Habitat associations of small mammals in farmed landscapes: implications for agri-environmental schemes

Abstract

The small mammal community in 21 localities of north-western Spain was evaluated in the light of land use composition. The two geomorphologic categories characterising the study area, the main use of the land (arable/pastoral) and main crop types of each sampling locality were used as potential predictors of the relative abundance of five common small mammal species. The Common vole, Microtus arvalis showed a weak relationship with land uses, probably due to the recent colonisation process this species experienced in the study area. The relative abundance of the Algerian mouse, Mus spretus and the Lusitanian pine vole, Microtus lusitanicus was best explained by models built at the broadest regional scale, the former being more abundant in the eastern area, the latter in the western area. The Greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula showed a positive relationship with grassland coverage, whilst the Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus benefited from increasing proportions of fallow lands within the landscape. These two species are then expected to respond positively to those agri-environmental schemes including the increase of fallows and grassy vegetation within the arable landscape (EU recommendations). However, further efforts are needed to predict, at least qualitatively, the response of other small mammal species to the changing farmed landscape. This is especially true for two endemic species occurring at this area: the Cabrera vole, Microtus cabrerae and the Lusitanian pine vole, and for which this kind of information is almost absent.

Investigating the relationship between the prey composition of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) and the habitat structure of their hunting range in the Marcal Basin (Hungary), based on pellet analysis

“…However, such studies should not ignore the seasonal dynamics of small mammals, the population outbreaks, and the fact that Barn Owls can show prey preference during hunting (Tores et al 2005, Askew et al 2007, Meek et al 2012. The structure of small mammal communities is also influenced by the landscape (Torre et al 2015), therefore, the results of pellet analysis can be used for the description of the landscape (Heisler et al 2016), moreover the changes in land use can be detected by using data of long-term owl pellet analysis (Cooke et al 1996, de la Peña et al 2003, Rodríguez & Peris 2007.…”

Food-niche pattern of the Barn Owl(Tyto alba)in intensively cultivated agricultural landscape

“…Barn Owl (Tyto alba) as cosmopolitan nocturnal predator occurs worldwide in most open lands and farmlands (de Bruijn 1994, Taylor 1994, Charter et al 2009, Frey et al 2011) and its diet composition is influenced by the fluctuation of prey populations (Campbell et al 1987, Taylor 1994, Bernard et al 2010, Paspali et al 2013, climatic factors (Clark & Bunck 1991, Avery 1999, Heisler et al 2014, and change of land use and landscape composition (Rodríguez & Peris 2007, Milchev 2015, Veselovský et al 2017.…”

The prey composition of the Barn Owl(Tyto alba)with respect to landscape structure of its hunting area (Zala County, Hungary)

“…Upon long-term studies of their diet content spatial and temporal changes of the small mammal composition in their hunting area can be detected (Bunn et al 1982, Tores et al 2005). This method is also suitable for detecting the effect of land use changes on small mammal communities (Cooke et al 1996, de la Peña et al 2003, Rodríguez & Peris 2007.…”