MAMMAL DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION IN A SMALL ISOLATED FOREST OF SOUTHERN THAILAND

Knowledge of the presence and distribution of species is crucial for designing and evaluating conservation strategies within a region. We conducted a camera-trapping survey of terrestrial mammal and bird diversity in a small isolated forest of southern Thailand over 3 yr. A total of 15 camera traps, which accumulated 11,106 camera-days, were set in three forest types: primary, logged, and hill forests. Despite its small size, isolation, and surrounding agricultural areas, a total of 35 mammal species, eight bird species, and one reptile species were recorded in the forest system. The total number of species photographed was similar among forest types (26-30 species), and rarefaction curves of each forest did not indicate any differences in the relationship between sampling effort and recorded species richness. As the activity period of these animals does not appear to be affected by human activities, we believe that the effect of direct poaching on large mammals in the study area is negligible. Although we did not observe any previously unrecorded animals in our study site, our fi ndings are very valuable and point to the importance of biodiversity conservation efforts in these small fragmented and human-modifi ed forest landscapes.