Biogeographic and demographic changes in the distribution and abundance of scorpions inhabiting the Mediterranean region in northern Israel

A recent survey of the scorpion fauna in the Mediterranean region of northern Israel, has shown that the desert buthid, Leiurus quinquestriatus, formerly restricted to the arid and semi-arid regions in southern and eastern Israel, has penetrated through the Jordan Valley deep into the Mediterranean region, reaching into the northern Galil Mountains. At the same time, the oakwood scorpionid, Scorpio maurius fuscus, formerly the most abundant scorpion in the Mediterranean region, showed a marked decline in numbers. Various aspects of this apparent colonization and replacement in the scorpion fauna are discussed.     

Melanopsis from the Pleistocene site of 'Ubeidiya, Jordan Valley: direct evidence of early hybridization (Gastropoda: Cerithioidea)

'Ubeidiya is a 1.4 Myr-old Lower-Pleistocene site in the Jordan Valley. Its rich Melanopsis fauna was found to include five species: buccinoidea , costata, turriformis , phanesiana obediensis and multiformis . These species and their conchiometrics are described. M. buccinoidea and costata occur in the Levant also today whereas turriformis , p. obediensis and multiformis are extinct. These findings suggest considerable faunal connections between the Jordan, the Orontes and perhaps also Rodhos during the lower Pleistocene. During the late Miocene, when the Mediterranean Sea level dropped, coastal-plain freshwater habitats could have expanded and Melanopsis species could then have invaded the Rift Valley via coastal rivers. In addition they could have reached later, via the Rift Valley. Species frequencies of Melanopsis throughout 'Ubeidiya suggest three' Melanopsis landscapes': an early period dominated by buccinoidea , a later one by costata and an upper one by p. obediensis . It is reasonable to speculate that the buccinoidea landscape represents a spring or perhaps a deep lake with a nearby stream; the costata landscape a shallow, nonturbulent, well-aerated lake with a slow current; and the p. obediensis landscape a turbulent, well-aerated lake. Intermediates were found between buccinoidea and costata . Their low frequency and their chrono-distribution suggest they are hybrids, rather than evolutionary transitions between species. The 1.4 Myr old fossils of 'Ubeidiya may be the earliest direct evidence of hybridization among molluscs in nature, that is still going on today in the same region and aquatic system, among the same species. The Melanopsis hybrid populations may perhaps act as filters that prevent the introgression of most genes, but allow others to disperse into the range of the parent species. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 75 , 39–57.     

Habitat associations and communities of breeding birds in the highlands of south-west Jordan

Abstract

Habitat associations and communities of breeding birds were studied for the first time in a semi-arid region in the southern highlands of Jordan. Birds were censused and habitat variables estimated in different habitat types, ranging from steppe to open, Mediterranean-type woodland. The variation of abundance of several species was explained adequately with multiple regressions of up to five habitat variables. A distinct bird community was identified by using principal component analysis on the highland plateau (e.g. Short-toed Lark, Isabelline Wheatear), in steppe habitats modified by dry farming methods. The plateau was identified as a transition zone of Palaeoxeric/Turkestanian and Mediterranean faunal types. The remainding cluster included species of diverse origins (Palaearctic, Mediterranean, Saharo-Sindian, Afrotropical and others). It was subdivided into three bird assemblages with preferences for following habitat types: Mediterranean-type open woodlands (e.g. Syrian Serin), dwarf shrub formations of higher altitudes (e.g. Spectacled Warbler), dwarf shrub formations, including clearings and the edge of woodlands at lower altitudes (e.g. Scrub Warbler).     

Assessing bee species richness in two Mediterranean communities: importance of habitat type and sampling techniques

The decline of bees has raised concerns regarding their conservation and the maintenance of ecosystem services they provide to bee-pollinated wild flowers and crops. Although the Mediterranean region is a hotspot for bee species richness, their status remains poorly studied. There is an urgent need for cost-effective, reliable, and unbiased sampling methods that give good bee species richness estimates. This study aims: (a) to assess bee species richness in two common Mediterranean habitat types: semi-natural scrub (phrygana) and managed olive groves; (b) to compare species richness in those systems to that of other biogeographic regions, and (c) to assess whether six different sampling methods (pan traps, variable and standardized transect walks, observation plots and trap nests), previously tested in other European biogeographic regions, are suitable in Mediterranean communities. Eight study sites, four per habitat type, were selected on the island of Lesvos, Greece. The species richness observed was high compared to other habitat types worldwide for which comparable data exist. Pan traps collected the highest proportion of the total bee species richness across all methods at the scale of a study site. Variable and standardized transect walks detected the highest total richness over all eight study sites. Trap nests and observation plots detected only a limited fraction of the bee species richness. To assess the total bee species richness in bee diversity hotspots, such as the studied habitats, we suggest a combination of transect walks conducted by trained bee collectors and pan trap sampling.     

