include body mass, age, sex, reproductive stage, as well as the geographic coordinates of sampling for all taxa. Moreover, we gathered information on forearm length for bats and body length and tail length for rodents and marsupials. No copyright restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

Trophic Niche Differentiation in Rodents and Marsupials Revealed by Stable Isotopes.

Tropical rainforests support the greatest diversity of small mammals in the world, yet we have little understanding about the mechanisms that promote the coexistence of species. Diet partitioning can favor coexistence by lessening competition, and interspecific differences in body size and habitat use are usually proposed to be associated with trophic divergence. However, the use of classic dietary methods (e.g. stomach contents) is challenging in small mammals, particularly in community-level studies, thus we used stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to infer about trophic niche. We investigated i) how trophic niche is partitioned among rodent and marsupial species in three Atlantic forest sites and ii) if interspecific body size and locomotor habit inequalities can constitute mechanisms underlying the isotopic niche partitioning. We found that rodents occupied a broad isotopic niche space with species distributed in different trophic levels and relying on diverse basal carbon sources (C3 and C4 plants). Surprisingly, on the other hand, marsupials showed a narrow isotopic niche, both in δ13C and δ15N dimensions, which is partially overlapped with rodents, contradicting their description as omnivores and generalists proposed classic dietary studies. Although body mass differences did not explained the divergence in isotopic values among species, groups of species with different locomotor habit presented clear differences in the position of the isotopic niche space, indicating that the use of different forest strata can favor trophic niche partitioning in small mammals communities. We suggest that anthropogenic impacts, such as habitat modification (logging, harvesting), can simplify the vertical structure of ecosystems and collapse the diversity of basal resources, which might affect negatively small mammals communities in Atlantic forests.

Mamíferos não voadores do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho, Continuum florestal do Paranapiacaba / Non-volant mammals of Carlos Botelho State Park, Paranapiacaba Forest Continuum

A Mata Atlântica é o bioma melhor conhecido em relação à mastofauna no Brasil, contudo ainda assim apresenta uma série de lacunas de conhecimento sobre a persistência e distribuição de espécies, o que representa um risco adicional à conservação de mamíferos. Neste trabalho, através da coleta de dados por diferentes métodos - armadilhas fotográficas, censos diurnos, registro de vestígios, armadilhas de queda e captura viva - ao longo de oito anos (2004-2012), foi realizado o inventário da mastofauna não voadora do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (SP). No total foram registradas 53 espécies, sendo 12 espécies ameaçadas regionalmente e uma exótica (Lepus europaeus), com a presença da maioria dos mamíferos esperados para o Continuum Florestal da Serra do Paranapiacaba. A comunidade de mamíferos não voadores quase completa, e a presença de espécies ameaçadas reforçam o papel desta área protegida para a conservação de mamíferos na Mata Atlântica. Embora, a extinção local de uma espécie, Tayassu pecari, alerte para a necessidade de medidas efetivas de proteção.

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most studied Brazilian biomes in relation to its mammalian fauna. However, there is still a series of gaps of knowledge about the distribution and persistence of some of these species which prevents taking adequate conservation measures to better protect the mammals. In order to make the inventory of the non-volant mammalian fauna of the Carlos Botelho State Park (SP), we compiled data of camera trapping, diurnal census, track records, pitfall and live trapping collected over 8 years (2004-2012). We registered a total of 53 species, of which 12 are regionally threatened and one is an exotic species (Lepus europaeus), including the presence of most mammal species expected for the Paranapiacaba Forest Continuum. The high non-volant mammals species richness allied to the presence of threatened species, strengthen the role of this protected area for mammal conservation in the Atlantic Forest. Although, the local extinction of one species, Tayassu pecari, alert to the need for effective measures of protection.