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Vaz PG, Bugalho MN, Fedriani JM. Grazing hinders seed dispersal during crop failure in a declining oak woodland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167835. [PMID: 37839490 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Masting, the synchronized production of variable quantities of seeds, is a global phenomenon in diverse ecosystems, including treed grazing systems where trees and grazing animals coexist. This phenomenon can be interspersed with years of extreme crop failure, whose frequency and unpredictability are increasing. Yet, the combined impact of crop failure and grazing on seed dispersal and seed-to-seedling transition remains poorly understood. To address this concern, we investigated rodent-mediated cork-oak (Quercus suber) acorn predation, dispersal, and seedling emergence in cattle grazed and non-grazed areas in central Portugal during years with contrasting masting seasons. We found that the acorns supplied in the crop failure year were dispersed more rapidly and over longer distances than those supplied in the crop success year when other acorns were naturally available. The crop failure year also had 83 % more dispersal events and 84 % more predated acorns than the reproductive success year. However, the higher acorn predation was offset by a 2.4-fold higher percentage of unpredated dispersed acorns recruiting into seedlings. Both years ended up recruiting a similar number of seedlings. Acorns emerged seedlings 3.4 times farther in the crop failure year than in the crop success year. Cattle grazing was the main constraint on seed dispersal distance by rodents, reducing it by 53 %. Our study provides empirical evidence that cattle grazing modulates how an extreme crop failure year can surprisingly be an opportunity for the few existing acorns to have seedlings established farther apart than in a crop success year. If we are to better manage and preserve the high conservation and socio-economic value of Mediterranean cork oak woodlands in the face of climate change, we must prioritize fecund trees and carefully manage seed dispersal factors such as cattle grazing, particularly during years of crop failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro G Vaz
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE, Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, C2, Piso 5, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN- InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Miguel N Bugalho
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN- InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jose M Fedriani
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación CIDE, CSIC-UVEG-GV, Carretera de Moncada a Náquera, km 4.5, 46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
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Jareño D, Paz Luna A, Viñuela J. Local Effects of Nest-Boxes for Avian Predators over Common Vole Abundance during a Mid-Density Outbreak. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1963. [PMID: 37895345 PMCID: PMC10608117 DOI: 10.3390/life13101963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
At the end of the 20th century, the common vole (Microtus arvalis) colonized the practical totality of agricultural ecosystems in the northern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. To prevent crop damage, chemical control campaigns using anticoagulant rodenticides have been employed. This approach has a high environmental impact, and it has been banned in most countries in the European Union, including Spain. It is therefore essential to analyze alternative methods with lower environmental impacts. Here we explored the efficacy of biological control by avian predators to reduce vole abundance by providing nest-boxes in croplands. We used an indirect index based on the presence/absence of vole activity signs to measure the effect of nest-boxes on common vole abundance. We found that vole abundance was significantly lower near occupied nest-boxes at distances less than 180 m, where vole abundance increases progressively with increasing distance to the nearest nest-box. We also observed that the predatory pressure negatively affects the vole abundance at the end of the breeding period, considering the total number of fledglings. However, the effect of nest-boxes was highly variable depending on the study area and more limited in alfalfa fields, the optimal habitat for voles in agrarian ecosystems. Thus, nest-box supplementation would be a feasible measure for the biological control of the common vole in Mediterranean ecosystems, but it needs improvements for vole control in alfalfa fields within an integrated pest control program. We provide several recommendations to improve the performance of biological control in alfalfa fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jareño
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC–UCLM–JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain (J.V.)
| | - Alfonso Paz Luna
- Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat (GREFA), Apdo 11, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Viñuela
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC–UCLM–JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain (J.V.)
