Burrowing by badgers (Meles meles) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) changes soil conditions and vegetation in a European temperate forest

Abstract

This study examined the effects of burrow digging and habitation by the European badger (Meles meles) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) on soil properties and the plant community. The vegetation of control plots located in a similar but undisturbed habitat was compared with that of 18 burrow plots established at badger setts (N = 9) and fox dens (N = 9) in a lowland forest area in Poland. Soil physicochemical properties at different disturbance levels (mounds, intermounds and reference areas) were also investigated. The animals altered nutrient availability in the burrow plots considerably by excavating material from deep soil horizons that were less acidic and higher in K, Ca, Mg and available P but poorer in C and N. The effect was stronger for the badger, probably because it displaced larger amounts of material and disturbed wider areas. The activity of the two carnivores induced similar changes in plant communities. They increased herbaceous species richness and caused a shift in the herbaceous species composition: versus the control plots, the burrow plots contained more fugitive species (short-living plants typical for disturbed environments), among which ruderal forbs, including nutrient-demanding species, dominated. The carnivores also increased the species richness of fleshyfruited shrubs and trees. The primary reason for this was probably not burrowing but endozoochorous seed dispersal. Overall, the results indicate that the badger setts and fox dens differ significantly from the forest matrix in terms of soil and vegetation parameters, and that they contribute to habitat heterogeneity and biological diversity.

Ecosystem engineering by foxes is mediated by the landscape context—A case study from steppic burial mounds

“…The presence of nutrient‐demanding species on the burrows can be explained by the confounding effect of the changes in the amount of soil nutrients and the high availability of open microsites around the burrows. The nutrient content of the soil might be changed by the excrement of the foxes and also by taking deeper soil layers to the surface of the kurgan (Kurek et al., ; Monclús et al., ). In contrast with grasslands on flat areas where the deeper soil layers (bedrock) generally contain less nutrients and humus, on kurgans the deeper layers have a relatively high nutrient and humus content (Deák, Tóthmérész et al., ).…”

“…Soil mixing by burrowing animals is an important component of pedogenesis, increasing habitat heterogeneity even on large spatial scales, and thus an important driver of vegetation dynamics (Wilkinson, Richards, & Humphreys, 2009). Soil disturbance by small mammals can provide a proper microsite for the establishment of grassland specialist plant species, but can also cause habitat degradation and create establishment gaps for weeds (Jones, 2012;Kurek, Kapusta, & Holeksa, 2014;Müller et al, 2014;Zimmermann et al, 2014).…”

Bioturbation by bandicoots facilitates seedling growth by altering soil properties

“…Changes in soil potassium levels have been observed in the burrows created by many digging animals (see Platt et al., for review), although there is little consistency in the direction of change. For example, burrows created by badgers and foxes had more potassium (Kurek et al., ), while mounds of pocket gophers ( T. talpoides ) had less potassium than undisturbed surface soil (Mielke, ). In contrast, potassium quantities at foraging pits created by woylies were similar to undisturbed soil (Garkaklis et al., ), and the intensity of digging by plateau pika ( Ochotona curzoniae ) did not modify potassium levels (Yu et al., ).…”

“…For example, the burrows of mole‐rats (Bathyergidae) have more nitrogen compared to undisturbed soil (Hagenah & Bennett, ), while mounds of pocket gophers ( Thomomys tadpoides ) are predominantly associated with lower levels of nitrogen (Yurkewycz, Bishop, Crisafulli, Harrison, & Gill, ). Foraging pits created by badgers ( Meles meles ) have more potassium (Kurek, Kapusta, & Holeksa, ) as do those made by burrowing bettongs ( Bettongia lesuer ) and greater bilbies ( Macrotis lagotis ) (James et al., ), although there appears to be no effect on potassium or phosphorus levels in foraging pits created by the woylie ( B . penicillata ) (Garkaklis et al., ).…”

The silence of the lambs? Plant diversity in abandoned sheep pens

“…After removal of the O horizon (organic matter accumulated above the layer of mineral soil), for each plot topsoil samples were taken with a core sampler (3.5 cm in diameter) to 10 cm in depth. For the soil samples, five physicochemical characteristics were measured according to standard methods (Kurek et al 2014): N tot , C tot , ammonium NH 4 + -N, nitrate NO 3 --N and pH. Extracted ammonium and nitrate ions were analysed chromatographically (DX 100 analyser (Sunnyvale, USA) for ammonium, DX ICS 1100 analyser (Sunnyvale, USA) for nitrate content).…”