Small mammals at the edge of deforestation in Cambodia: Transient community dynamics and potential pathways to pathogen emergence

SCIENCE FOR SOCIETY When a forest is cut down to make way for agriculture, animal communities face abrupt upheaval. As society grapples with the intertwined challenges of land -use change, biodiversity loss, and emerging infectious diseases, understanding these dynamics becomes crucial. We sampled small mammal communities in deforestation sites in Cambodia and found that the deforestation process results in a rapid and near -total turnover in small mammal species, new interaction between species in disturbed areas, and increased and fluctuating densities of rodents near agriculture. Why should we care? Because rodent community changes open new avenues for the transfer of pathogens between species that would not usually interact. These rodents can act as bridges for pathogens-once deep in the forest-to reach human settlements. As crop fields replace forests, we are not just losing trees and wildlife, we may also be unknowingly inviting new health risks into our communities.