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Wu Y, Du Y, Liu X, Wan X, Yin B, Hao Y, Wang Y. Grassland biodiversity response to livestock grazing, productivity, and climate varies across biome components and diversity measurements. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:162994. [PMID: 37003325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Livestock overgrazing and climate change have been identified as the primary causes of grassland degeneration and biodiversity decline, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To gain a better understanding of this, we conducted a meta-analysis of 91 local or regional field studies from 26 countries across all inhabited continents. Using concise statistical analyses, we assessed five theoretical hypotheses for grazing intensity, grazing history, grazing animal type, productivity, and climate, and decomposed the individual contributions of each factor in regulating multiple components of grassland biodiversity. After controlling for confounding effects, we found that: no significant linear or binomial pattern for the effect-size of grassland biodiversity as grazing intensity increased; the effect-size of producer richness was relatively lower (negative biodiversity response) in grasslands with a short grazing history, grazed by large livestock, high productivity, or high climate suitability; additionally, significant difference for the effect-size of consumer richness was only detected across grazing animal groups; and the effect-size of consumer abundance, and decomposer abundance all displayed significant differences with respect to grazing characters, grassland productivity, and climate suitability. Besides, results of hierarchical variance partitioning suggested that the total and individual contribution of predictors varied across biome components and diversity measurements. Specifically, grassland productivity acted as a key factor in driving producer richness. The findings presented here collectively suggest that the response of grassland biodiversity to livestock grazing, productivity, and climate varies across different components of the biome and measurements of diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wu
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanbao Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinrong Wan
- State Key laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baofa Yin
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanbin Hao
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfen Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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4
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Daberger M, Kuemmerle T, Khaleghi Hamidi A, Khalatbari L, Abolghasemi H, Mirzadeh HR, Ghoddousi A. Prioritizing livestock grazing right buyouts to safeguard Asiatic cheetahs from extinction. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human‐Environment Systems (IRI THESys) Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | | | - Leili Khalatbari
- CIBIO/InBIO, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Vairão Portugal
- Mohitban Society Tehran Iran
| | | | | | - Arash Ghoddousi
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
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González del Portillo D, Arroyo B, Morales MB. The adequacy of alfalfa crops as an Agri-Environmental Scheme: a review of agronomic benefits and effects on biodiversity. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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6
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Schroeder VM, Robinson WD, Johnson DD, Bohnert DW, Dinkins JB. Weather explains differences in sagebrush-obligate songbird nest success under various grazing regimes. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Patterns and Drivers of Rodent Abundance across a South African Multi-Use Landscape. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092618. [PMID: 34573584 PMCID: PMC8471473 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wildlife ecological patterns are driven not only by environmental and biological contexts, but also by landscape-management schemes that shape those contexts. The present study aims to determine the effect of different environmental factors (including management schemes) on the occurrence patterns of a southern African small mammal community. Based on a landscape where three land-use contexts that differ in their levels of human presence and/or where activities coexist (private ecotourism reserve, mixed farms and traditional communal areas), and by using a body-size-based approach (i.e., using two size-based rodent groups—medium and small—as models), we found that the mean relative abundance of medium-sized species did not differ across the management contexts, but small species’ mean relative abundance was higher in the game reserve. The overall variation in rodent abundance was negatively affected by ungulate presence (possibly linked to a decrease in food availability) and by human presence (increased disturbance). Rodent abundance seems to be influenced by environmental gradients that are directly linked to varying management priorities across land uses, meaning that these communities might not benefit uniformly by the increased amount of habitat promoted by the commercial wildlife industry. Abstract South Africa’s decentralized approach to conservation entails that wildlife outside formally protected areas inhabit complex multi-use landscapes, where private wildlife business (ecotourism and/or hunting) co-exist in a human-dominated landscape matrix. Under decentralized conservation, wildlife is perceived to benefit from increased amount of available habitat, however it is crucial to understand how distinct management priorities and associated landscape modifications impact noncharismatic taxa, such as small mammals. We conducted extensive ink-tracking-tunnel surveys to estimate heterogeneity in rodent distribution and investigate the effect of different environmental factors on abundance patterns of two size-based rodent groups (small- and medium-sized species), across three adjacent management contexts in NE KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: a private ecotourism game reserve, mixed farms and traditional communal areas (consisting of small clusters of houses interspersed with grazing areas and seminatural vegetation). Our hypotheses were formulated regarding the (1) area typology, (2) vegetation structure, (3) ungulate pressure and (4) human disturbance. Using a boosted-regression-tree approach, we found considerable differences between rodent groups’ abundance and distribution, and the underlying environmental factors. The mean relative abundance of medium-sized species did not differ across the three management contexts, but small species mean relative abundance was higher in the game reserves, confirming an influence of the area typology on their abundance. Variation in rodent relative abundance was negatively correlated with human disturbance and ungulate presence. Rodent abundance seems to be influenced by environmental gradients that are directly linked to varying management priorities across land uses, meaning that these communities might not benefit uniformly by the increased amount of habitat promoted by the commercial wildlife industry.
