Tropical regions are understudied when compared to temperate zones, although they harbour most of the world’s biodiversity. Additionally, within these regions some groups of organisms, like small mammals, are rarely studied, even though they represent an important part of the local ecosystem, serving as dispersers, predators and prey.

My dissertation work aims to understand the impact of agricultural management practices on terrestrial small mammals in southern Mexico. More specifically, I am conducting research in forest fragments and surrounding coffee farms. These farms represent different management practices, such as, sun coffee, shaded polycultures, and rustic (e.g., bird-friendly) coffee farms. In my research, I have found that there are limitations to dispersal in these landscapes. However, the interpretation of these results is limited by the fact that not much is known about the ecology and dynamics of small mammals in their natural habitat, i.e. continuous forests.

This project will address this gap in knowledge and allow me to measure the effects of managed landscapes on small mammals and to develop informed conservation strategies. At the same time, it will generate information about the small mammal communities in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, which have been rarely studied.