Comparative Patterns of Plant Invasions in the Mediterranean Biome

The objective of this work was to compare and contrast the patterns of alien plant invasions in the world’s five mediterranean-climate regions (MCRs). We expected landscape age and disturbance history to have bearing on levels of invasion. We assembled a database on naturalized alien plant taxa occurring in natural and semi-natural terrestrial habitats of all five regions (specifically Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus from the Mediterranean Basin, California, central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa and Southwestern - SW Australia). We used multivariate (hierarchical clustering and NMDS ordination) trait and habitat analysis to compare characteristics of regions, taxa and habitats across the mediterranean biome. Our database included 1627 naturalized species with an overall low taxonomic similarity among the five MCRs. Herbaceous perennials were the most frequent taxa, with SW Australia exhibiting both the highest numbers of naturalized species and the highest taxonomic similarity (homogenization) among habitats, and the Mediterranean Basin the lowest. Low stress and highly disturbed habitats had the highest frequency of invasion and homogenization in all regions, and high natural stress habitats the lowest, while taxonomic similarity was higher among different habitats in each region than among regions. Our analysis is the first to describe patterns of species characteristics and habitat vulnerability for a single biome. We have shown that a broad niche (i.e. more than one habitat) is typical of naturalized plant species, regardless of their geographical area of origin, leading to potential for high homogenization within each region. Habitats of the Mediterranean Basin are apparently the most resistant to plant invasion, possibly because their landscapes are generally of relatively recent origin, but with a more gradual exposure to human intervention over a longer period.     

Isolated Asian steppe element in the Balkans: habitats of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Proterebia afra</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) and associated butterfly communities

A characteristic butterfly of Asian steppes, Proterebia afra (Fabricius 1787), was studied in its two relic areas of occurrence within the Balkans—the Askion Mts (a single mountain massif in NW Greece) and Dalmatia (karstic inland S Croatia)—together with co-occurring butterfly communities during its early spring adult flight period. P. afra adults tolerate harsh continental conditions prevailing at its localities during its flight. Local densities were higher in the Askion Mts (up to 100 individuals per 50 m walk) than in Dalmatia (up to 30 individuals per 50 m). Within both areas of occurrence, it inhabits dry grasslands subject to intermediate grazing pressure that retains enough dry grass litter but still suppresses shrubs and trees. Hotter slopes are preferred in more northerly Dalmatia than in the more southerly Askion Mts. More co-occurring butterfly species and more Mediterranean species were recorded in the Askion Mts (69 vs 63; 23 vs 12), but more butterfly individuals and higher species’ richness per transect were observed in Dalmatia. In ordination analyses, the main gradients organising the grassland butterfly communities distinguished between grassy plains and rocky slopes containing more woody plants. Given the distribution extents, local densities and present land use conditions, the Balkan P. afra is not currently endangered, but this may swiftly change with grazing abandonment, especially in Dalmatia, and some conservation actions should be considered in the near future.     

Terrestrial isopod diversity in the wadi Moula‐Bouterfess catchment area (Kroumirie,north‐west of Tunisia)

We assessed the diversity of terrestrial isopods according to habitat and altitude in the wadi of Moula‐Bouterfess catchment area. The most representative habitat types for the area were selected within altitudinal range from 6 to 550 m a.s.l. In total nine sites were sampled: four with maquis and garrigue vegetation, one at a meadow and four sites with forest vegetation. In each sampled habitat, individuals were collected by hand in April 2005 using 30 replicates of a quadrate of 0.5 × 0.5 m. During the study, 582 individuals belonging to 11 terrestrial isopod species from five families were collected. Among these, three species were newly mentioned in Tunisia. The genus Armadillidium was the most abundant genus (60% of the total number of collected specimens) and P. variabilis was the most common species as it was sampled in eight of the nine studied habitats. Terrestrial isopod community structure differs among the nine sampling habitats. Abundance and species richness values are low in the different studied habitats. The Shannon–Wiener H′ varied from 0.67 to 2.06. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) applied to our data showed that the majority of terrestrial isopod species seem to be more sensitive to vegetal associations than to altitude. No relationship was found between species richness/diversity (Shannon–Wiener index H’) and altitude. The studied sites were separated into open and closed areas based on the Bray–Curtis index for similarity.     