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9
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Sun Y, Chang S, Wang Z, Li G, Hou F. Pika burrow and zokor mound density and their relationship with grazing management and sheep production in alpine meadow. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yingxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Xinglu Zhang
- College of Forestry Gansu Agricultural University Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science Lanzhou 730070 Gansu China
| | - Yi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Shenghua Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Zhaofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
| | - Guang Li
- College of Forestry Gansu Agricultural University Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science Lanzhou 730070 Gansu China
| | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730020 China
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10
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Filazzola A, Brown C, Dettlaff MA, Batbaatar A, Grenke J, Bao T, Peetoom Heida I, Cahill JF. The effects of livestock grazing on biodiversity are multi-trophic: a meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1298-1309. [PMID: 32369874 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance has generated a significant loss of biodiversity worldwide and grazing by domestic herbivores is a contributing disturbance. Although the effects of grazing on plants are commonly explored, here we address the potential multi-trophic effects on animal biodiversity (e.g. herbivores, pollinators and predators). We conducted a meta-analysis on 109 independent studies that tested the response of animals or plants to livestock grazing relative to livestock excluded. Across all animals, livestock exclusion increased abundance and diversity, but these effects were greatest for trophic levels directly dependent on plants, such as herbivores and pollinators. Detritivores were the only trophic level whose abundance decreased with livestock exclusion. We also found that the number of years since livestock was excluded influenced the community and that the effects of grazer exclusion on animal diversity were strongest in temperate climates. These findings synthesise the effects of livestock grazing beyond plants and demonstrate the indirect impacts of livestock grazing on multiple trophic levels in the animal community. We identified the potentially long-term impacts that livestock grazing can have on lower trophic levels and consequences for biological conservation. We also highlight the potentially inevitable cost to global biodiversity from livestock grazing that must be balanced against socio-economic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Filazzola
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Charlotte Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Margarete A Dettlaff
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Amgaa Batbaatar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Jessica Grenke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Tan Bao
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Isaac Peetoom Heida
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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11
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Torre I, Bastardas-Llabot J, Arrizabalaga A, Díaz M. Population dynamics of small endotherms under global change: Greater white-toothed shrews Crocidura russula in Mediterranean habitats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135799. [PMID: 31810679 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Small endotherms would be especially exposed to main global change drivers (habitat and climate changes) but would also be able to withstand them by adjusting population dynamics locally to changing climate- and habitat-driven food and predation conditions. We analyse the relative importance of changes in climate (mean and variability, including relevant time-lags) and habitat conditions on the abundance, age structure and growth rate of Mediterranean populations of a small endotherm, the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula, along a 10-year period (2008-2017). Habitat type and season were the key factors shaping shrew population dynamics, which showed consistent peak numbers in open habitats in autumn, after the spring-summer reproductive period. Significant increases in aridity (increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall) along the study period did not explain variation in shrew numbers, although short-term variations in abundance were negatively related to relative air humidity and temperature over three last months prior to the surveys. Overall, ongoing climate change have not yet affected shrew population dynamics in its core areas of the Mediterranean region, in spite of expectations based on climate change rate in this region and small endotherm sensitivity to these changes. Reliance on open habitats with lower predation pressure would explain the resilience of shrew populations to climate change. However, current trends of land use change (land abandonment and afforestation) threaten Mediterranean open habitats, so that resilience would not last for long if these trends are not counteracted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignasi Torre
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Granollers, Francesc Macià 51, 08402 Granollers, Spain.
| | | | - Antoni Arrizabalaga
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Granollers, Francesc Macià 51, 08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Mario Díaz
- Biogeography and Global Change Department, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council, BGC-MNCN-CSIC, C/Serrano 115 Bis, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
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12
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Fragoso R, Santos-Reis M, Rosalino LM. Drivers of wood mouse body condition in Mediterranean agroforestry landscapes. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1356-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Pan D, Li X, De K, Wang L, Wang D, Guo Q, Gao C, Zhong Z, Zhu H, Shen Z, Seastedt TR. Food and habitat provisions jointly determine competitive and facilitative interactions among distantly related herbivores. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Duofeng Pan
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Ministry of Education Institute of Grassland Science School of Environment Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- Institute of Forage and Grassland Sciences Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Harbin China
| | - Xincheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Ministry of Education Institute of Grassland Science School of Environment Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Kejia De
- Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Qinghai University Xining China
| | - Ling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Ministry of Education Institute of Grassland Science School of Environment Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Deli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Ministry of Education Institute of Grassland Science School of Environment Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Qinfeng Guo
- Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center US Department of Agriculture Forest ServiceResearch Triangle Park NC USA
| | - Chao Gao
- Institute of Forage and Grassland Sciences Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Harbin China
| | - Zhiwei Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Ministry of Education Institute of Grassland Science School of Environment Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Hui Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Ministry of Education Institute of Grassland Science School of Environment Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Zhongbao Shen
- Institute of Forage and Grassland Sciences Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Harbin China
| | - Timothy R. Seastedt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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Dias DM, Massara RL, Bocchiglieri A. Use of habitats by donkeys and cattle within a protected area of the Caatinga dry forest biome in northeastern Brazil. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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15
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Lagendijk D, Howison R, Esselink P, Smit C. Grazing as a conservation management tool: Responses of voles to grazer species and densities. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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16
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Horncastle VJ, Chambers CL, Dickson BG. Grazing and wildfire effects on small mammals inhabiting montane meadows. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J. Horncastle
- Lab of Landscape Ecology and Conservation BiologyLandscape Conservation Initiative, Box 5694Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZ86011USA
| | - Carol L. Chambers
- School of Forestry, Box 15018Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZ86011USA
| | - Brett G. Dickson
- Lab of Landscape Ecology and Conservation BiologyLandscape Conservation Initiative, Box 5694Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZ86011USA
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17
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Ostfeld JK, Keesing F. Impacts of large mammals on movements of the pouched mouse (
Saccostomus mearnsi
) in central Kenya. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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18
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Context dependence of acorn handling by the Algerian mouse ( Mus spretus ). ACTA OECOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Machar I, Harmacek J, Vrublova K, Filippovova J, Brus J. Biocontrol of Common Vole Populations by Avian Predators Versus Rodenticide Application. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2017.65.3.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Machar
- Palacky University Olomouc, Faculty of Science, Tr. 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jaromir Harmacek
- Palacky University Olomouc, Faculty of Science, Tr. 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Vrublova
- Palacky University Olomouc, Faculty of Science, Tr. 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jarmila Filippovova
- Palacky University Olomouc, Faculty of Science, Tr. 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Brus
- Palacky University Olomouc, Faculty of Science, Tr. 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Clayton J, Bull M. The impact of sheep grazing on the depth of spider burrows and of burrows selected by the pygmy bluetongue lizard (Tiliqua adelaidensis). WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/wr16138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Grazing by domestic stock can potentially influence ecosystems positively or negatively, depending on the grazing regime and intensity. The pygmy bluetongue lizard (Tiliqua adelaidensis) is an endangered species, restricted to fragmented grasslands in the Mid North region of South Australia, predominantly grazed by sheep. These lizards refuge in vertical burrows. They do not dig their own burrows, instead relying on co-existing spiders for this essential resource.
Aims
We investigated how sheep grazing influenced spider burrows, and predicted the following: that grazing sheep might trample and destroy shallow burrows; that burrows in grazed habitat with less vegetative cover would have higher temperatures in summer; and that, by way of compensation, spiders would dig deeper burrows in grazed habitat.
Methods
We monitored 12 30m×30m plots monthly, over two austral spring/summer periods (September–March 2012–14). We recorded the number, depth and occupant of all spider burrows in those plots in each survey. We also measured temperatures inside artificial burrows in grazed and ungrazed habitat over a 3-day period in September 2014.
Key results
Mean burrow depth increased with grazing. This was not because individual burrows became deeper, but because the shallowest burrows were lost where there were sheep. Burrows were significantly hotter in grazed habitat, but lizards consistently chose deeper, cooler burrows. In the subset of burrows that were occupied by lizards, there was no difference in depth between grazed and ungrazed treatments. We detected no difference in spider digging activity between grazed and ungrazed plots.
Conclusions
Sheep grazing can destroy shallow burrows, probably through trampling, and because sheep produce burrow filling debris. However, grazing did not affect deeper burrows occupied by pygmy bluetongue lizards.
Implications
This short study indicated that moderate levels of grazing have low impact on deeper burrows suitable for pygmy bluetongue lizards and for lizard persistence. It explains how sheep and lizards have co-occurred for so long, but leaves open the question of how the loss of shallow burrows affects populations of the burrow-digging spiders that are an essential component of the lizard environment.
