Spatiotemporal Variation of Small Mammal Communities in Commercial Orchards across the Small Country

Stirkė, Vitalijus; Balčiauskas, Linas; Balčiauskienė, Laima

doi:10.3390/agriculture12050632

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Ecological studies of the small mammals in commercial orchards in Lithuania have been carried out only in recent years [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. However, the parasites of small mammals in these habitats have not been studied in Lithuania.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protozoan Parasites of Sarcocystis spp. in Rodents from Commercial Orchards

Prakas,

Stirkė,

Šneideris

et al. 2023

Animals

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Small mammals are an important group of wildlife that can transmit pathogens to humans and animals. There is a lack of comprehensive studies on the protozoan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis in agricultural areas. The aim of the current research was to evaluate the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp., and to identify the parasite species found in the skeletal muscles of rodents and insectivores from commercial orchards. A total of 679 muscle samples from small mammals, mainly rodents (n = 674), belonging to eight species were examined. Muscle samples were pooled into groups, then digested, and the presence of the Sarcocystis species was confirmed by molecular methods. The examined parasites were determined in five rodent species, Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, and M. oeconomus. The prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. was low: 2.23% in voles and 0.79% in mice. Based on a sequence comparison of cox1 and 28S rDNA, four species were identified: S. myodes, Sarcocystis cf. strixi, Sarcocystis sp. Rod1, and Sarcocystis sp. Rod2. This is the first report of S. myodes in A. agrarius, A. flavicollis, and M. arvalis. The identified species were most closely related to Sarcocystis spp., and were transmitted by predatory mammals and birds. Future studies are needed to describe the species morphologically, as well as to define the host spectrum and to evaluate their possible pathogenicity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protozoan Parasites of Sarcocystis spp. in Rodents from Commercial Orchards

Prakas,

Stirkė,

Šneideris

et al. 2023

Animals

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“…For each locality, the relative abundance (RA) of C. glareolus was expressed as the number of individuals trapped per 100 trap-days per trapping session [40]. We used standard statistics (average, SE, minimum and maximum in tables, 95% CI in figures) for RA and stable isotope values.…”

Section: Data Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable Isotope Analysis Supports Omnivory in Bank Voles in Apple Orchards

et al. 2022

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With only periodic and incomplete studies of its diet over time, all with differing methods and conclusions, the degree of omnivory in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is not fully clear. We assessed the trophic niche of the species using isotopic (δ15N and δ13C) compositions from hair samples and analysed how C. glareolus shares trophic space with herbivores, granivores and insectivores living syntopically. According to the numbers trapped, C. glareolus was the fourth most numerous species in the apple orchards that we investigated, accounting for 14.4% of all trapped small mammals with a relative abundance of 1.12 individuals per 100 trap nights. The average values of both δ15N and δ13C in the hair of C. glareolus differed from the other trophic groups, with the average of δ15N in orchards and neighbouring habitats (6.55–6.95‰) being closest to that of insectivores. Intraspecific trophic niche differences (depending on age, gender and reproductive status) were not expressed, while correlations between body mass, body condition index and both δ15N and δ13C values were not consistent. In comparison to analysed basal resources, isotopic signatures in the hair were closest to the values in invertebrates and apple seeds. The degree of omnivory in C. glareolus was not the same in different habitats. This may be an indication of ecological plasticity within the species, allowing its inclusion/success in multi-species small mammal communities.

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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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Spatiotemporal Variation of Small Mammal Communities in Commercial Orchards across the Small Country

Cited by 6 publications

References 64 publications

Protozoan Parasites of Sarcocystis spp. in Rodents from Commercial Orchards

Protozoan Parasites of Sarcocystis spp. in Rodents from Commercial Orchards

Stable Isotope Analysis Supports Omnivory in Bank Voles in Apple Orchards

Shrews Under-Represented in Fruit Farms and Homesteads

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