Features of Rodent Species Diversity in Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China
Features of Rodent Species Diversity in Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China
Peng Xu1, Yankuo Li2*, Shusong Zhang1 and Bin Liu3
ABSTRACT
Rodents are important components of animal communities in forest ecosystems. This study investigated rodent species diversity in Jiangxi Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve of China in 2014-2015. Rodents were trapped at nine selected sampling sites varying in altitude for evaluating their diversity. Consequently, 16 rodent species belonging to eight families were recorded. Out of 376 individuals of rodent species trapped (capture rate = 4.7%), Apodemus agrarius, Eothenomys melanogaster, Niviventer fulvescens and N. confucicianus were identified as dominant species with relative abundances over 10%, in which N. fulvescens and N. confucicianus were trapped in eight and seven habitat types, respectively, indicating a larger altitude span of their distribution ranges. Bamboo planting areas were found to possess more rodent species than other habitats. Crocidura Dracula, Micromys minutus, Lepus sinensis, A. agrarius, Rattus nitidu, Tamiops swinhoei and R. norvegicus were each trapped in only one habitat. Among habitats, bamboo planting areas showed the highest diversity index and richness index of rodent community, while farmland harbored the highest dominance index and lowest diversity index. Rodent communities were classified into three categories, namely meadow type, forest type, and farmland type. The present study provides a comprehensive inventory of rodent species diversity of the reserve, and is of great significance in the protection and construction of biodiversity in the forest ecosystem of Wuyi Mountain area.
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