Mammal diversity in natural and restored forest in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai Province

Forest areas in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, have been converted to farmlands, causing the area to deteriorate and affecting wildlife habitats. Various organizations are working to restore the area. The effectiveness of the restoration program must then be monitored. This study aimed to investigate and compare the diversity of mammals and their frequency of detection (FD) in natural and restored forests in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province. From February to December 2021, cameras were installed in the three study areas: natural forest, Mon Cham restored forest, and Mon Long restored forest, which accounted for 1,026 trap nights per forest. Twelve mammal species from eight families and three orders were discovered in the natural forest. The Large Indian Civet (Viverra zibetha) had the highest FD value of 4.09. Six species from five families and one order were recorded in the Mon Cham restored forest. The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) had the highest frequency of entering with an FD of 0.88. As for the Mon Long restored forest, the study found seven mammal species from five families and four orders where Northern Treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri) had the highest detection frequency, with an FD of 0.39. The similarity of mammal species found in the natural forest and Mon Cham restored forest equals 67%, the natural forest and Mon Long restored forests equals 32%, and 46% between Mon Cham and Mon Long restored forest. The findings show that forest restoration provides habitats for local mammals, and the presence of seed dispersers implies the area's potential to undergo natural regeneration.