Response of Orthoptera assemblages to management of montane grasslands in the Western Carpathians

Montane grassy habitats in the Western Carpathians are relatively well preserved, maintain high species richness and are often important in accordance to the nature conservation policy in Europe. However, knowledge about the impact of farming on the habitat quality there is rather poor. The influence of various management types (permanent sheep pen, irregular grazing, mowing) on Orthoptera diversity and species determining assemblages of these habitats were analysed on 72 plots in Poľana Mts Biosphere Reserve. Altogether, 36 Orthoptera species (15 Ensifera, 21 Caelifera) were found, whereas the highest number of species was found on plots with irregular grazing (28 species), followed by plots with mown grass (17) and permanent sheep pens (14). All four measures of the assemblages’ diversity confirmed significant differences. Using Discriminant Function Analysis, correct classification rate of Orthoptera assemblages was unambiguous according to the type of management. Each form of the management harboured several characteristic species. Thus implications regarding the biodiversity conservation and grassland management were given.     

A comparison of the diversity and structure of butterfly communities in semi-natural and human-modified grassland habitats at the foot of Mt. Fuji, central Japan

To examine the effects of human land use and disturbance on butterfly communities we compared the diversity and structure of communities in relatively undisturbed, semi-natural grassland habitats and highly disturbed, human-modified ones. Comparisons were based on transect counts conducted at 6 study sites at the foot of Mt. Fuji in the cool temperate zone of central Japan during 1995. Out of the six community parameters used in the analyses, the species richness, species diversities H and 1/, and dominance indices were significantly different between the two habitat types stated above. That is, butterfly communities in semi-natural habitats had higher species richness and diversity, and lower dominance indices than those in human-modified ones. This suggests that heavy land modification and disturbance to semi-natural habitats change greatly its butterfly community structure, which, indeed, leads to decreasing species richness and diversity mainly due to the loss of species that are confined to semi-natural habitats. Through the comparisons of various species' characteristics, it was found that the species confined to semi-natural habitats had lower population abundance, fewer generations per year, more restricted local distributions, and narrower geographic range size in Japan than the other component species. Based on our results, it is critical that the persistence of the species that are limited to semi-natural habitats be ensured in order to maintain high species richness and diversity in grassland butterfly communities. Thus, conservation plans that retain as much semi-natural habitat as possible within the process of human grassland use, development, and modification are needed.     

Polyphyletic Alyssum cuneifolium (Brassicaceae) revisited: Morphological and genome size differentiation of recently recognized allopatric taxa

Alyssum cuneifolium has been recognized as a perennial alpine species growing in five isolated European mountain ranges: the Pyrenees, Western Alps, Apennines, Pirin Mts and Mt Smolikas. Recent molecular systematic studies revealed that the disjunct populations from distant mountains are not closely related and belong to five independent species: A. cacuminum (Spain, Pyrenees), A. cuneifolium (Italy, Apennines), A. flexicaule (France, Western Alps), A. pirinicum (Bulgaria, Pirin Mts), and A. spruneri (Greece, Mt Smolikas). The present study brings the thorough morphometric analysis of the segregated taxa. We found minor morphological differences between them. Whereas A. pirinicum can be clearly distinguished, the other taxa are recognizable only at the level of population means of investigated characters. The morphological similarity of these distantly related species is obviously the result of adaptation to similar high‐alpine scree habitats. It is not clear, however, whether this adaptation is environmentally controlled or whether it is also genetically fixed and whether it reflects parallel evolution towards similar morphotypes. The observed morphological patterns and their assumed correlation with environmental factors are discussed using examples from other Alyssum taxa. Three different ploidy levels have been reported for the species under study. In the present article, we examine variation in relative nuclear genome size. The Alpine and Pyrenean species have larger relative monoploid genome sizes than the Apennine and Balkan ones, probably reflecting the evolutionary history of the group. A nomenclatural account of the study species is presented, and lectotypes of A. cuneifolium and of two other names are selected.     

