Premium
Resource partitioning by small mammals in lowland heath communities of south‐eastern Australia
Author(s) -
BRAITHWAITE RICHARD W.,
COCKBURN A.,
LEE A. K.
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.tb01190.x
Subject(s) - ecology , insectivore , vegetation (pathology) , ecological niche , habitat , biology , floristics , niche , omnivore , niche segregation , geography , species richness , predation , medicine , pathology
Habitat selection by seven species of small mammals was investigated in three areas of heathland in Victoria. A total of 12 120 trapnights over 22 months was used to assess preference for different vegetation groups formed by clustering trap sites on (a) floristic and (b) structural criteria. Rattus lutreolus proved to have both floristic and structural requirements. Seasonal changes in distribution in relation to rainfall appeared to be dependent on soil type. Greatest movement occurred on sandy podzol soils. Pseudomys shortridgei selected the most diverse vegetation types. Rattus fuscipes preferred wet, structurally complex vegetation. Mus musculus appeared to fill the niche of Antechinus minimus and partially replace A. stuartii and A. flavipes when Antechinus spp. were absent. M. musculus seems to commonly fill three niches in these heathlands: fossorial insectivore, scansorial insectivore and immediate post‐fire omnivore. A small mammal community structure of five major food niches may be common to both heathland and forest communities of south‐eastern Australia.