scholarly journals Indirect effects of a large mammalian herbivore on small mammal populations: Context-dependent variation across habitat types, mammal species, and seasons

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (23) ◽  
pp. 12115-12125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor D. Ellis ◽  
J. Hall Cushman

Check List ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Geise ◽  
Roberta Paresque ◽  
Harley Sebastião ◽  
Leila T. Shirai ◽  
Diego Astúa ◽  
...  

We report the results of a terrestrial small mammal survey at one National Park in the northeastern Brazil, in the state of Pernambuco. The Catimbau National Park is located within the Caatinga domain with the characteristic thorn scrub vegetation. Our sampling encompasses several different vegetation/habitat types within the park area. All specimens collected were prepared as vouchers to be deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo. Karyotypes were obtained for all representative purported species collected. We report here the results of this first survey – two species of marsupials and seven of rodents - and added new occurrence localities for several small mammal species of this region, provide karyotypic information and register an undescribed species of arboreal rat of the genus Rhipidomys. This survey illustrates the need for extensive and planned sampling of the Caatinga domain.



2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-43
Author(s):  
Dávid Szép ◽  
Ákos Klein ◽  
Jenő J. Purger

Abstract Little was known about the small mammal fauna of the Marcal Basin to date, therefore we collected 1,144 Barn Owl pellets from 15 locations in 2017. After the analysis of the pellets, remnants of 3,063 prey items were identified, of which 97.5% were small mammals, belonging to 21 species, while the remaining 2.5% were birds, frogs and insects. Mammal prey items consisted of Cricetidae 41%, Muridae 31% and Soricidae 28%, and in some samples, we found the remnants of European Mole (Talpa europaea), Kuhl’s Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii), Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) and Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis). Small mammal species were classified into four functional groups based on their preferences for urban, open, forest or wetland habitats. We investigated whether their relative abundances match with the proportions of the four habitat types in the assumed Barn Owl hunting ranges (cca. 2 km radius circle) in five sample sites. The relative abundance of small mammal species preferring urban habitats showed concordance with the proportion of the appropriate habitat types in the hunting area in two samples, while such concordance was proved for species favouring open, forest and wetland habitats just in one out of five samples. Small mammal functional groups represented in the prey composition do not directly correspond to the proportion of their typical habitats. We conclude that the abundance of various prey types is not suitable for characterising the landscape within the Barn Owl’s hunting range.



Author(s):  
Adam, L. I. ◽  

The study was carried out to assess a Checklist of avifauna and small mammal species along Bade catchment area of Yobe State, Nigeria. Preliminary survey was conducted around the river, three (3) habitat types were identified; (river bank, farm lands and flood plain). The line transect was 8 km in length. Two (2) transects were established per habitat type, making a total of six (6) transects. The transects were 100 m apart to the left or right in order to avoid double counting of species. A distance of 200m was maintained between each habitat. The data obtained were analyses using descriptive statistics (Frequency tables and Charts were used to portrayed the findings. The result of the study; showed that a total of 50 bird species in 28 families were recorded. RB had the highest individuals of Fifty (50) species while FP has the lowest with ten (10) species. The Bird family Columbidae has the highest number with six (6) of species, while the lowest were Ardeidae, Sturnidae and Tytonidae with one species in each of the habitat types. However, checklist of small mammal species also indicated that a total of 6 species of small mammals belonging to 4 families were identified. The result of the study shows that the family Muridae has 3 species which was the highest number of per family identified in the study area, this is due to the fact that Muridae family are the most common small mammals in the study area. And both bird small species fell under least concern (LC) category except Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus which felled under near threatened (NT) species. However, awareness campaign should also be organize for the residents around the study area on the presence, distribution of bird and small mammal species and also disturbing effect of their activities on bird and small mammal around the segment area of river Yobe.



2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (45) ◽  
pp. 12751-12756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indrė Žliobaitė ◽  
Janne Rinne ◽  
Anikó B. Tóth ◽  
Michael Mechenich ◽  
Liping Liu ◽  
...  

A major focus in evolutionary biology is to understand how the evolution of organisms relates to changes in their physical environment. In the terrestrial realm, the interrelationships among climate, vegetation, and herbivores lie at the heart of this question. Here we introduce and test a scoring scheme for functional traits present on the worn surfaces of large mammalian herbivore teeth to capture their relationship to environmental conditions. We modeled local precipitation, temperature, primary productivity, and vegetation index as functions of dental traits of large mammal species in 13 national parks in Kenya over the past 60 y. We found that these dental traits can accurately estimate local climate and environment, even at small spatial scales within areas of relatively uniform climate (within two ecoregions), and that they predict limiting conditions better than average conditions. These findings demonstrate that the evolution of key functional properties of organisms may be more reflective of demands during recurring adverse episodes than under average conditions or during isolated severe events.



Mammalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien André ◽  
Johan Michaux ◽  
Jorge Gaitan ◽  
Virginie Millien

Abstract Rapid climate change is currently altering species distribution ranges. Evaluating the long-term stress level in wild species undergoing range expansion may help better understanding how species cope with the changing environment. Here, we focused on the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), a widespread small mammal species in North-America whose distribution range is rapidly shifting northward. We evaluated long-term stress level in several populations of P. leucopus in Quebec (Canada), from the northern edge of the species distribution to more core populations in Southern Quebec. We first tested the hypothesis that populations at the range margin are under higher stress than more established populations in the southern region of our study area. We then compared four measures of long-term stress level to evaluate the congruence between these commonly used methods. We did not detect any significant geographical trend in stress level across our study populations of P. leucopus. Most notably, we found no clear congruence between the four measures of stress level we used, and conclude that these four commonly used methods are not equivalent, thereby not comparable across studies.



Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
Linas Balčiauskas ◽  
Laima Balčiauskienė ◽  
Andrius Garbaras ◽  
Vitalijus Stirkė

The stability of diversity of syntopic (inhabiting the same habitat in the same time) small mammals in commensal habitats, such as farmsteads and kitchen gardens, and, as a proxy of their diet, their isotopic niches, was investigated in Lithuania in 2019–2020. We tested whether the separation of species corresponds to the trophic guilds, whether their diets are related to possibilities of getting additional food from humans, and whether their diets are subject to seasonal trends. We analyzed diversity, dominance and distribution of hair δ13C and δ15N values. Diversity and dominance was not stable and differed according to human influence. The highest small mammal species richness occurred in commensal habitats that provided additional food. The degree of separation of species was higher in homestead habitats than in kitchen gardens, where a 1.27 to 35.97% overlap of isotopic niches was observed between pairs of species. Temporal changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the hair of the mammals were not equally expressed in different species. The isotopic overlap may depend on dietary plasticity, minimizing interspecific competition and allowing co-existence of syntopic species. Thus, small mammal trophic ecology is likely related to intensity of agricultural activities in the limited space of commensal habitats.



2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Kataržytė ◽  
Ernestas Kutorga

AbstractThe diets of small mammals in different hemiboreal spruce-dominated, oak-dominated and mixed forests in western part of Lithuania were studied by examination of fungal spores in fresh fecal pellets of caught animals. In the diets of mice (Apodemus spp.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and common and pygmy shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus), 22 different fungal taxa were identified, 15 of which were hypogeous fungi. The sporocarp abundance and the spores in fecal samples of Elaphomyces fungi prevailed in study area during this investigation. Although most of the captured individuals consumed fungi, the consumption varied among small mammal species. The data show that the fungi were more frequent and taxonomically diverse in Myodes glareolus than in Apodemus spp. diets. The study provided evidence that the fungal component in the diets of insectivorous Sorex species is more diverse than previously known. The availability of sporocarps and the fungal component in the diets of small mammals showed seasonal effects. Annual hypogeous and epigeous sporocarp abundances did not vary significantly across forest types. The significant difference in mycophagy was observed across all forest cover types, with the greatest fungal diversity in fecal samples collected in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree stands.



2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-160
Author(s):  
Hillary S. Young ◽  
Douglas J. McCauley ◽  
Rodolfo Dirzo ◽  
Jacob R. Goheen ◽  
Bernard Agwanda ◽  
...  


1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2286-2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Lautenschlager

Reviewed studies of the effects of forest herbicide applications on wildlife often lacked replication, pretreatment information, and (or) were conducted for only one or two growing seasons after treatment. Because of these problems, as well as the use of dissimilar sampling techniques, study conclusions have sometimes been contradictory. A review of eight studies of the effects of herbicide treatments on northern songbird populations in regenerating clearcuts indicates that total songbird populations are seldom reduced during the growing season after treatment. Densities of species that use early successional brushy, deciduous cover are sometimes reduced, while densities of species which commonly use more open areas, sometimes increase. A review of 14 studies of the effects of herbicide treatments on small mammals indicates that like songbirds, small mammal responses are species specific. Some species are unaffected, while some select and others avoid herbicide-treated areas. Only studies that use kill or removal trapping to study small mammal responses show density reductions associated with herbicide treatment. It seems that some small mammal species may be reluctant to venture into disturbed areas, although residents in those areas are apparently not affected by the disturbance. Fourteen relevant studies examined the effects of conifer release treatments on moose and deer foods and habitat use. Conifer release treatments reduce the availability of moose browse for as long as four growing seasons after treatment. The degree of reduction during the growing season after treatment varies with the herbicide and rate used. Deer use of treated areas remains unchanged or increases during the first growing season after treatment. Eight years after treating a naturally regenerated spruce–fir stand browse was three to seven times more abundant on treated than on control plots (depending on the chemical and rate used). Forage quality (nitrogen, ash, and moisture) of crop trees increased one growing season after the soil-active herbicide simazine was applied to control competition around outplanted 3-year-old balsam fir seedlings.



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