2.2 Sampling of small mammals
Small mammals, including glires (Rodentia and Lagomorpha) and
insectivores (Eulipotyphla), were sampled seven times in the three
forest types from 2017 to 2020 (four surveys in the Meigu Dafengding
Nature Reserve and three surveys in the Heizhugou Nature Reserve).
During each survey, three sample sites were placed at 2200 m, 2600 m,
and 3000 m a.s.l. for each forest type (a total of 54 sample sites), and
each sample sites were at least 500 m away from each other. In June
2017, September 2017, March 2018 and June
2018,
27 sample sites were set in Meigu Dafengding
Nature Reserve. In April 2020, July
2020, and October 2020, 27 sample sites were set in Heizhugou Nature
Reserve.
At each sample site, 49 trap stations were evenly spaced in seven rows
and spaced 5 m apart, with each station consisting of a snap trap (155 ×
85 mm). Two additional trap stations consisting of two plastic buckets
(450 × 300 mm) and one plastic sheet (8 × 1 m) were set up at each site.
The plastic sheet was fixed vertically to the ground and perpendicular
to other sheets, and the two plastic buckets were buried at each end of
the plastic sheet (Liang, Dai, & Li, 2008). We used fresh peanuts as
the bait for snap traps which were during the following morning (8:00
am-11:00 am). Each bucket was filled with 300–500 ml of water to
prevent small mammals from escaping. All traps were set for three
consecutive days at each site. Our manipulation was in accordance with
the National Wildlife Conservation Law of China.
All captured individuals were measured, and
we recorded information of body
length (mm), body mass (g), ear length (mm), tail length (mm), sex, and
hind foot length (mm). All tissues
and specimens were deposited at the Nature Museum of Sichuan University.
The taxonomic system used in this study followed that for China’s
mammals diversity and geographic distribution
(Jiang
et al., 2015).