Is the common shrew (Sorex araneus) really a common forest species?

Lešo, Peter; Kropil, Rudolf

doi:10.1007/s12210-016-0590-y

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…5), considered as generalist species. In accordance with a recent research (Lešo, Kropil, 2017) Sorex araneus should not be considered as a forest species as it was present before and its habitat preference recorded during this research affirm the statement. More movable species such as Apodemus flavicollis and A. sylvaticus prefer an environment with bare soil and less vegetation, concurs with the result of Baláž et al (2016), which explains their occurrence at the B lines.…”

Section: Persistence Of the Species During Seasons (%)supporting

confidence: 91%

Importance of Wetland Refugia in Agricultural Landscape Provided Based on the Community Characteristics of Small Terrestrial Mammals

Kalivodová

Kanka

Miklós

et al. 2018

Ekológia (Bratislava)

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Intensification of agriculture has led, among other negative consequences, also to drying out of wetlands. Nevertheless, some of the wetland biotopes were preserved as small spots. This paper discusses the importance of those areas serving as refugia for small terrestrial mammals. Because small terrestrial mammals in the middle of food webs, they serve as an indicator for the presence of food sources (plants and invertebrates) and suggest the potential of the area as a living space for predators. The experiment took place at lowland agricultural landscape with wetland patches in west and west-east Slovakia (Záhorská and Podunajská nížina lowlands) using catch-mark-release method from 2015 to 2017. The importance was assessed according to abundance, biodiversity, persistence of species during seasons and habitat preference of small terrestrial mammals and equitability of the biotopes. Overall 368 individuals belonging to 12 species were recorded. The lowest abundance and diversity were registered at field biotopes where Apodemus sylvaticus was the most abundant. Microtus arvalis, Clethrionomys glareolus and Sorex araneus dominate at wetland biotopes. The higher biodiversity and abundance of small mammals were recorded at the wetland refugia. The results, together with position of small mammals in food webs, lead to conclusion that the wetland refugia are important habitats for the overall preservation of biodiversity and maintaining them is a part of the strategy for sustainable agriculture.

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Section: Persistence Of the Species During Seasons (%)supporting

confidence: 91%

Importance of Wetland Refugia in Agricultural Landscape Provided Based on the Community Characteristics of Small Terrestrial Mammals

Kalivodová

Kanka

Miklós

et al. 2018

Ekológia (Bratislava)

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“…Data on the relative abundances of shrews and the proportions of their species in small mammal communities are heterogeneous. In the Carpathian Mountains, S. araneus accounted for 0.8%, and all insectivores for only 1.3%, of the total number of small mammal individuals trapped [ 16 ]. This contrasted with the work of Benedek et al [ 17 ], who reported that the proportion of all insectivorous species in the Carpathians was 27.4%, while S. araneus alone was 23.6%.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shrews Under-Represented in Fruit Farms and Homesteads

Balčiauskas

Stirkė

Garbaras

et al. 2023

Animals

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Shrews are a less studied group of small mammals than rodents. Between 2018 and 2022, we surveyed 23 sites in Lithuania, including natural and anthropogenic habitats, with the aim to assess the proportion of Soricidae in small mammal communities and their diet based on stable isotope analysis. The average representation of Soricidae was 3.1%, about half the long-term average in other habitats in the country. The highest proportions were in meadows and farmsteads, at 4.9% and 5.0% respectively. Shrews were not trapped on farms or in young orchards, and their relative abundance was very low in intensively managed orchards (0.006 individuals per 100 trap days). Neomys fodiens and N. anomalus were unexpectedly found in homesteads, including in outbuildings. Sorex araneus and S. minutus had similar diets. The trophic carbon/nitrogen discrimination factor between invertebrates and shrew hair was 2.74‰/3.98‰ for S. araneus, 1.90‰/3.78‰ for S. minutus in the orchards. The diet of N. fodiens and N. anomalus at the homesteads requires further investigation. We propose that the under-abundance of shrews may be due to contamination by plant protection products and a lack of invertebrates under intensive agricultural practices.

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Dynamics of small-mammal communities along an elevational gradient

Benedek

Sîrbu

2019

Can. J. Zool.

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Elevation is one of the most important natural gradients that is strongly shaping communities across relatively small areas. However, few studies have followed the temporal dynamics of elevational patterns, even in organisms for which population and community fluctuations have been extensively studied, such as rodents. Here we report the multiannual dynamics of small-mammal communities along an elevational gradient in the Southern Carpathians. During a 5-year survey, we conducted live-trapping in forested and shrubby habitats, at elevations between 820 and 2040 m. We used partial constrained multivariate analysis and mixed-effects models to test the effect of elevation, year, and their interaction. Community metrics differed significantly between even and odd years and temporal changes had stronger effect on small-mammal communities than elevation. The 2-year pattern of dynamics was especially marked in the yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis (Melchior, 1834)). Species abundance was predicted not only by year and elevation, but also by their interaction. The dominant rodent species, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus (Schreber, 1780)) and A. flavicollis, showed opposite annual patterns in relation to elevation, possibly as a strategy to avoid competition. Failure to consider the fluctuations in montane small-mammal communities may lead to wrong assessment of species’ state and distribution.

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Is the common shrew (Sorex araneus) really a common forest species?

Cited by 5 publications

References 14 publications

Importance of Wetland Refugia in Agricultural Landscape Provided Based on the Community Characteristics of Small Terrestrial Mammals

Importance of Wetland Refugia in Agricultural Landscape Provided Based on the Community Characteristics of Small Terrestrial Mammals

Shrews Under-Represented in Fruit Farms and Homesteads

Dynamics of small-mammal communities along an elevational gradient

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