Acta Biológica Colombiana (Jul 2003)
Mammals of the Oak Forest
Abstract
The high rate of deforestation over the Andean forests has generated a large proportion of fragmented landscapes in the country. The distribution of Oak groves in the country was determined based on ecosystem maps. Charalá and Encino Oak groves patches are the largest ones found at the east Andes and like others, due to the unfair use of this resources, has suffered a fragmentation process. Fifty five species of mammals included in 10 orders and 14 families were found in these forests. Chiroptera and Rodentia were the most representative groups. Anthropic processes had produced a 68.1% loss of the habitat, and constitutes the main threat for these forests. The size of the patches were evaluated for three mammal species categories. The patches’ area are not favorable for large-size species, intermediately to favorable to medium-size species and are favorable for small-size species. It is suggested that patches’ area effect over mammal species could relate to the decrease of species richness and of each fragment area. There are good connections between patches (only five isolated), allowing the presence of a greater species diversity. There is also a bleak plateau zone between connected patches increasing their connectivity and offering different habitats and resources for some mammal species.
