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Ferrari G, Scaravelli D, Mustoni A, Armanini M, Zibordi F, Devineau O, Cagnacci F, Grasso DA, Ossi F. A Comparison of Small Rodent Assemblages after a 20 Year Interval in the Alps. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081407. [PMID: 37106970 PMCID: PMC10135415 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-induced environmental alterations in the Alps may importantly affect small mammal species, but evidence in this sense is limited. We live-trapped small rodents in the Central-Eastern Italian Alps in three close-by habitat types (rocky scree, alpine grassland, and heath) at 2100 m a.s.l. during summer-fall, in 1997 and 2016. We compared small rodent assemblages through a Redundancy Detrended Analysis (RDA). In both surveys, we detected two specialist species, i.e., the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the snow vole (Chionomys nivalis), and, unexpectedly, the forest generalist bank vole (Myodes glareolus). In 1997, grassland was mainly occupied by the common vole, while the bank vole and the snow vole were sympatric in the other habitats. In 2016, the snow vole was detected only in the scree, while other species did not show distribution changes. We discuss a series of hypotheses that might have driven the differences observed across decades, among which is a species-specific response to abiotic and biotic environmental alterations, with the alpine habitat specialist moving out of sub-optimal habitats. We encourage further research on this topic, e.g., via long-term longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ferrari
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2480 Koppang, Norway
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Dino Scaravelli
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Mustoni
- Research and Environmental Education, Adamello Brenta Nature Park, Via Nazionale 24, 38080 Strembo, Italy
| | - Marco Armanini
- Research and Environmental Education, Adamello Brenta Nature Park, Via Nazionale 24, 38080 Strembo, Italy
| | | | - Olivier Devineau
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Donato A Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Federico Ossi
- Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
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Adamík P, Poledník L, Poledníková K, Romportl D. Mapping an elusive arboreal rodent: Combining nocturnal acoustic surveys and citizen science data extends the known distribution of the edible dormouse (Glis glis) in the Czech Republic. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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3
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Pattison CA, Catterall CP. Effects of narrow linear clearings on movement and habitat use in a boreal forest mammal community during winter. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6504. [PMID: 30828496 PMCID: PMC6394345 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Linear clearings for human activities cause internal fragmentation of otherwise intact native forest, with many potential impacts on wildlife. Across a boreal forest region of some 4,000 km2, we investigated how movements and habitat use of ecologically different mammal species are affected by narrow (about eight m) seismic line (SL) clearings associated with fossil fuel extraction, which form extensive networks many kilometers long. We conducted nine repeat snow track surveys during three winters at 14 pairs of one-kilometer transects, each comprising one transect along the SL and a second running perpendicular into adjacent forest. Data for 13 individually-analyzed mammal taxa (species or sets of closely related species) and five mammal groups, categorized based on body size-diet combinations, showed that movements across transects were either unaffected by SL clearings (relative to continuous forest) or restricted only slightly. However, these clearings were favored for linear travel by most species and body size-diet groups (excepting small mammals). The strength of this preference varied in a manner consistent with species' differing needs to move long distances (associated with their energetic requirements): large predators > large herbivores > mid-sized predators > mid-sized herbivores > small mammals. In terms of overall habitat use, large-bodied predators (e.g., wolves and coyotes) strongly selected SL clearings over forest, medium-sized predators (e.g., mustelids) and medium-sized herbivores (e.g., hares and squirrels) preferred forest, and neither large herbivores nor small mammals had a clear habitat preference. Consequently, there was a net shift in both species and trophic composition within the SL, in favor of large predators and away from medium-sized predators and herbivores. Given the high regional SL density (1.9 km/km2) such shifts are likely to have complex ecological consequences, of currently unknown magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin A Pattison
- School of Environment and Science, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia.,MacPhail School of Energy, SAIT Polytechnic, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carla P Catterall
- School of Environment and Science, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
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4
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Moska M, Mucha A, Wierzbicki H. Genetic differentiation of the edible dormouse (
Glis glis
) in the Polish Sudetens: the current status of an endangered species. J Zool (1987) 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Moska
- Department of Genetics Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Wroclaw Poland
| | - A. Mucha
- Department of Genetics Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Wroclaw Poland
| | - H. Wierzbicki
- Department of Genetics Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Wroclaw Poland
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Schroder M, Sato CF. An evaluation of small-mammal use of constructed wildlife crossings in ski resorts. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr16102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Infrastructure development in ski-resort areas has led to the modification of slopes and, often, the replacement of native plant species with exotic grasses. Modified ski slopes are effectively linear areas of disturbance that separate natural habitat and provide barriers to the movement of native animal species. To overcome these barriers, boulder-filled and culvert-style wildlife crossings have been constructed across disturbed ski slopes and under roadways to facilitate the movement of small native mammal species among areas of remnant habitat, but generally they differ in size and locality. The use of boulder-filled and under-road culvert crossings of different length has not been evaluated. Aims We determine whether fauna utilise wildlife crossings in ski resorts and whether variations in crossing length influence the species using the crossings. Methods We monitored boulder-filled crossings of two size classes (long or short) biannually from March 2009 to April 2013, using hair tubes. We monitored an additional two under-road culvert crossings with remote infrared cameras. Key results The results indicated that all crossings, regardless of size, are utilised by small mammals. However, we detected threatened species, such as Mastacomys fuscus (broad-toothed rat), more frequently in crossings of greater length. Conclusions To maintain linkages for small-mammal populations within ski resorts, we recommend the continued use of boulder-filled crossings on ski slopes. These crossings may be particularly important in facilitating the movement of small mammals across wide areas of ski-slope disturbance. Implications The context and maintenance of crossings is likely to be important for their long-term use by small mammals, as are complementary strategies to restore structural habitat connectivity on ski slopes, such as strategically implemented native vegetation plantings.
