CONSERVATION OF MAMMALIAN BIODIVERSITY IN COFFEE PLANTATIONS OF CENTRAL VERACRUZ, MEXICO

The diversity and organization of the mammalian community is related t o the vegetation structure of the coffee plantations in the area of Ba rranca Grande, in the State of Veracruz, Mexico. Four transects (each 200 m in length) were used to study the vegetation structure within th e coffee plantation, and 178 night/traps, tracks registration and info rmation from local people, were used in order to become familiar with the mammalian community. The sample period was from October 1989 to Fe bruary 1991. The 24 mammals of medium-size species present in the area were classified using two measures of ecological diversity, locomotio n and foraging in order to understand the guild organization. If the c omplexity of the plantation is reduced, the number of guilds occupied could suffer a loss of 45% and 43% in ecological richness and diversit y, respectively, and 24% in the equitability of the mammalian fauna. W e recommend the maintenance of a high diversity in the tree stratum (s hade species), in this case, species such as Inga jinicuil, banana (Mu sa sapientum), Citrus spp., coyo avocado (Persea schiedeana), mango (M angifera indica); species which could provide food resources and prote ction for the mammals.