Management Intensity and Forest Successional Stages as Significant Determinants of Small Mammal Communities in a Lowland Floodplain Forest

The conversion of forests from complex natural ecosystems to simplified commercial woodlands is one of the major causes of biodiversity loss. To maintain biodiversity, we need to understand how current management practices influence forest ecosystems. We studied the effects of forest successional stage and management intensity on the abundance, species richness, and assemblage composition of small mammals. Our results show that management intensity significantly contributes to reducing the number of species after clearcutting. We revealed that intensively managed clearings can make the dispersal or foraging activity of small mammals diffcult and hence negatively influence their abundance and species richness. The significantly higher species richness of small mammal species was recorded within more extensively rather than intensively managed clearings. In contrast, we did not observe significant changes in species richness and abundance after intensive management in old-growth forests. Species Clethrionomys glareolus and Apodemus flavicollis reached the greatest abundance in old-growth forest patches. On the other hand, Microtus arvalis and Microtus subterraneus were species mainly associated with the successionally youngest forest stands. Our analysis suggests that intensive management interventions (i.e., vegetation destruction by pesticides and wood debris removal by soil milling) in clearings produce unhostile environments for majority of the small mammal species.O

Adatok három vizes élőhely (Gemenc, Béda és a Balatoni Nagyberek) kisemlős faunájához

Összefoglalás. Három dél-dunántúli vizes élőhelyen 2006-ban és 2007-ben három éjszakás fogás–jelölés–visszafogás módszerrel kisemlősök elevenfogó csapdázását végeztük. Ennek során az alábbi kisemlősöket fogtuk meg: Gemencen, a nyéki Holt-Duna mentén Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus uralensis, Microtus agrestis, Microtus arvalis, Myodes glareolus, Arvicola amphibius, Sorex minutus, Bédán, a vizslaki területen: A. agrarius, A. sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, A. uralensis, Micromys minutus, Mus spicilegus, M. arvalis, M. glareolus, A. amphibius, Crocidura leucodon, Neomys fodiens, Neomys anomalus, és a balatoni Nagyberekben, Csömend–Táska térségében: A. agrarius, M. minutus, Microtus oeconomus, M. agrestis, M. arvalis, M. glareolus, Sorex araneus, N. fodiens, N. anomalus. A kisemlősközösségekben a leggyakoribb faj az élőhely-generalista A. agrarius volt (részaránya 42%, 78% és 71% a három terület sorrendjében). A Shannon–Wiener fajdiverzitás-érték 2,06, 1,35 és 1,66, az egyenletesség 0,65, 0,38 és 0,52 volt a három terület sorrendjében

Genus Neomys (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricomorpha): history and range dynamics.

Práce shrnuje poznatky o historii a areálové dynamice rodu Neomys, významné složky fauny západního Palearktu, na základě excerpce mnoha literárních zdrojů. Udává přehled nálezů dokládající přítomnost zástupců rodu Neomys a příbuzných linií v evropském fosilním záznamu. Shrnuje hypotézy popisující vývoj rodu a fylogenetické vztahy, prezentované v jednotlivých studiích. Klíčovým taxonem pokládaným za předkovskou linii rodu Neomys je rod Asoriculus, z nějž se nejstarší formy rodu Neomys diferencují během starších čtvrtohor. Konkrétních dokladů zohledňujících minulost dnešních evropských taxonů (fodiens, anomalus, milleri) a jejich areálovou historii je nicméně poměrně málo a jejich interpretace nejsou jednoznačné. Jednou z příčin jsou i nejasnosti stran fenotypové variability jednotlivých druhů a orientace příslušných fylogenetických morfoklin. Z tohoto důvodu je v práci věnována pozornost otázce mezidruhových rozdílů v rámci rodu se zvláštním přihlédnutím ke kraniálním a dentálním znakům a charakteru proměnlivosti recentních taxonů. Práce poukazuje na neúplnou znalost areálové historie a zdůrazňuje potřebu konfrontovat přímý fosilní záznam s modely vycházejícími z molekulárně-genetických analýz.Based on numerous literary sources, the thesis reviews current knowledge of history and range dynamics of the genus Neomys, an indexing element of the west Palearctic mammal fauna. It provides a list of fossil records attributed to the extant genus Neomys and extinct clades composing the European records of tribe Nectogalini, and a survey of hypotheses on their phylogenetic relations. Particular attention is given to the genus Asoriculus which is generally considered as an ancestor of the Quaternary radiation of the clade represented in Europe with genera Nesiotites, Neomys and Macroneomys. The transition from Asoriculus to Neomys is expected to appear during the Q1 stage of the Early Pleistocene, more records identified as fossil species of the latter genus are reported from terminal stage of the Early Pleistocene (Q2). Nevertheless, their relations to extant species were not analysed and past history of the extant European taxa (fodiens, anomalus, milleri) and their range dynamics is despite of molecular data generally unclear. This fact reflects both scarcity of the fossil record and uncertainties regarding patterns of phenotype variation in particular species, their discrimination criteria and orientation of corresponding phylogenetic morphoclines. In these regards, the thesis pays special...Department of ZoologyKatedra zoologieFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Adalékok Dél-Dunántúli területek kisemlős faunáihoz bagolyköpetek alapján | Data for the small mammal fauna of the South Transdanubian region, obtained by owl pellet analysis

