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<p>In recent years, infrastructure projects have increasingly focused on sustainable development considerations, including hydroelectric projects. Despite this sustainability narrative, dam development often results in substantial forest loss, landscape alteration, and habitat degradation. Although these impacts are recognized, the sequential effects of dam development phases on non-volant small mammals (NVSM) remain poorly studied, despite this group being vulnerable due to their limited dispersal ability and small home ranges. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of changes in NVSM assemblages across the pre-logging (PL), logging (LG), and construction (CS) phases of a hydrodam development in Peninsular Malaysia, based on multi-year cage-trapping data (2022–2025) collected from the same forest sites. Hill numbers were highest during the PL phase and lowest during the LG phase, with partial recovery during the CS phase. Disturbance-tolerant species, particularly Malayan Field Rat (<i>Rattus tiomanicus</i>), increased markedly during the LG phase. In contrast, forest-associated species such as the Shrew-faced Ground Squirrel (<i>Rhinosciurus laticaudatus</i>), and habitat generalist such as Common Treeshrew (<i>Tupaia glis</i>) declined but persisted at lower abundances within the remaining forest during the CS phase. Insectivore-omnivores, arboreal, terrestrial, and larger body-size species declined during LG, while frugivore-omnivores and scansorial species increased. These patterns indicate that habitat disturbance disproportionately benefits disturbance-tolerant species while negatively affecting insectivorous, large-sized, forest-associated, as well as generalist species during land clearing. Conservation strategies should prioritise the retention of key habitat patches, maintenance of landscape connectivity, and long-term monitoring to minimise biodiversity loss, especially for forest-associated NVSMs during large-scale infrastructure development.</p>

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Impacts of infrastructure development on taxonomic and functional diversity of non-volant small mammals

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • Ummi Nur Syafiqah Daud,
  • Muhammad Iqbal Md. Jamaluddin,
  • Nor Adibah Ismail,
  • Nurfatin Batrisyia Md. Ali,
  • Noor Fatihah Najihah Arazmi,
  • Norfazliyana Nordin,
  • Saiful Hilmi Jamal Shuhaily,
  • Fudzla Zulfa Khiruddin,
  • Amirul Haikal Zainal,
  • Shukor Md. Nor,
  • Aisah Shukor,
  • Mohammad Saiful Mansor

摘要

In recent years, infrastructure projects have increasingly focused on sustainable development considerations, including hydroelectric projects. Despite this sustainability narrative, dam development often results in substantial forest loss, landscape alteration, and habitat degradation. Although these impacts are recognized, the sequential effects of dam development phases on non-volant small mammals (NVSM) remain poorly studied, despite this group being vulnerable due to their limited dispersal ability and small home ranges. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of changes in NVSM assemblages across the pre-logging (PL), logging (LG), and construction (CS) phases of a hydrodam development in Peninsular Malaysia, based on multi-year cage-trapping data (2022–2025) collected from the same forest sites. Hill numbers were highest during the PL phase and lowest during the LG phase, with partial recovery during the CS phase. Disturbance-tolerant species, particularly Malayan Field Rat (Rattus tiomanicus), increased markedly during the LG phase. In contrast, forest-associated species such as the Shrew-faced Ground Squirrel (Rhinosciurus laticaudatus), and habitat generalist such as Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis) declined but persisted at lower abundances within the remaining forest during the CS phase. Insectivore-omnivores, arboreal, terrestrial, and larger body-size species declined during LG, while frugivore-omnivores and scansorial species increased. These patterns indicate that habitat disturbance disproportionately benefits disturbance-tolerant species while negatively affecting insectivorous, large-sized, forest-associated, as well as generalist species during land clearing. Conservation strategies should prioritise the retention of key habitat patches, maintenance of landscape connectivity, and long-term monitoring to minimise biodiversity loss, especially for forest-associated NVSMs during large-scale infrastructure development.