Effects of deforestation on structure and diversity of small mammal communities in the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts (Czech Republic)

During 1970s and 1980s, a large area of mountains in the Czech Republic was influenced by long-term industrial air pollution. Among the most degraded areas were the peaks of the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts, where vast clearings resulted from emissions and subsequent forest destruction. This study is aimed at determining the degree of deforestation that is necessary to cause changes in structure and species diversity of small mammal communities that were observed previously. Communities of rodents and insectivores were monitored for a minimum of 3 years at two mountain ranges of the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts (Czech Republic) by standard mouse snap-traps. The localities (Smrk and Kněhyně) differ by the degree of human disturbance. Clearings on Smrk Mt are very large (> 30 ha) with no remaining original forest growth as a result of intensive air pollution, unlike the same habitat type at Kněhyně Mt, where the clearings are minor (< 3 ha) and contain living solitary trees. Structure and diversity of small mammal communities in clearings were compared with those from original forests and other mountain habitats. Communities of small mammals at clearings in Smrk Mt (with dominatingMicrotus agrestis) are structurally very different from all other habitats, while structure of communities at Kněhyně clearings are very similar to those of original mountain forest (Complete linkage clustering based on Renkonen index). The community of the original mountain spruce forest at Kněhyně had the highest species diversity (according to Shannon-Weaver, Brillouin, and Simpson indices, Shannon evenness, and rarefaction), while species diversity at clearings of Smrk was the lowest. Shannon diversity of community at Kněhyně primeval forest is similar to that of Kněhyně clearings, while at Smrk Mt the forest diversity is higher than that of clearings. The species diversity of mountain forest and clearings at Kněhyně Mt was significantly higher than that in the same habitats at Smrk Mt. Our results obtained in disturbed habitats at Kněhyně and Smrk Mts suggest that the degree of deforestation may influence the presence and/or the degree of community changes. If the forest destruction is relatively small (clearings < 3 ha), the structure and diversity of small mammal communities do not differ from those of original forest.     

Effects of natural and seminatural elements on the composition and dispersion of carabid beetles inhabiting an agroecosystem in Northern Italy

The natural and seminatural components of agricultural landscapes play a key role in maintaining a high level of biodiversity. Being the Po Valley one of the most human‐dominated and intensively cultivated landscapes in Europe, we investigated the effect of no‐crop habitats on carabid richness and composition and evaluated the role of tree row as corridor for forest carabid dispersion. Carabids were sampled with 70 pitfall traps arranged in 35 sampling plots along three parallel transects (80, 100, and 140 m long) and encompassing five different habitats: tree row, tree row edge, grassland, forest edge, and forest. We found 5,615 individuals belonging to 55 species. Despite the similarity in species richness, all the habitats investigated showed a peculiar and distinct species assemblage. The main distinction was between the "open habitat" cluster composed of grassland and tree row edge and the “forest" cluster composed of forest, tree row, and forest edge. We found that forest species are able to penetrate the grassland matrix up to 30 m from the forest edge and that a distance of no more than 60 m between tree row and forest can allow the passage of up to 50% of the forest species. Beyond this distance, the grassland matrix becomes a barrier, preventing them from reaching other suitable habitats. Our findings confirm the importance of maintaining different types of natural habitats to significantly increase biodiversity in an intensively cultivated agroecosystem and demonstrated the role of linear elements as a corridor and “stepping stones” for many forest species.     

