Barn OwlTyto albaPredation on Small Mammals in Relation to the Mediterranean Environment (Pisa Province, Italy)

Varuzza, Paolo; Capizzi, Dario; Santini, Luisa; Apollonio, Marco

doi:10.3161/068.036.0208

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The first is included inside a forest-dominated landscape and the second is the less environmentally diversified. This finding would corroborate what stated by Varuzza et al, (2001), which evidenced differences in prey diversity between sites located in forest vs. cultivated sites. This pattern of similarity is confirmed by DCA analysis, which highlights the faunal distinctiveness of sites B and D, the low diversity and uniformity of sites A and C, and suggests the existence of a relationship between species and sites.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Small mammals from barn owl Tyto alba pellets in a Mediterranean agroforestry landscape of central Italy

et al. 2021

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In order to investigate diversity patterns and similarities in the small mammal communities of an agroforestry landscape in western central Italy (Maremma of Lazio), we analyzed, in a multivariate setting (Cluster analysis, DCA-Detrended Correspondence Analysis), the prey content of barn owl Tyto alba pellets collected along one year in five sampling sites. Small mammal communities were composed by guilds typical of habitats included in agroforestry landscapes (croplands and mosaics, forests and ecotones, wet habitats and synanthropic ones). Since landscape matrices were characterized almost everywhere by croplands, typical agro-ecosystem species (Apodemus cfr. sylvaticus, Microtus savii, Mus domesticus and Soricidae) dominated in the majority of the collecting sites. The statistical analyses show how small changes in land use and cover can explain the faunal differences between sites, with the occasional presence of Arvicola italicus in wet habitats, and of Muscardinus avellanarius and Sorex samniticus in sites dominated by forest or agroforestry ecotones. Communities recorded in sites characterized by wet and forest habitats showed a higher distance from the others, dominated by croplands. Communities occurring in landscapes with the lowest habitat diversity showed also the lowest species diversity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Small mammals from barn owl Tyto alba pellets in a Mediterranean agroforestry landscape of central Italy

et al. 2021

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“…Their study revealed that both species prey upon the same small mammals (representing more than 95% of their diet), although the barn owl was more specialised in the predation of Savi's pine vole, preying on this species at a significantly higher rate (12.5% versus 2.4% for tawny owl). Other studies on barn owl diet showed percentages from 64.2 to 79.4% of rodents in pellets, 35,36 with Savi's pine vole remains accounting for 3.9-39.8%. 35,37 Other important predators of Savi's pine voles are diurnal raptors, such as kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and common buzzard (Buteo buteo), 38,39 and mammals such as weasel (Mustela nivalis) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes).…”

Section: Main Predatorsmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Savi's Pine Volementioning

confidence: 91%

From biology to management of Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii)

Ranchelli

Barfknecht

Capizzi³

et al. 2016

Pest Management Science

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Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii) is a rodent species of the Cricetidae family, inhabiting southern European agroecosystems. It is considered to be the main cause of rodent-attributed damage in Italy. To achieve an effective management, detailed knowledge of this species is needed. However, the available information about this species is fragmentary and incomplete. In this paper, the existing knowledge of Savi's pine vole taxonomy, reproduction, population dynamics, habitat and food preferences is reviewed in order to organise available information and identify priority areas of future research. Some of the changes in farming practices that have occurred in recent decades may have increased the impact of Savi's pine vole populations in crop fields. To manage this pest species effectively, an integrated strategy is recommended (involving habitat management, trapping and, when appropriate, the use of rodenticides). The apparent lack of cyclical population outbreaks and the relatively small litter size and long gestation and interpartum period of this species suggest that it could be more manageable than other vole species, while its strict herbivorous diet, stable population size in open habitats and wide distribution seem to indicate it as an ideal model species for risk assessment studies.

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“…In the case of insectivorous species, the abundance of the Bicoloured White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura leucodon) and the Lesser White-toothed Shrew (C. suaveolens) was significantly higher in semi-natural habitats. These species occur mainly in open areas and cultivated landscapes (Varuzza et al 2001) but also inhabit drier semi-natural habitats such as abandoned areas, hedges, meadows, shrubs, and forest edges (Anděra & Horáček 2005, Suchomel & Heroldová 2007, Poláčiková 2010). Our result is in accordance with the findings of a study in Croatia (Baranja), which also showed that C. leucodon was associated to dry semi-natural habitats (Szép et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Difference in small mammal assemblages in the diet of the Common Barn-Owl Tyto alba between two landscapes

Horváth

Morvai

Horváth

2022

Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung.

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As an opportunistic predator, the Common Barn-owl (Tyto alba) proved to be an appropriate model organism to survey the composition of small mammal assemblages. This study analysed barn owls’ pellet samples from 14 localities containing 34 animal taxa and 4,088 prey items in two years (2015–2016). Two groups of samples (7–7 localities) were separated based on the dominance of semi-natural habitats and agricultural lands. Rarefaction analysis proved that the species richness and diversity of barn owls’ diet were significantly higher in semi-natural landscapes. The multiple regression analysis between PCA scores showed that in the agrarian landscape the abundance of generalist species was influenced by the proportion of forests, while the value of the trophic level index was determined by the size of arable fields. In the case of semi-natural landscapes, the abundance of the synantrop guild and generalist species, especially S. araneus and A. agrarius, was influenced by the proportion of urban areas, the number of habitats and the size of arable fields. The results of this study suggested that the small mammal consumption of the Common Barn-owl is significantly different in the two landscapes, which reflects the impact of habitat heterogeneity and agricultural activity on prey availability.

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Barn OwlTyto albaPredation on Small Mammals in Relation to the Mediterranean Environment (Pisa Province, Italy)

Cited by 10 publications

References 17 publications

Small mammals from barn owl <em>Tyto alba</em> pellets in a Mediterranean agroforestry landscape of central Italy

Small mammals from barn owl <em>Tyto alba</em> pellets in a Mediterranean agroforestry landscape of central Italy

From biology to management of Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii)

Difference in small mammal assemblages in the diet of the Common Barn-Owl Tyto alba between two landscapes

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