Does resource availability govern vertical stratification of small mammals in an Australian lowland tropical rainforest?
R. Rader A B and A. Krockenberger A A CRC for Tropical Rainforest Ecology and the School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia. B Corresponding author. Email: romina.rader@jcu.edu.au Abstract Mammal assemblages of rainforest communities are commonly vertically stratified. This can be associated with competition for, or access to, resources in the upper canopy layers of the forest. This study investigated the extent of vertical stratification in a small mammal community of a tropical rainforest and whether any structure was related to resource abundance. The mammal community was vertically stratified, with Pogonomys mollipilosus and Cercartetus caudatus found only in the upper canopy layers and Rattus sp., Isoodon macrourus and Antechinus flavipes rubeculus on the ground and in the understorey layer. Melomys cervinipes and Uromys caudimaculatus were found at all four height layers. Total rodent captures were not significantly cor