From six localities in the South-Transdanubian region, a total of 165 Tyto alba, 244 Asio otus and 11 Athene noctua pellets were collected, containing 1038 prey remains. The number of small mammal species identified from pellets in various localities, ranged between 3–10

How historical and present climat conditions affected the distribution of the mediterranean whter shrew?:a phylogeographical and ecological approach

Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Biologia Evolutiva), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2014The Mediterranean water shrew (Neomys anomalus) is a semi-aquatic species with a wide but fragmented distribution across southern and center Europe and Asia Minor. This species is one of the least studied small mammal species not only of the Portuguese but also of the whole European fauna. As such, it is still unclear what are the major factors determining the fragmentation of the Mediterranean water shrew populations. The present work intended to better understand the influence of climate and other ecological factors on the distribution of the Mediterranean water shrew by following a time-scaled multidisciplinary approach, that included: i) the study of the evolutionary history of the species; ii) the analysis of ecological and behavioural aspects determining its current niche space; and iii) the determination of the effects of future climate changes on the species’ distribution. Two factors were identified as significantly contributing to the current distribution pattern of the Mediterranean water shrew: severe climatic alterations, that were extremely important in the evolutionary history of the species and that are also projected to have a significant impact in its future distribution, and the interspecific competition with a congeneric species, which is one of the main factors regulating the current habitat preferences of the Mediterranean water shrew. The followed multidisciplinary and time-scaled approach provided relevant insights on the ecological factors determining the presence of the Mediterranean water shrew, ultimately defining its geographical distribution. It also highlighted the need to clarify the taxonomic status of the Iberian populations of this species. The detection of a unique genetic lineage in this region makes the reported findings highly relevant from an evolutionary perspective, and extremely significant for its conservation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, SFRH/BD/31602/2006); CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studie

A Somogyszob, Hajmás és Kálmáncsa közötti térség kisemlős faunája, gyöngybagoly Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) köpetek vizsgálata alapján

In county Somogy, from 31 localities 2429 barn owl pellets were collected, containing 8376 prey remnants. Mammals comprised 98.3%, whereas birds, amphibians, diplopods and insects made up 1.7%. From remainders of mammals 47.87% were insectivores (Soricidae 47.85%, Talpidae 0.02%), 0.05% bats (Vespertilionidae), 52.07% rodents (Arvicolidae 28.50%, Muridac 23.25%, Gliridae 0.32%) and 0.01% carnivores (Mustelidae)

Small terrestrial mammals of Albania: distribution and diversity (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Rodentia)

