Abstract

LOPEZ-AREVALO, Hugo Fernando; LIEVANO-LATORRE, Luisa Fernanda  and  MONTENEGRO DIAZ, Olga Lucía. The role of small reserves on mammal conservation in Colombia. Caldasia [online]. 2021, vol.43, n.2, pp.354-365.  Epub Apr 19, 2022. ISSN 0366-5232.  https://doi.org/10.15446/caldasia.v43n1.85466.

The role of private reserves is often underestimated due to their small size and discontinuous distribution. To examine the relevance of small reserves in mammal conservation, with this paper we addressed three objectives: 1) to identify patterns of size, altitude, and distribution of the Colombian private reserves belonging to the Protected Areas National System (SINAP), 2) to examine, as a case study, mammal richness and geographical patterns in twelve reserves, and 3) to identify the contribution of small reserves to Colombian mammal's conservation. To address the first objective, we analyzed size, altitude, and distribution of the SINAP reserves sorted by biogeographic provinces. For the other two objectives, we evaluated the relationship between mammal richness and area, altitude, and connectivity of the twelve small reserves. We found that most of the SINAP reserves are less than 100 ha in size, that they were distributed between 1500 and 2500 m, and that they were in the North Andean province. Together, the twelve reserves harbor 224 species of eleven mammalian orders, with a mean richness of 42.7 species (19 bats, and 23.7 non-volant mammals). We found a positive relationship between both total mammal richness and non-volant mammal richness with reserve area and between non-volant mammal richness and altitude. We also identify those small reserves conserve mainly small-sized species although they might serve as a refuge for medium and large species as well. We highlight those small reserves play a significant role in Colombian mammal's conservation.

Keywords : Fragmentation; island biogeography; mammal diversity; protected areas; species-area relationship.

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