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Morgia VL, Balbo C, Memoli S, Isaia M. Rodents in grassland habitats: does livestock grazing matter? A comparison of two Alpine sites with different grazing histories. ZOOSYSTEMA 2015. [DOI: 10.5252/z2015n4a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Successive sheep grazing reduces population density of Brandt’s voles in steppe grassland by altering food resources: a large manipulative experiment. Oecologia 2015; 180:149-59. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3455-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Navarro-López J, Fargallo JA. Trophic Niche in a Raptor Species: The Relationship between Diet Diversity, Habitat Diversity and Territory Quality. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128855. [PMID: 26047025 PMCID: PMC4457527 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research reports that many populations of species showing a wide trophic niche (generalists) are made up of both generalist individuals and individuals with a narrow trophic niche (specialists), suggesting trophic specializations at an individual level. If true, foraging strategies should be associated with individual quality and fitness. Optimal foraging theory predicts that individuals will select the most favourable habitats for feeding. In addition, the “landscape heterogeneity hypothesis” predicts a higher number of species in more diverse landscapes. Thus, it can be predicted that individuals with a wider realized trophic niche should have foraging territories with greater habitat diversity, suggesting that foraging strategies, territory quality and habitat diversity are inter-correlated. This was tested for a population of common kestrels Falco tinnunculus. Diet diversity, territory occupancy (as a measure of territory quality) and habitat diversity of territories were measured over an 8-year period. Our results show that: 1) territory quality was quadratically correlated with habitat diversity, with the best territories being the least and most diverse; 2) diet diversity was not correlated with territory quality; and 3) diet diversity was negatively correlated with landscape heterogeneity. Our study suggests that niche generalist foraging strategies are based on an active search for different prey species within or between habitats rather than on the selection of territories with high habitat diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Navarro-López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales—C.S.I.C., José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Juan Antonio Fargallo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales—C.S.I.C., José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Jareño D, Viñuela J, Luque-Larena JJ, Arroyo L, Arroyo B, Mougeot F. Factors associated with the colonization of agricultural areas by common voles Microtus arvalis in NW Spain. Biol Invasions 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-015-0877-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Mérő TO, Bocz R, Polyák L, Horváth G, Lengyel S. Local habitat management and landscape-scale restoration influence small-mammal communities in grasslands. Anim Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. O. Mérő
- Nature Protection and Study Society - NATURA; Sombor Serbia
| | - R. Bocz
- Department of Ecology; University of Pécs; Pécs Hungary
| | - L. Polyák
- BioAqua Pro; Környezetvédelmi Szolgáltató és Tanácsadó Kft; Debrecen Hungary
| | - G. Horváth
- Department of Ecology; University of Pécs; Pécs Hungary
| | - S. Lengyel
- Department of Tisza River Research; Danube Research Institute; Centre for Ecological Research; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Debrecen Hungary
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McGregor HW, Legge S, Jones ME, Johnson CN. Landscape management of fire and grazing regimes alters the fine-scale habitat utilisation by feral cats. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109097. [PMID: 25329902 PMCID: PMC4198095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Intensification of fires and grazing by large herbivores has caused population declines in small vertebrates in many ecosystems worldwide. Impacts are rarely direct, and usually appear driven via indirect pathways, such as changes to predator-prey dynamics. Fire events and grazing may improve habitat and/or hunting success for the predators of small mammals, however, such impacts have not been documented. To test for such an interaction, we investigated fine-scale habitat selection by feral cats in relation to fire, grazing and small-mammal abundance. Our study was conducted in north-western Australia, where small mammal populations are sensitive to changes in fire and grazing management. We deployed GPS collars on 32 cats in landscapes with contrasting fire and grazing treatments. Fine-scale habitat selection was determined using discrete choice modelling of cat movements. We found that cats selected areas with open grass cover, including heavily-grazed areas. They strongly selected for areas recently burnt by intense fires, but only in habitats that typically support high abundance of small mammals. Intense fires and grazing by introduced herbivores created conditions that are favoured by cats, probably because their hunting success is improved. This mechanism could explain why, in northern Australia, impacts of feral cats on small mammals might have increased. Our results suggest the impact of feral cats could be reduced in most ecosystems by maximising grass cover, minimising the incidence of intense fires, and reducing grazing by large herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugh W. McGregor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Derby, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Sarah Legge
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, Derby, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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More than just drought: complexity of recruitment patterns in Mediterranean forests. Oecologia 2014; 176:997-1007. [PMID: 25194350 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3064-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding community dynamics during early life stages of trees is critical for the prediction of future species composition. In Mediterranean forests drought is a major constraint for regeneration, but likely not the only factor determining the observed spatial patterns. We carried out a sowing experiment aimed at identifying main filters during seed-seedling transition. Specifically, we studied seed fate (predation, fungi infection, emergence) and subsequent seedling performance (mortality during the first summer and overall recruitment after 2 years) of four co-occurring Mediterranean tree species (Quercus ilex, Quercus faginea, Juniperus thurifera, Pinus nigra). We related these processes to the dominant species composition, microhabitat heterogeneity, herb cover and seed mass. The identity of the dominant species in the forest canopy was more important for recruitment than the forest canopy being dominated by conspecific vs. heterospecific species. The patterns we found suggest that biotic interactions such as facilitation (lower mortality under the canopies) and herb competition (during emergence of J. thurifera) are relevant during recruitment. Moreover, our results pointed to ontogenetic conflicts regarding the seed mass of Q. faginea and to density-dependent seed mortality for Q. ilex, rarely described in Mediterranean ecosystems. We propose that our study species experience population growth in forests dominated by heterospecifics where the recruitment success depends on habitat heterogeneity and on moderated biotic and abiotic stresses created by each species. Our results reveal patterns and mechanisms involved in recruitment constraints that add complexity to the well-known drought-related processes in Mediterranean ecosystems.