In this paper new records are reported for 23 species of small terrestrial mammals (STM) of Albania collected during the field work campaigns organised in the framework of the project “Strengthening capacity in National Nature Protection – preparation for Natura 2000 network” (NaturAL) in Albania during the summer and autumn of 2016 and 2017 Data on small mammals were primarily collected through Sherman live-trapping campaigns in six high priority protected areas of Albania: Korab-Koritnik, Bredhi i Hotovës, Tomorri, Llogara-Karaburun, Divjakë-Karavasta, Liqeni i Shkodrës (Skadar lake), Lëpushë-Vermosh. Other data were obtained by analysis of owl pellets or by direct observation of individuals (dead or alive) in the field. For 21 species Erinaceus roumanicus, Neomys anomalus, Crocidura suaveolens, Crocidura leucodon, Suncus etruscus, Talpa stankovici/caeca, Myocastor coypus, Sciurus vulgaris, Glis glis, Dryomys nitedula, Muscardinus avellanarius, Microtus levis/arvalis, Microtus subterraneus, Microtus thomasi, Microtus felteni, Myodes glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus epimelas, Mus musculus, and Mus macedonicus additional records are provide and their distributions reviewed, while the presence of two new species of shrews (Sorex araneus and Sorex minutus) for Albania is reported for the first time. A comprehensive review of the published and unpublished distribution records of STM species of the country is made, together with an updated checklist and distribution maps of the species

Diet of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in two localities of Northewestern Iberian Peninsula

[Resumen] Se estudió la dieta de la lechuza común (Tyto alba) en dos localidades del Noroeste Ibérico (A Coruña y El Bierzo), basándose en el análisis de egagrópilas, que han aportado 1015 presas. Los resultados muestran que la base de la dieta en estas localidades está constituida por los micromamíferos (roedores e insectívoros, por orden de importancia). Las especies más depredadas son la musaraña gris (Crocidura russula) en El Bierzo, y el ratón de campo (Apodemus sylvaticus) en A Coruña, siendo la segunda presa más importante en ambos casos el topillo lusitánico (Microtus lusitanicus). También se ha observado la depredación sobre aves en El Bierzo y sobre insectos en A Coruña. Se han comparado los datos de ambas localidades buscando si existen diferencias en la dieta de la lechuza en función de la zona que ocupa, con ambientes muy dispares (Atlántico y Mediterráneo respectivamente) observándose diferencias significativas en la composición de la dieta de la lechuza entre ambas localidades, y que esta variación parece estar determinada por las especies más abundantes de micromamíferos en el hábitat de caza que explota cada ave.[Resumo] Estudouse a dieta da curuxa común (Tyto alba) en dúas localidades do Noroeste Ibérico (A Coruña e El Bierzo), baseándose na análise de egagrópilas, que achegaron 1015 presas. Os resultados mostran que a base da dieta nestas localidades está constituída polos micromamíferos (roedores e insectívoros, por orde de importancia). As especies máis depredadas son a musaraña gris (Crocidura russula) no Bierzo, e o rato de campo (Apodemus sylvaticus) na Coruña, sendo a segunda presa máis importante en ambos os dous casos o topillo lusitánico (Microtus lusitanicus). Tamén se observou a depredación sobre aves no Bierzo e sobre insectos na Coruña. Comparáronse os datos de ambas as dúas localidades buscando se existen diferenzas na dieta da curuxa en función da zona que ocupa, con ambientes moi dispares (Atlántico e Mediterráneo respectivamente) observándose diferenzas significativas na composición da dieta da curuxa entre ambas as dúas localidades, e que esta variación parece estar determinada polas especies máis abundantes de micromamíferos no hábitat de caza que explota cada ave.[Abstracts] The diet of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in two localities of the Northwestern Iberian Peninsula (A Coruña and El Bierzo) was studied basing on the analysis of pellets, which have provided 1015 preys. Results show that the diet basis in these localities is constituted by micromammals (rodents and insectivores, in order of importance). The most predated species are the greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) in El Bierzo and the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in A Coruña, being the lusitanian pine vole (Microtus lusitanicus) the second most important prey in both cases. Predation on birds in El Bierzo and insects in A Coruña has also been observed. The data from both localities has been compared in order to search for differences in the barn owl´s diet depending on the occupied area, with very disparate environments (Atlantic and Mediterranean, respectively). Significant differences in the barn owl´s diet composition between the two localities have been observed, and this variation seems to be determined by the most abundant species of micromammals in the hunting habitat that each bird exploits.Traballo fin de grao (UDC.CIE). Bioloxía. Curso 2014/201