We recorded all large and medium sized mammals
encountered during the bird transect surveys. However,
the main data source for mammals was track counts.
Track counts have been used as indices of abundance
for species that are difficult to observe on the assumption that track counts are related to population size in a
linear, or at least a monotonic, fashion (Wemmer et al.,
1996). In this study, ‘‘track recording stations’’, areas
51 m on the ground where litter was cleared and soil
tilled to create a soft zone for recording foot prints,
were established at 20–25 m intervals for every 100 m
along the transect. There were 40 stations in each patch.
Each was re-tilled after the tracks had been recorded. T-
tests were used to test the null hypothesis that there was
no significant difference of track abundance in each
mammal species between high and low fragmented/disturbed landscapes.