A Comparison of Diversity for Non-volant Small Mammal between High and Low Altitudes in Laojunshan Nature Reserve

The richness and diversity of small mammal species vary along altitudinal gradients.To prove this view,I studied small mammal species in two sites at different altitudes in Laojunshan Nature Reserve of Sichuan province,western China from April to July 2005.Results indicated that 198 specimens representing non-volant small mammal species were collected in 2 400 traps,with a total trap success of about 8.3%.In total,ten species of non-volant small mammals including 4 insectivora and 6 rodents were captured in both altitudes.Eothenomys melanogaster was the most abundant species and Anourosorex squamipes was the next most abundant species during the study.Niviventer confucianus was the rarest species.Air temperature of high altitude was lower than that of low altitude,but differences from numbers to diversity of non-volant small mammals between the two altitudes remained non-significant.