Rodent and insectivore species diversity of Seekoeivlei Provincial Nature Reserve, Free State province, South Africa

Résumé fourni par la source

Seekoeivlei Provincial Nature Reserve in the Free State province, South Africa, consists mainly of a wetland which is a RAMSAR site. Five sample sites were identified and classified according to hydrological regime. Step point plant surveys were performed at each site and the species richness, abundance and species diversity of the small mammals at each site were determined using snap-traps. A total of 104 individuals of seven small mammal species were trapped during 2250 trap-nights in the reserve resulting in a 4.6% trap-success. Data collected were compared with research done in similar habitat types or mountainous grassland. A species diversity index of 1.44 was calculated for Seekoeivlei Provincial Nature Reserve, which is higher than reported for Qwa-Qwa National Park (1.29), Giants Castle (1.34) and Cathedral Peak Nature Reserves (1.39). It was found that Rhabdomys pumiliol/ig was present in all the habitat types sampled and that species such as Crocidura mariquensis , Myosorex varius and Otomys irroratus were closely associated with dense vegetation and close proximity to water/marshland.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.