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Jacob J, Manson P, Barfknecht R, Fredricks T. Common vole (Microtus arvalis) ecology and management: implications for risk assessment of plant protection products. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2014; 70:869-78. [PMID: 24293354 DOI: 10.1002/ps.3695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Common voles (Microtus arvalis) are common small mammals in some European landscapes. They can be a major rodent pest in European agriculture and they are also a representative generic focal small herbivorous mammal species used in risk assessment for plant protection products. In this paper, common vole population dynamics, habitat and food preferences, pest potential and use of the common vole as a model small wild mammal species in the risk assessment process are reviewed. Common voles are a component of agroecosystems in many parts of Europe, inhabiting agricultural areas (secondary habitats) when the carrying capacity of primary grassland habitats is exceeded. Colonisation of secondary habitats occurs during multiannual outbreaks, when population sizes can exceed 1000 individuals ha(-1) . In such cases, in-crop common vole population control management has been practised to avoid significant crop damage. The species' status as a crop pest, high fecundity, resilience to disturbance and intermittent colonisation of crop habitats are important characteristics that should be reflected in risk assessment. Based on the information provided in the scientific literature, it seems justified to modify elements of the current risk assessment scheme for plant protection products, including the use of realistic food intake rates, reduced assessment factors or the use of alternativee focal rodent species in particular European regions. Some of these adjustments are already being applied in some EU member states. Therefore, it seems reasonable consistently to apply such pragmatic and realistic approaches in risk assessments for plant protection products across the EU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Jacob
- Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Münster, Germany
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Navarro-Castilla Á, Mata C, Ruiz-Capillas P, Palme R, Malo JE, Barja I. Are motorways potential stressors of roadside wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) populations? PLoS One 2014; 9:e91942. [PMID: 24637740 PMCID: PMC3956862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Linear infrastructures represent one of the most important human impacts on natural habitats and exert several effects on mammal populations. Motorways are recognized as a major cause of habitat fragmentation and degradation and of biodiversity loss. However, it is unknown whether motorways lead to increased physiological stress reactions in wild animal populations. We analysed faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in wild populations of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) living in a well-preserved Mediterranean agro-pastoral woodland at different distances (verge, 500 m and 1000 m) from the AP-51 motorway in Spain. Wood mice were captured with Sherman live traps, and fresh faecal samples from 424 individuals were collected and analyzed in the laboratory. The quantification of FCM was performed by a 5α-pregnane-3β,11β, 21-triol-20-one enzyme immunoassay. Results showed that females had higher FCM levels than males, and these levels were higher in breeding females. In addition, FCM levels were positively correlated with body weight of individuals. Wood mice captured where cattle were present showed higher FCM levels than individuals living where cattle were not detected. FCM levels were higher in non-breeding individuals living close to the motorway compared with FCM levels in those individuals captured further from the motorway. This is the first study showing evidence of the motorways' impact on physiological stress reactions in wild wood mice populations. Understanding how free-living animals are influenced by human interventions could help to understand other subtle changes observed in wild animal populations. Since mice are used world-wide as research models these results could open new perspectives testing human influence on the natural environment and trade-offs of species in degraded ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Mata
- Department of Ecology, Terrestrial Ecology Group, University Autónoma of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Ruiz-Capillas
- Dirección de Innovación y Sostenibilidad, Obrascón Huarte Lain, S.A., Madrid, Spain
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences/Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan E. Malo
- Department of Ecology, Terrestrial Ecology Group, University Autónoma of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Department of Biology, Zoology Unit, University Autónoma of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Ostoja SM, Brooks ML, Moore PE, Berlow EL, Blank R, Roche J, Chase J, Haultain S. Potential environmental effects of pack stock on meadow ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, USA. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2014. [DOI: 10.1071/rj14050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Pack and saddle stock, including, but not limited to domesticated horses, mules, and burros, are used to support commercial, private and administrative activities in the Sierra Nevada. The use of pack stock has become a contentious and litigious issue for land management agencies in the region inter alia due to concerns over effects on the environment. The potential environmental effects of pack stock on Sierra Nevada meadow ecosystems are reviewed and it is concluded that the use of pack stock has the potential to influence the following: (1) water nutrient dynamics, sedimentation, temperature, and microbial pathogen content; (2) soil chemistry, nutrient cycling, soil compaction and hydrology; (3) plant individuals, populations and community dynamics, non-native invasive species, and encroachment of woody species; and (4) wildlife individuals, populations and communities. It is considered from currently available information that management objectives of pack stock should include the following: minimise bare ground, maximise plant cover, maintain species composition of native plants, minimise trampling, especially on wet soils and stream banks, and minimise direct urination and defecation by pack stock into water. However, incomplete documentation of patterns of pack stock use and limited past research limits current understanding of the effects of pack stock, especially their effects on water, soils and wildlife. To improve management of pack stock in this region, research is needed on linking measurable monitoring variables (e.g. plant cover) with environmental relevancy (e.g. soil erosion processes, wildlife habitat use), and identifying specific environmental thresholds of degradation along gradients of pack stock use in Sierra Nevada meadows.
