The Use of Corridors by Mammals in Fragmented Australian Eucalypt Forests

We used a replicated sampling program to examine the use of roadside corridors as habitat by native mammals. Our procedure compared the abundance and diversity of mammals in remnant forest, pasture, and two types of roadside corridor. Fixed transects were established in these four habitat types at six replicate sites. Spotlight, live-trap, and daytime observation surveys were used as census techniques. Few mammals were detected in pasture, and spotlighting revealed a higher total density of mammals in corridors than in forests, indicating corridors provide important habitat. Nevertheless, the number of species using corridors distant to forest was less than that in the corridors close to forest and the forest patches. Different species did not utilize corridors in the same way. We also found intraspecific differences in habitat use by one species of small mammal (Antechinus stuartii), which may have implications for the value of corridors to this species. Specifically, there was a higher proportion of males, and individuals of both sexes had lower body weight in corridors than in forests. Our study demonstrates that corridors can provide useful habitat for mammalian assemblages, but may not provide a complete solution to the problem of landscape fragmentation.