ECOLOGY OF A SMALL MAMMAL COMMUNITY IN AN ATLANTIC FOREST AREA IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

During a 14 month mark-and-release project in an Atlantic forest area (Jureia Ecological Station), I studied the population ecology of 8 spe cies of small mammals (3 marsupials and 5 rodents). In a 4,307 trap ni ghts, 182 individuals were captured 650 times. The rodents were caught 73% of the total capture and the marsupials 27%. Oryzomys nitidus was the commonest species in the grid followed by Proechimys iheringi and Metachirus nudicaudatus. The marsupials showed a seasonal pattern of reproduction. As a consequence, the population densities had a peak du ring the wet months with the entrance of the youngs. The rodents, P. i heringi and O. nitidus bred throughout the year, although the former o ne had a peak in the dry months. Density of O. nitidus was fairly cons tant, whereas that of P. iheringi was higher during the recruitment ti me. Rodents and marsupials contributed with the same biomass in Jureia small mammal community.