THE USE OF CORRIDORS BY MAMMALS IN FRAGMENTED AUSTRALIAN EUCALYPT FORESTS

We used a replicated sampling program to examine the use of roadside c orridors as habitat by native mammals. Our procedure compared the abun dance and diversity of mammals in remnant forest, pasture, and two typ es of roadside corridor. Fixed transects were established in these fou r habitat types at six replicate sites. Spotlight, live-trap, and dayt ime observation surveys were used as census techniques. Few mammals we re detected in pasture, and spotlighting revealed a higher total densi ty of mammals in corridors than in forests, indicating corridors provi de important habitat. Nevertheless, the number of species using corrid ors distant to forest was less than that in the corridors close to for est and the forest patches. Different species did not utilize corridor s in the same way. We also found intraspecific differences in habitat use by one species of small mammal (Antechinus stuartii), which may ha ve implications for the value of corridors to this species. Specifical ly, there was a higher proportion of males, and individuals of both se xes had lower body weight in corridors than in forests. Our study demo nstrates that corridors can provide useful habitat for mammalian assem blages, but may not provide a complete solution to the problem of land scape fragmentation.