The preservation value of a tiny sacred forest of the oak Quercus calliprinos and the impact of livestock presence

Small holy woods protected for centuries for cultural purposes may have conservation value for small animals, despite their tiny sizes. To verify this hypothesis we used transects to quantified ants in a small sacred forest in a hot Mediterranean region, and the impact of cattle presence in part of it. We hypothesized that it should be mainly inhabited by species having a northern temperate distribution. We detected ants belonging to 39 species including 15 new species for the region. As expected, the majority of them had Palearctic distribution, while others were endemic to the Levant. All of them were known to live in regions with temperate climate. The presence of cattle did not statistically impact on either the number of species or on their biodiversity indices: the average number of ant species per transect was 21 ± 4.6 (SD) in the presence of cows and 23 ± 4.8 in their absence. As hypothesized, the main impact of cattle was on community composition: in the presence of cattle more species were specialists for, or tolerant to, disturbed habitats, resulting in a relatively low Jaccard coefficient of similarity between the two parts of the forest (S_j = 0.56). In conclusion, this small sacred forest, protected for centuries, facilitates the conservation of a great number of shade-loving ant species in a hot region by providing suitable habitats, but the presence of livestock reduces the conservation value of the forest by promoting ant species tolerant to disturbed habitats.     

Development,reproductive capacity and diet of the Mediterranean grasshopper Arcyptera brevipennis vicheti Harz 1975 (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acrididae: Gomphocerinae)

Arcyptera brevipennis vicheti Harz 1975 (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is a rare grasshopper native to Mediterranean grassland habitats in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. Changes in land-use have modified these unique habitats, thus threatening the survival of A. b. vicheti populations. To improve the conservation of this species this study aimed to describe important aspects of its biology and ecology. Development of nymphs passed through five instars after hatching and was closely associated with the Mediterranean spring season. A prominent sexual size dimorphism is highlighted, but the larger females developed in the same number of instars as males. Hind femur length and number of antenna segments were useful characters when distinguishing between nymphal instars. All individuals were brachypterous, indicating that A. b. vicheti is unable to fly. Adult females laid 15 eggs on average and deposited no more than two egg pods in their lifetime. Grass debris made up 93% of faecal content of both sexes. Our results provide valuable information for the conservation of this highly endangered grasshopper species.     

The role of linear mown firebreaks in conserving butterfly diversity: Effects of adjacent vegetation and management

Semi‐natural grasslands are vital for maintaining grassland butterflies in Japan, as well as in Europe. However, severe decline in these grassland environments has recently attracted attention to linear grasslands, such as firebreaks and power‐line corridors, as alternative habitats for grassland insects. We surveyed butterflies in an abandoned grassland and nearby linear mown firebreaks adjacent to different vegetation at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, central Japan, over 5 successive years, particularly focusing on species on the 2012 Japanese Red List of Threatened Species (“red‐list” species). We found that the firebreaks were consistently higher in species richness and abundance of butterflies than the long‐term abandoned grassland, and that species composition differed among the firebreaks depending on conditions of the adjacent vegetation. The firebreaks surrounded by forests were mainly utilized by forest and edge species, whereas the firebreaks adjacent to the grassland were essential for conserving red‐list grassland species. Thus, only the mown firebreaks adjacent to the grassland were regarded as a high‐quality alternative habitat for many grassland butterflies, but the area was limited. Therefore, creating heterogeneity in the abandoned grassland by infrequent mowing could help conserve grassland butterflies, including red‐list species.     

Seven new species of Oculatella (Pseudanabaenales,Cyanobacteria): taxonomically recognizing cryptic diversification

A total of 27 strains of Oculatella were isolated, characterized and sequenced, and analysed phylogenetically with an additional environmental clone from the Atacama Desert and 10 strains isolated and sequenced by others. The strains were clearly separated based upon phylogenetic analyses conducted with a concatenated alignment of the 16S rRNA and 16S-23S ITS region of the ribosomal operons in the genus Oculatella. Differences in secondary structure of the conserved domains of the ITS region, as well as comparative analysis of P-distance among ITS regions, served to separate the strains into distinct taxonomic units. Seven new species of Oculatella were described, including four from arid to semi-arid soils (O. atacamensis, O. mojaviensis, O. coburnii, O. neakameniensis) and three from more mesic habitats, including a temperate lake (O. hafneriensis), a desert waterfall (O. cataractarum) and a Hawaiian sea cave (O. kauaiensis). The soil forms show statistically significant morphological differences, but the ranges overlap to a degree that they are not diagnosable by morphology, and these four cryptic species are characterized here using molecular characters. The more mesic species, including the type species from Mediterranean hypogea, O. subterranea, are all morphologically distinct from each other and from all four soil taxa. This report is the first to use solely molecular criteria to distinguish cryptic species of cyanobacteria.     

