Keywords :
Fragmentation,
Habitat use,
Interspecific interactions,
Resource availability,
Small carnivores
บทคัดย่อ :
Small, isolated, and disturbed forest fragments potentially offer valuable habitats for small carnivore
conservation. Yet the influence of resource availability-critical for survival and reproduction-on small
carnivore habitat use within these modified environments is poorly understood. We conducted camera-
trap surveys within a seasonally dry tropical forestfragment(148 km2)in northeastern Thailand to better
understandthe influence resource availabilityhas onsmall carnivorehabitatuse withinfragmentedareas.
Species occupancy models including both habitat and resource variables were assessed across periods of
high and low resource availability (fruit abundance and rodent biomass). Species with similar resource or
habitat preferences may also compete when resources are low. Therefore, we tested species with shared
preferences for patterns of spatial co-occurrence and temporal overlap. Fruit availability influenced the
distribution of common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), while rodent biomass influenced Asi-
atic jackal (Canis aureus), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), and small Indian civet (Viverricula indica),
but only during annual periods of scarcity. In contrast, small Asian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) was
highly selective for a specific habitat (dry dipterocarp forest) regardless of seasonal fluctuations in food
availability. Occupancy increased for all species during periods of resource scarcity, with leopard cat
and Asiatic jackal experiencing the greatest increases (139% and 58%, respectively). Species with shared
resource and habitat preferences appeared to avoid each other, either spatially or temporally. For exam-
ple, leopard cat and Asiatic jackal co-occurred spatially less than would be expected, though only when
rodents were scarce. Similarly, small Indian civet and small Asian mongoose, which used the same habitat
and co-occurred spatially at a rate greater than expected, were active at different times. Our results indi-
cate that seasonal resource fluctuations and interspecific interactions strongly influence the distribution
of sympatric small carnivores in a fragmented forest.
เอกสารอ้างอิง :
Petersen, W. J., Savini, T., Steinmetz, R., & Ngoprasert, D. (2019a). Periodic resource scarcity and potential for interspecific competition influences distribution of small carnivores in a seasonally dry tropical forest fragment. Mammalian Biology, 95(1), 112-122.
