Researchers at Stanford University have found that modern communities of small mammals
Zoologists examined small mammals in threedifferent zones, differing in the level of human impact on the habitat of animals. A reserve, a student observatory and a university campus were chosen for the study. Scientists have studied thousands of bones and teeth of small modern mammals and the remains of ancient inhabitants of the same zones.
The study showed that since the beginning of the Anthropocenethe diversity of small animals has been greatly reduced. At the same time, it decreases with the growth of human impact on the environment. In addition, the composition of modern communities is significantly different from those that lived about 500 years ago. The study also showed that even small protected areas can preserve local communities of small mammals.
The Anthropocene is a conventional geological period on Earth associated with the active human impact on ecosystems, rapid climate change, pollution and landscape change.It is conventionally dated from the 1950s to the present day.
Small mammals such as rats andshrews are ideal objects for spatiotemporal research. Due to the population size, small individual geographic range and specific habitat, these animals quickly respond to changes, which makes them good indicators of the state of the ecosystem. They also have a low extinction rate due to their high fecundity, abundance and growth rate. Therefore, they have remained stable for thousands of years.
Although communities of smallmammals are quite resistant to extinction, they can be changed by anthropogenic impact and environmental changes. Tracking the diversity of small mammals across spatiotemporal gradients can reveal the extent of human impact on all living beings.
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