Are hedgerows the route to increased farmland small mammal density? Use of hedgerows in British pastoral habitats |
| |
Authors: | Merryl Gelling David W Macdonald Fiona Mathews |
| |
Institution: | (1) Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxon, OX13 5QL, UK |
| |
Abstract: | Linear habitats are becoming increasingly common as a consequence of habitat fragmentation, and may provide the sole habitat
for some species. Hedgerows are linear features that can vary substantially in structure and quality. Having surveyed 180
hedgerows, in four locations, and sampled their small mammal communities we examined the effect of physical hedgerow attributes
on the abundance of small mammal species. Using three elements of landscape structure, we explored whether variation was best
explained by the Random Sample Hypothesis (that small islands represent a random sample of those species populating larger
areas), or by the Fragmentation Hypothesis (that species abundance will decrease with a loss of habitat area). We tested the
relationship between the relative abundance of small mammals and 1. hedgerow connectivity; 2. total habitat availability and
3. local habitat complexity. We then explored the predictive power of combinations of these habitat variables. Connectivity
was a positive predictor of wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus, and hedgerow gappiness was a negative predictor of bank voles Clethrionomys glareolus. The total amount of habitat available (hedgerow width, height and length) was a positive indicator of total small mammal
biomass. These results support the Fragmentation Hypothesis that species abundance and distribution decrease with a loss of
habitat area. The preservation of linear and associated habitats may therefore be important in maintaining metapopulations
of the species we studied. |
| |
Keywords: | Apodemus flavicollis Apodemus sylvaticus Clethrionomys glareolus Fragmentation Habitat corridors Linear habitat Population density Microtus agrestis |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|