Population fluctuations and community structure of small mammals in a Swaziland grassland over a three-year period

Small mammals were live-trapped monthly over a three-year period in a subtropical grassland in Swaziland. Seven species of small mammals were recorded from the study grid. There were significant seasonal and inter-annual differences in rodent numbers, breeding intensity and community structure. .Mastomys natalensis was numerically dominant throughout most of the study period, but its numbers fluctuated widely and without a seasonal basis. Numbers of Lemniscomys rosalia and Mus minutoides also fluctuated widely, but both species tended to be more numerous in the dry winter months. A large proportion of the adult M. natalensis,L. rosalia and Steatomys pratensis were reproductively active in the first breeding season of the study, but breeding intensity decreased sharply in the second and third breeding seasons Species richness and diversity also fluctua