Abundance of bank vole (Myodes glareolus Schreb.) as an indicative factor of different forest structure and management in the Drava plain region

Abstract

Differences in demographical patterns of the bank vole, Myodes glareolus Schreb. population, a frequent rodent species in the Drava plain region, were analysed through spatial and seasonal changes of survival and capture probability as well as through habitat dependence of abundance. As part of the Croatian-Hungarian interregional programme (DRAVA-INTERECO), small mammal population level monitoring was performed during 2007 applying the capture-mark-recapture method. Trapping sessions were implemented in three forest habitats with different vegetation structure, two sample areas in Lankoci forest, Hungary (protected old forest and reforested habitat) and one sample plot in Repaš forest, Croatia (habitat under forestry management) during a period of four months (July-October). The bank vole was an eudominant species in the three investigated habitats. The POPAN formulation of Jolly-Seber models was used to perform the comparative estimates of bank vole population traits. Based on model selection, the first two best candidate models supported our hypothesis that survival and abundance were influenced by forest age and structure. Our results confirmed that the bank vole is an appropriate indicator species to evaluate the population-level responses to the changes of forest structure and management.

A cickányok élőhelyhasználatának vizsgálata, akusztikus elkülönítésük lehetőségei

“…A cickányok denzitása Kis-Balatonon viszonylag magas más hazai élőhelyekhez képest (Cserkész 2010, Horváth et al 2012b. A kapott adatok összehasonlítása más publikált adatokkal nagyon nehéz.…”