Distribution of Four Vole Species through the Barn Owl Tyto alba Diet Spectrum: Pattern Responses to Environmental Gradients in Intensive Agroecosystems of Central Greece

Abstract

Voles are the most common vertebrate pests in European agriculture. Identifying their distribution and abundance patterns provides valuable information for future management. Barn Owl diet analysis is one of the optimum methods used to record small mammal distribution patterns on large spatial scales. From 2003 to 2005, a total of 10,065 Barn Owl pellets were collected and analyzed from 31 breeding sites in the largest agroecosystem in Greece, the Thessaly plains. A total of 29,061 prey items were identified, offering deep insight into small mammal distribution, specifically voles. Four discrete vole species (Harting’s vole Microtus hartingi, East European vole Microtus levis, Thomas’s pine vole Microtus thomasi, and Grey dwarf hamster Cricetulus migratorius) comprised 40.5% (11,770 vole prey items) of the total Barn Owl prey intake. The presence and abundance of the voles varied according to underlying environmental gradients, with soil texture and type playing a major role. M. levis showed no significant attachments to gradients, other than a mild increase in Mollisol soils. It was syntopic in all sites with M. hartingi, which was the dominant and most abundant small mammal species, preferring non-arable cultivated land, natural grasslands, set-aside fields, and fallow land. M. thomasi was strictly present in western Thessaly and strongly associated with a sandy-clay soil texture and Alfisol soils. C. migratorius was the least represented vole (162 items), exclusively present in eastern Thessaly and demonstrating a stronger association with cereals, Mollisol soils, and an argillaceous-clay soil texture. This is the first study in Greece at such a large spatial scale, offering insights for pest rodents’ distribution in intensive agroecosystems and their response to environmental gradients including soil parameters.

Shrews Under-Represented in Fruit Farms and Homesteads

“…Despite some data on shrews in agricultural and anthropogenic habitats [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], agro-ecological studies are mostly limited to rodent communities [ 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. Studies on insectivores in anthropogenic habitats are mostly limited to birds and bats [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ], and the same applies to agricultural areas [ 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 ].…”

Shrew Communities in Mediterranean Agro-Ecosystems of Central Greece: Associations with Crop Types, Land Uses, and Soil Parameters

“…Field monitoring was realized and data were collected according to Bontzorlos et al [6]. From a total of 31 high-fidelity Barn owl natural breeding sites in Thessaly plains, four seasonal pellet samplings were realized from 2003 to 2005 in each breeding site representing two breeding periods (April to August) and two non-breeding periods (October to February).…”

“…Within the mammalian group, shrews along with rodents and bats comprise the most diverse orders globally [4]. Due to their small home ranges, limited life-span, and complex ecological niches, it is a difficult and demanding process to delineate the underlying mechanisms driving shrew associations with habitat types, habitat management, and land uses, especially on broad geographical scales [1,5,6].…”

“…km. of the Thessaly plains [6] (Figure 1). Shrew associations with habitat and land uses have never been studied previously on large spatial scales in Greece, conducted in the largest and most extensively managed agroecosystem of Greece, covering approximately 5000 sq.…”

A novel optimization approach for rural development based on sustainable agriculture planning, considering the energy and water consumption nexus

“…Although measures have been taken at any point, according to the available information, these measures have not been complete and comprehensive. In general, it seems that the current cultivation pattern of the country is affected by past actions and mainly based on the existing water and soil resources and sometimes economic advantages and due to the change of climatic and economic conditions due to the non-competitiveness of the production of some products, this cultivation pattern faces challenges, which necessitates changing the annual cultivation pattern (Bontzorlos et al, 2023).…”