Abstract

ARROYO CHACON, Erika; RIECHERS PEREZ, Alejandra; NARANJO, Eduardo J.  and  RIVERA-VELAZQUEZ, Gustavo. Richness, abundance and diversity of wild mammals among habitats in the Sumidero Canyon National Park, Chiapas, Mexico. Therya [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.3, pp.647-676. ISSN 2007-3364.  https://doi.org/10.12933/therya-13-140.

We assessed richness, abundance, and diversity (alpha and beta) of the wild mammals at the Cañón del Sumidero National Park, Chiapas, Mexico. Direct observations and captures of mammals were carried out in fragments of lowland and mid elevation evergreen tropical forest and seven habitats with different degrees of disturbance within the boundaries of the protected area. We recorded 77 mammal species, belonging to 10 orders, 24 families and 59 genera, with the following four species recorded as the most abundant in the study area: Artibeus jamaicensis, Peromycus mexicanus, Sturnira lilium and Liomys pictus. The mid or low elevation evergreen tropical forest had the highest species richness of mammals (26 species) and the highest alpha diversity (H' 2.52), but we did not find significant differences between the oak forest, the lowland mixed deciduous forest habitats with crops and fruit trees, and the disturbed area with pine trees, shade coffee plantations and pastures (H' 2.51, 2.37 and 2.29, respectively). For beta diversity, we found intermediate levels with the highest value split between the disturbed area with pastures, fallows and maize, vs. the disturbed area with pine trees, shade coffee plantations and pastures. The Cañón del Sumidero National Park is of great biological importance because it provides protection to native tropical forest communities in areas adjacent to the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, sheltering a significant portion of the mammalian fauna that includes at least 11 threatened species listed in the Official Mexican Standard.

Keywords : Protected area; mammal fauna; Cañon del Sumidero; forests.