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Fietz J, Langer F, Havenstein N, Matuschka FR, Richter D. The vector tick Ixodes ricinus feeding on an arboreal rodent-the edible dormouse Glis glis. Parasitol Res 2015; 115:1435-42. [PMID: 26670314 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4877-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The reservoir competence and long life expectancy of edible dormice, Glis glis, suggest that they serve as efficient reservoir hosts for Lyme disease (LD) spirochetes. Their arboreality, however, may reduce the probability to encounter sufficient questing Ixodes ricinus ticks to acquire and perpetuate LD spirochetes. To define the potential role of this small arboreal hibernator in the transmission cycle of LD spirochetes, we examined their rate and density of infestation with subadult ticks throughout the season of activity. Of the 1081 edible dormice that we captured at five study sites in Southern Germany and inspected for ticks at 2946 capture occasions, 26 % were infested with at least one and as many as 26 subadult ticks on their ear pinnae. The distribution of ticks feeding on edible dormice was highly aggregated. Although only few individuals harbored nymphal ticks soon after their emergence from hibernation, the rate of nymphal infestation increased steadily throughout the season and reached about 35 % in September. Dormice inhabiting a site with few conspecifics seemed more likely to be infested by numerous ticks, particularly nymphs, than those individuals living in densely populated sites. Male dormice were more likely to be parasitized by numerous nymphs than were females, independent of their age and body mass. Our observation that season, population density, and sex affect the rates of ticks feeding on edible dormice suggests that the contribution of edible dormice to the transmission cycle of LD spirochetes depends mainly on their ranging behavior and level of activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Fietz
- Animal Husbandry and Animal Breeding, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.,Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Franz Langer
- Animal Husbandry and Animal Breeding, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Nadine Havenstein
- Animal Husbandry and Animal Breeding, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Dania Richter
- Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Herdegen M, Radwan J, Sobczynska U, Dabert M, Konjević D, Schlichter J, Jurczyszyn M. Population structure of edible dormouse in Poland: the role of habitat fragmentation and implications for conservation. J Zool (1987) 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Herdegen
- Institute of Environmental Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - J. Radwan
- Institute of Environmental Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - U. Sobczynska
- Molecular Biology Techniques Laboratory Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Poland
| | - M. Dabert
- Molecular Biology Techniques Laboratory Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan Poland
| | - D. Konjević
- Department of Veterinary Economics and Epidemiology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb Zagreb Republic of Croatia
| | - J. Schlichter
- Öko‐log Freilandforschung Heiko Müller‐Stieß Trippstadt Germany
| | - M. Jurczyszyn
- Institute of Environmental Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
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Encarnação JA, Becker NI. Stealthy at the roadside: Connecting role of roadside hedges and copse for silvicolous, small mammal populations. J Nat Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Whisson DA, Holland GJ, Kelly TR. Persistence of a threatened species in a modified alpine resort environment: the broad-toothed rat. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyu016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Fietz J, Tomiuk J, Loeschcke V, Weis-Dootz T, Segelbacher G. Genetic consequences of forest fragmentation for a highly specialized arboreal mammal--the edible dormouse. PLoS One 2014; 9:e88092. [PMID: 24505390 PMCID: PMC3913767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation represent the most serious extinction threats for many species and have been demonstrated to be especially detrimental for mammals. Particularly, highly specialized species with low dispersal abilities will encounter a high risk of extinction in fragmented landscapes. Here we studied the edible dormouse (Glis glis), a small arboreal mammal that is distributed throughout Central Europe, where forests are mostly fragmented at different spatial scales. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of habitat fragmentation on genetic population structures using the example of edible dormouse populations inhabiting forest fragments in south western Germany. We genotyped 380 adult individuals captured between 2001 and 2009 in four different forest fragments and one large continuous forest using 14 species-specific microsatellites. We hypothesised, that populations in small forest patches have a lower genetic diversity and are more isolated compared to populations living in continuous forests. In accordance with our expectations we found that dormice inhabiting forest fragments were isolated from each other. Furthermore, their genetic population structure was more unstable over the study period than in the large continuous forest. Even though we could not detect lower genetic variability within individuals inhabiting forest fragments, strong genetic isolation and an overall high risk to mate with close relatives might be precursors to a reduced genetic variability and the onset of inbreeding depression. Results of this study highlight that connectivity among habitat fragments can already be strongly hampered before genetic erosion within small and isolated populations becomes evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Fietz
- Animal Husbandry and Animal Breeding, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Jürgen Tomiuk
- Department of Biosciences, Integrative Ecology and Evolution, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Volker Loeschcke
- Department of Biosciences, Integrative Ecology and Evolution, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tanja Weis-Dootz
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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