Small terrestrial mammals (Rodentia and Soricomorpha) along a gradient of forest anthropisation (reserves, managed forests, urban parks) in France

Abstract

Understanding the relationships between wildlife biodiversity and zoonotic infectious diseases in a changing climate is a challenging issue that scientists must address to support further policy actions. We aim at tackling this challenge by focusing on small mammal-borne diseases in temperate forests and large urban green spaces. Small mammals are important reservoirs of zoonotic agents, with a high transmission potential for humans and domestic animals. Forests and large urban green spaces are ecosystems where efforts are undertaken to preserve biodiversity. They are put forward for their contribution to human well-being in addition to other ecosystem services (e.g. provisioning and regulating services). Moreover, forests and large urban green spaces are environments where small mammals are abundant and human/domestic-wildlife interactions are plausible to occur. These environments are, therefore, focal points for conservation management and public health issues. The European Biodiversa BioRodDis project (https://www6.inrae.fr/biodiversa-bioroddis) aims at better understanding the relationships between small terrestrial mammal biodiversity and health in the context of global change and, in particular, of forest anthropisation and urbanisation. Here, we present the data gathered in France. The dataset will enable us to describe the diversity of small terrestrial mammal communities in forested areas corresponding to different levels of anthropisation and to evaluate the variability of this diversity over time, between seasons and years. The dataset contains occurrences of small terrestrial mammals (Rodentia and Soricomorpha) trapped in forested areas in eastern France (administrative Departments: Rhône, Ain, Jura). The sampling sites correspond to different degrees of anthropisation. Forests included in biological reserves are the least anthropised sites. Then, public forests and urban parks experience increasing levels of anthropisation. Data were collected during spring and autumn 2020 (three to four sampling sites), 2021 (six sampling sites) and 2022 (four sampling sites). These variations in the number of sites between years were due to lockdown restrictions in 2020 or to the legal authorisation to trap around biological reserves granted in 2021 only. The capture of animals was carried out in various types of forests (pine, deciduous, mixed) and in different habitats within urban parks (wooded areas, buildings, hay storage yards, riverside vegetation, restaurants, playground for kids, botanical garden, landfills). Animals were captured using live traps that were set on the ground for one to 11 nights. During this study period, 1593 small mammals were trapped and identified. They belong to 15 species, amongst which were nine species of rodents (Muridae, Cricetidae, Gliridae) and six species of shrews (Soricidae). They were weighted (gram) and measured (cm): head-body length, tail length and hind-foot length. Sexual characteristics were also recorded.

Shrews Under-Represented in Fruit Farms and Homesteads

“…The hostility of anthropogenic environments, such as urban habitats, is compensated by changes in Soricidae behavior, such as increased boldness and high individual variation in aggression [ 78 ]. The presence of suitable habitats is of primary importance in the anthropization gradient, but these habitats in urbanized areas create opportunities for contact and interaction between humans or domestic animals with wild animals [ 79 ]. Shrews can be found in very unusual habitats, including airport fields: at Chisinau airport in Moldova, one shrew species was recorded from three species found in the adjacent area [ 80 ].…”

Prevalence, genetic diversity and eco-epidemiology of pathogenic Leptospira species in small mammal communities in urban parks Lyon city, France

“…All information about trapping and dissection methods of small mammals are detailed in Pradel et al [ 28 ]. Briefly, the animals were trapped alive in two different ways: either from lines of 20 traps set for the capture of small mammals (11 lines in the urban park and 10 lines in the peri-urban park), or from metal mesh traps set opportunistically for rats.…”

“…The location of the traps remained the same throughout the study, which consisted of 5 trapping sessions (3 springs and 2 autumns). Small mammal species were identified using morphological criteria in the field and molecular methods, when necessary, as described by Pradel et al [ 28 ]. Animals were euthanized and dissected aseptically, according to the protocols described in Herbreteau et al [ 29 ].…”

Exploring the potential effects of forest urbanization on the interplay between small mammal communities and their gut microbiota

“…The distance between these two parks is approximately 20 km, and they are both around 150 km away from the two forested sites. More detailed information concerning the sampling design, capture results, and individual information were detailed in Pradel et al [ 75 ]. Sexual maturity was determined a posteriori based on morphological and sexual characters.…”

“…Sexual maturity was determined a posteriori based on morphological and sexual characters. Animal trapping and sample collection were conducted according the EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments, as described in Pradel et al [ 75 ].…”