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Camp MJ, Rachlow JL, Shipley LA, Johnson TR, Bockting KD. Grazing in sagebrush rangelands in western North America: implications for habitat quality for a sagebrush specialist, the pygmy rabbit. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2014. [DOI: 10.1071/rj13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Livestock grazing is one of the primary uses of sagebrush rangelands in western North America; therefore, an understanding of the ecological implications of grazing on habitat quality for sagebrush-dependent wildlife is needed to help land managers balance multiple objectives for land use. We studied effects of cattle grazing on components of habitat for an uncommon sagebrush habitat specialist, the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), which has been petitioned for endangered or threatened status in the USA. We evaluated multiple components of habitat before and after grazing in replicated control and treatment plots in a mesic, high-elevation sagebrush-steppe environment in south-western Montana, USA. We predicted that grazing would decrease the biomass of herbaceous forage, alter security cover, and increase rate of collapse of rabbit burrows, and we expected that these effects would be more pronounced during summer than spring. As expected, cattle grazing reduced the biomass of perennial grasses available to pygmy rabbits after grazing that occurred during either spring or summer, and the biomass of forbs after spring grazing. In contrast, grazing did not markedly influence the functional properties of vegetation related to predation risk or the integrity of rabbit burrow systems. In the context of the stocking rate of the allotments in our study (7.3 acres/Animal Unit Month, 2.95 ha/Animal Unit Month), annual cattle grazing did not seem to markedly change habitat for pygmy rabbits in our study area; however, longer-term and higher intensity grazing might result in more pronounced habitat changes. Understanding the ecological implications of cattle grazing on habitat quality for pygmy rabbits and other sagebrush-dependent wildlife can guide conservation strategies for these species on sagebrush rangelands managed under multiple-use policies.
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32
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Experimental evidence that livestock grazing intensity affects cyclic vole population regulation processes. POPUL ECOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-013-0398-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Experimental evidence that livestock grazing intensity affects the activity of a generalist predator. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2013.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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34
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Ruiz-Capillas P, Mata C, Malo JE. Community Response of Mammalian Predators and Their Prey to Motorways: Implications for Predator–Prey Dynamics. Ecosystems 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-013-9634-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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35
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Parsons EWR, Maron JL, Martin TE. Elk herbivory alters small mammal assemblages in high-elevation drainages. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:459-67. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2012] [Accepted: 09/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - John L. Maron
- Division of Biological Sciences; University of Montana; Missoula; MT; 59812; USA
| | - Thomas E. Martin
- U.S. Geological Survey Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit; University of Montana; Missoula; MT; 59812; USA
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Blank BF, Jacob J, Petri A, Esther A. Topography and soil properties contribute to regional outbreak risk variability of common voles (Microtus arvalis). WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2011. [DOI: 10.1071/wr10192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Common voles (Microtus arvalis) are the most common vertebrate pests in central European agriculture. During outbreaks common vole populations can increase to an enormous number of individuals; however, this outbreak risk varies regionally. Aims In this study we tested whether topography and soil properties are suited to explain the regional variability in the outbreak risk of the common vole in Eastern Germany. This study provides the first detailed large-scale study of the association of site characteristics and small mammal outbreak risk at a regional scale. Methods Data on common vole outbreaks were recorded by active burrow counts at 82 sampling sites in Eastern Germany from almost four decades. Data on topography and soil properties – i.e. groundwater fluctuation index, soil air capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil class and elevation – were obtained from soil maps and a digital elevation model in a geographic information system and were related to outbreak risk classes, applying classification and regression trees (CART). Based on these results a map of the outbreak risk was developed for the area. Key results Classification and regression tree analyses revealed that the mean elevation, area-related percentage of Chernozem soils and soil air capacity were the site characteristics best suited to explain local variability in outbreak risk. In the northern German lowland, below an elevation of ~83 m above sea level, the outbreak risk is generally very low. The region of the central upland has an increased risk for outbreaks of common voles. Within the region of the central uplands the risk was again elevated if the area covered by Chernozem soils was higher than 36%, and increased further if the area covered by soils with a moderate soil air capacity was higher than 90%. Conclusions Topography and soil properties, and accordingly the character of a landscape, are static parameters that affect the local risk of common vole outbreak. Further detailed field investigations of soil properties are required to link the variation in regional outbreak risk to site characteristics with relevance to common vole ecology. Implications Areas of varying regional outbreak risk of common voles can be defined according to static site characteristics identified in this study. They can provide a spatial framework to relate dynamic parameters, such as meteorological parameters, as well as biological parameters, such as food availability, to common vole outbreaks. This could be used in the future to develop improved predictive models to forecast common vole outbreaks.
