Cornfield effects on breeding and abundance of Oligoryzomys nigripes (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae).

Abstract

Small rodents rely on resource gathering during the breeding season to support their reproductive output and o spring survival. Since croplands may provide complementary food sources, we evaluated the in uence of the presence of corn eld on the forest edge in Oligoryzomys nigripes (Olfers, 1818) abundance and breeding. We found that abundance, proportion of reproductive females and males, as well as the number of juveniles were higher in the corn eld-forest edges, with no seasonality, a pattern divergent from the seasonal reproduction described for the species. Therefore, our results supported the hypothesis of corn elds bene ting O. nigripes abundance and breeding success.