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Rats, pigs and men: disturbance and diversity in the New Guinea highlands
Author(s) -
DWYER PETER D.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1978.tb01171.x
Subject(s) - ecology , disturbance (geology) , habitat , rainforest , biology , grassland , population , new guinea , geography , demography , history , paleontology , ethnology , sociology
A trapping study of four species of Rattus and three of Melomys in rainforest and grassland habitats revealed differences in altitudinal distribution and in both gross and subtle habitat selection between species. The species are ranked on a scale of increasing opportunism on the basis of various demographic characteristics (e.g. reproductive rate, life span and population density). Species judged to be more opportunistic occur in habitats subject to more intense disturbance from pigs and humans. It is argued that changes in the pattern of species coexistence have followed overt human impact in the New Guinea highlands.