A long-term study of the winter food niche of the pine marten Martes martes in northern boreal Finland

Abstract

A long-term study of the winter food niche of the pine marten Martes martes in northern boreal Finland Erkki PULLIAINEN and Paivi OLLINMAKI Pulliainen E. and Ollinmáki P. 1996. A long-term study of the winter food niche of the pine marten Martes martes in northern boreal Finland. Acta Theriologica 41: 337-352.The diet of the pine marten Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) was studied during 16 successive winters in an uninhabited area in northern boreal Finland. The results are based on 5677 scats analyzed. The present data support earlier findings that the pine marten is an opportunistic generalist, its most favoured food apparently being small rodents, especially Clethrionomys spp. The significant year-to-year variation in the frequency of occurrence of this favoured prey in the diet of the marten correlated positively with summer trapping numbers for these species. Snow cover decreased the martens' consumption of Microtus spp. but not Clethrionomys spp. or the wood lemming Myopus schisticolor. The first real alternative in the absence of small rodents appeared to be the red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris, and in its absence carcasses of reindeer Rangifer tarandus tarandus and eggs. Other food items included birds, the mountain hare Lepus timidus, the common frog Rana temporaria, berries and mushrooms. There was some evidence that the occurrence of red squirrels in the diet was dependent on the abundance of both squirrels and small rodents. We suggest that in northern boreal Finland martens primarily forage for small rodents, and larger prey, which is less available and more difficult to catch, is captured incidentally.

Seasonal diet of pine marten Martes martes in southern boreal Sweden

“…The summer diet was generally similar to that reported in other Fennoscandian studies (Nasimovich 1948, Semenov-Tian-Shanskii 1959, Storch et al 1990), but the winter diet contained more berries and insects, and less squirrels and cervids, and the birds consumed were not dominated by tetraonids (Hoglund 1960, Nyholm 1970, Morozov 1976, Wabakken 1985, Storch et al 1990, Pulliainen and Ollinmaki 1996. These characteristics make the diet more similar to that reported from southern Europe, eg Switzerland (Marchesi and Mermod 1989), and Spain (Cantabrian Mountains and Minorca;Clevenger 1993).…”

“…The relative importance of Clethrionomys over Microtus vole species in the pine marten diet has been a matter of discussion, as it may indicate marten foraging habitat choice and food competition with red fox Vulpes vulpes (Lockie 1961, Marchesi and Mermod 1989, Brainerd 1990, Storch et al 1990, Jędrzejewski et al 1993, Pulliainen and Ollinmaki 1996. Microtus voles are generally considered more profitable than Clethrionomys, due to their larger size and clumped distribution (Henttonen 1987).…”

“…Most previous studies on pine marten diet in boreal Fennoscandia (here including Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland, and the adjacent Russian Lapland and Karelia) have been of short duration, or restricted to only part of the year (Semenov--Tian-Shanskii 1959, Hoglund 1960, Nyholm 1970, Morozov 1976, Wabakken 1985, Storch et al 1990, Pulliainen and Ollinmaki 1996, but see Nasimovich 1948. Here, multi-annual, year-round data on pine marten diet are presented, based on analyses of scats and contents of stomachs and intestines.…”

“…Pine marten is, however, most often characterized as a food generalist, and also squirrels, shrews, cervid carcasses, birds, invertebrates, and berries may all be important prey (Nyholm 1970, Warner and O'Sullivan 1982, Marchesi and Mermod 1989, Storch et al 1990, Pulliainen and Ollinmaki 1996, Sidorovich and Krasko 1997. The pine marten feeds opportunistically; its diet differs among seasons, years, and areas (Marchesi and Mermod 1989, Jędrzejewski et al 1993, Clevenger 1994.…”

“…In most studies on pine marten Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) diet, small rodents are the principal prey, particularly in winter (Nasimovich 1948, Semenov--Tian-Shanskii 1959, Lockie 1961, Morozov 1976, Garzón et al 1980, Brana and del Campo 1982, Wabakken 1985, Ansorge 1989, Eie 1992, Jędrzejewski et al 1993, Clevenger 1993, Gurnell et al 1994, Pulliainen and Ollinmaki 1996. Pine marten is, however, most often characterized as a food generalist, and also squirrels, shrews, cervid carcasses, birds, invertebrates, and berries may all be important prey (Nyholm 1970, Warner and O'Sullivan 1982, Marchesi and Mermod 1989, Storch et al 1990, Pulliainen and Ollinmaki 1996, Sidorovich and Krasko 1997.…”