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Living on the verge: are roads a more suitable refuge for small mammals than streams in Mediterranean pastureland? Ecol Res 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-010-0781-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Vial F, Sillero-Zubiri C, Marino J, Haydon DT, Macdonald DW. An analysis of long-term trends in the abundance of domestic livestock and free-roaming dogs in the Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Afr J Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2010.01233.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Muñoz A, Bonal R, Díaz M. Ungulates, rodents, shrubs: interactions in a diverse Mediterranean ecosystem. Basic Appl Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2008.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Fargallo JA, Martínez-Padilla J, Viñuela J, Blanco G, Torre I, Vergara P, De Neve L. Kestrel-prey dynamic in a Mediterranean region: the effect of generalist predation and climatic factors. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4311. [PMID: 19234618 PMCID: PMC2645439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2008] [Accepted: 12/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most hypotheses on population limitation of small mammals and their predators come from studies carried out in northern latitudes, mainly in boreal ecosystems. In such regions, many predators specialize on voles and predator-prey systems are simpler compared to southern ecosystems where predator communities are made up mostly of generalists and predator-prey systems are more complex. Determining food limitation in generalist predators is difficult due to their capacity to switch to alternative prey when the basic prey becomes scarce. METHODOLOGY We monitored the population density of a generalist raptor, the Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus over 15 years in a mountainous Mediterranean area. In addition, we have recorded over 11 years the inter-annual variation in the abundance of two main prey species of kestrels, the common vole Microtus arvalis and the eyed lizard Lacerta lepida and a third species scarcely represented in kestrel diet, the great white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula. We estimated the per capita growth rate (PCGR) to analyse population dynamics of kestrel and predator species. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Multimodel inference determined that the PCGR of kestrels was better explained by a model containing the population density of only one prey species (the common vole) than a model using a combination of the densities of the three prey species. The PCGR of voles was explained by kestrel abundance in combination with annual rainfall and mean annual temperature. In the case of shrews, growth rate was also affected by kestrel abundance and temperature. Finally, we did not find any correlation between kestrel and lizard abundances. SIGNIFICANCE Our study showed for the first time vertebrate predator-prey relationships at southern latitudes and determined that only one prey species has the capacity to modulate population dynamics of generalist predators and reveals the importance of climatic factors in the dynamics of micromammal species and lizards in the Mediterranean region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Fargallo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
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Fear in grasslands: the effect of Eurasian kestrels on skylark abundances. Naturwissenschaften 2008; 95:391-8. [PMID: 18189123 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-007-0337-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2007] [Revised: 11/09/2007] [Accepted: 12/10/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Predation has received considerable theoretical and empirical support in population regulation. The effect of predators, however, could be achieved in direct (killing) or indirect effects (such as displacement). In this paper, we explored the relationship between Eurasian kestrels Falco tinnunculus and skylarks Alauda arvensis in Mediterranean grasslands. First, we analysed the presence of skylarks in the kestrel diet over 9 years. We also compared a grassland area of experimentally increased kestrel density and a second grassland as control area to evaluate the direct or indirect effect on skylark abundance. We also considered two different habitats, grazed and ungrazed plots. If skylark abundance decreased as the kestrel breeding season progressed in high-density kestrel area compared with the control area, it would suggest a direct effect (predator hypothesis). If skylark abundance remains constant in both areas of contrasting kestrel density, it would suggest that skylarks avoid kestrels (avoidance hypothesis). We found that skylark abundance decreased in the kestrel area from the beginning of kestrel nest-box installation to recent years. The rate of skylark consumption decreased in a 9-year period as kestrel abundance increased, although the total amount skylark consumption did not show a decreasing trend. In addition, skylarks were more abundant in the kestrel-free area than in the kestrel area. Finally, we found that skylark abundance did not change through the kestrel breeding period in relation to grazing. We suggest that an increased breeding density of kestrels during their breeding period may force the skylarks to breed in other areas, which may explain the decline of their abundance.
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