Abstract:
Luzon Island in the Philippines is home to a diverse set of small mammals with 45 murid rodents
endemic to the Island. Previous studies focused more on the general response of species to
varying levels of habitat disturbances with very limited studies on microhabitat use. Patterns of
microhabitat use of a community of endemic and exotic small non-flying mammals were
investigated on a fragment of lower montane forest by employing live trapping techniques from
February to April 2016. Canonical Correspondence Analysis was used to analyze patterns of
habitat use using physical and vegetation variables, and capture data of six small mammal
species. Two of the three endemic species, A. abrae and R. everetii were strongly associated
with dense cover of broad-leaf trees while introduced species, R. exulans, R. tanezumi and S.
murinus, preferred areas with dense cover of low-lying grass and forbs. The habitat
characteristics associated with endemic and exotic species could be divided into montane forest
habitats and open habitats, respectively, suggesting a macrohabitat-level preference. The
preferences of two endemic species, A. abrae and R. everetii, were distinguished by difference in
tree and forbs cover density, with the former associated with higher tree and forbs cover than the
latter. In contrast, the third endemic species, A. musculus, preferred open areas with dense cover
of the forb Eupatorium. Introduced species appeared to select microhabitats based on ground
steepness and wetness, and tree density. R. exulans was more associated with steeper and higher
in tree cover areas than R. tanezumi. In contrast, S. murinus preferred moderate slope and wet
ground areas. These results suggest microhabitat level preference. However, these preliminary
findings need to be validated by additional studies with larger sample sizes.