The distribution of phlebotomine sandflies in the principal ecological zones of Jordan

A survey of the sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Jordan increased the number of species known from the country from three to thirteen. Composition of the phlebotomine fauna and the relative abundance of sandfly species differ among the six climatic zones, with a general distinction between the dry desert zones and the more humid Mediterranean zones. Species of Phlebotomus predominate in the former and Sergentomyia in the latter. Within the desert zone some species are restricted to the eastern desert and others to the Jordan Valley in the west.     

The persistence of calcareous grassland species in the soil seed bank under developing and established scrub

The relationships between the composition of the soil seed bank, the field layer vegetation, and the scrub canopy were investigated along a 69 m transect, grading from incipient woodland, through scrub, into intensively rabbit-grazed calcareous grassland. The results are used to assess the persistence of species associated with open calcareous grassland in the seed bank under developing scrub. Scrub age, composition and density, changed along the transect from the woodland to open grassland. A total of 35 forb and grass species were found in the field layer. The pattern evident in the scrub layer was also reflected in the herbaceous vegetation. The field layer in the most closed portion of the transect, where the scrub was oldest, was dominated by shade-tolerant species normally associated with woodland habitats. The abundance of these species decreased along the transect as the scrub age declined, and the field layer became increasingly dominated by species typical of open grassland. A total of 47 species germinated from the seed bank. Few species were recorded in the seed bank along the entire length of the transect. Overall, the seed bank was dominated by Hypericum perforatum and Centaurium erythraea, which accounted for 38.2% and 28.6% of emerging seedlings respectively. As with a number of similar studies, the composition of the seed bank had a low correspondence with the composition of the field layer vegetation. The results also emphasise that the composition of the seed bank can be viewed as an ecological palimpsest, with germinable seed of species from each stage of the old-field succession occurring in the soil. The seed bank is an important component in the re-vegetation of an area after disturbance such as scrub removal. This study supports the findings of previous research in showing that relatively few characteristic calcareous grassland species form persistent seed banks. The soil seed bank would therefore appear to be of limited value in the restoration of such grassland following scrub removal.     

Vegetation shift after a clear-cut of non-native dwarf pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus mugo</Emphasis>)

Dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) is a shrubby, polycormon-forming woody light-demanding species in the Central-European mountains, but it is non-native in the Jeseniky Mts. (the Hercynian Mts., the Czech Republic). Dwarf pine was introduced there at the nineteenth century, and its range expansion was the reason for the removal of this species by a small-scale clear-cut (locality Keprnik Mt.). The effect of the clear-cutting was recorded by means of phytosociological relevés, and three distinct habitats (alpine grasslands, dwarf pine plantation, clear-cut) were compared 6 years after the dwarf pine removal. On the clear-cut area, the highest species diversity was documented, invasive species were missing there, but plant composition remained transitional and expansive graminoids prevailed. Vegetation shifts denoted environmental changes that were attributed to post-management processes and particular plant attributes. That should be taken into account when planning future large-scale management.     

Guinean biodiversity at the edge: Rodents in forest patches of southern Mali

Southern Mali mainly belongs to the Sudanian savanna bioclimatic zone, but forest patches showing botanical affinities with Guinean humid forest remain as gallery forests or ravine forests. To characterize the rodent diversity of this area and check for the presence of some species of Guinean affinities in this group, rodent assemblages were sampled in four regions of southern Mali, using trapping and observational data in forest and surrounding habitats. Twenty-four species were recorded, comprising a representative sample of the expected overall diversity in this group according to rarefaction curves. Praomys rostratus was the dominant species in the most humid, closed lowland forest. Praomys daltoni was also present in this habitat type, being all the more abundant as habitat degradation was apparent. It became the dominant species in ravine forest on rocky substrate where P. rostratus was completely absent. In Sudanian savanna habitats and in herbaceous and cultivated areas, Mastomys erythroleucus dominated a diverse rodent community. A few species were found that testified for Guinean affinities of the most humid forest patches, especially in the extreme southeast of the country (region of Sikasso). Rodent assemblages of the Bafing and Mts Mandingues areas, in the western part of the study area, showed the highest similarity, in relation with environmental characteristics of this region representing an extension of the Fouta Djallon plateau in Guinea. The results obtained highlight the high biodiversity value of this forest-savanna mosaic, and provide new arguments in favour of the preservation of West African forest patches and their surrounding habitats.