Biodiversity loss in a gradient of urbanization: rodent community structure in a subtropical area of Northern Argentina.

This article examines how urbanization affects small rodent community structure across a gradient of urbanization levels in the Iguazú Department of Misiones, Argentina, within the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion. Using extensive live-trapping from 2017 to 2020, the study found that rodent species richness and native species presence decline with increasing urbanization, with natural protected areas hosting the highest diversity dominated by the native Akodon montensis, while urban areas were inhabited only by two commensal exotic species, Rattus rattus and Mus musculus. The research highlights that urbanization leads to habitat homogenization and exclusion of native species, favoring commensal rodents that pose ecological and health risks. These findings underscore the importance of conserving ecotones and managing habitat modification to preserve native biodiversity in biodiversity hotspots facing rapid urban growth.