Effect of Clearcutting Operations on the Survival Rate of a Small Mammal

摘要: Clearcutting is a common timber harvesting technique that represents significant and abrupt change in habitat conditions for wildlife living industrial forests. Most research on this type of impact has focused comparing populations or communities mature forests/plantations the resulting clearcut stands. However, approach does not separate effect changes attributes from direct mortality produced by intensive use heavy machinery required cutting down trees dragging them to road. Because knowing fate individuals after disturbance important modelling landscape-scale population dynamics forests, we conducted study South-Central Chile understand short-term response clearcutting operations long-haired Akodont (Abrothrix longipillis), forest specialist mouse. Between 2009 2013 radiotracked total 51 adult male Akodonts, before, during pine plantations which they lived. A minimum 52.4% died as cause timbering operations, being crushed vehicles logs logging operations. Our observations suggest that, instead fleeing area, Akodonts approaching hide under litter burrows, exposes serious risk death. The real rate associated may be higher than estimated us because some methodological biases (i.e. with radiotransmitters recorded) fact additional sources affect weeks following (e.g. exposure predation, effects site preparation new plantation, etc).