Target Species and Other Residents—An Experiment with Nest Boxes for Red Squirrels in Central Poland

Gryz, Jakub; Jaworski, Tomasz; Krauze‐Gryz, Dagny

doi:10.3390/d13060277

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Indeed, urban red squirrels in Poland had significantly smaller home ranges (estimated with the minimum 100% convex polygons, MCP) compared to forest squirrels. The minimum value in the forest was approximately three times the minimum value of the urban park, and the maximum home range in the forest was around 5.5 times the maximum urban home range (Krauze- Gryz et al 2021). In addition, the same pattern was found for core-area size (Krauze- Gryz et al 2021).…”

Section: Space and Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 89%

“…The minimum value in the forest was approximately three times the minimum value of the urban park, and the maximum home range in the forest was around 5.5 times the maximum urban home range (Krauze- Gryz et al 2021). In addition, the same pattern was found for core-area size (Krauze- Gryz et al 2021). However, a different result was obtained for red squirrels studied in Germany, where neither MCP home range nor home range overlaps significantly differed between an urban and a semi-natural area (Thomas et al 2018).…”

Section: Space and Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 89%

“…Salsbury (2008), studying the density and placement of fox squirrel dreys in 20 woodlots in the Indianapolis metropolitan area (USA), found no effect of woodlot size, shape or degree of isolation on drey density. Contrary, the occupancy of nest boxes by red squirrels was much higher in urban park than in rural areas, probably related to the higher density in the park which could result in good nesting sites becoming a limited resource (Gryz et al 2021). Similar differences in squirrel density were reported in another city in Poland, Wroclaw.…”

Section: Density and Occupancymentioning

confidence: 97%

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The impact of urbanisation on chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels: a global systematic review

Tranquillo,

Bisi,

Wauters

et al. 2023

Mammal Review

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The current, rapid urbanisation process impacts global biodiversity and can be a driver for phenotypic changes in mammals that persist in cities. Animals display different response strategies in urban environments compared to natural areas, but patterns may differ among species. To better comprehend this process, we focused on a limited number of species that are present in many urban green spaces around the globe. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate which response strategies chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels use to cope with urban environments, exploring whether there are general response patterns, and to reveal potential adaptations to life in urban areas. We included studies that compared trait differences among conspecifics living in different areas along an urbanisation gradient (rural–urban) and studies comparing individuals or populations between urban areas with different environmental characteristics. The effects of urbanisation on chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels, at the individual and at the population levels, were identified in nine topics. Included articles explored at least one of these topics and their key findings were described. Effects of urbanisation are evident in all considered topics. However, we found contrasting patterns between species or even among individuals of the same species studied in different geographical areas. Overall, we reported two knowledge gaps: some phenotypic traits were considered in few studies, and many species, especially those living in the Global South, where urban growth rate is higher, have not been studied. This systematic review suggests that urbanisation can be an important driver for adaptation in small mammals, underlining the complexity and differentiation of response patterns. Since target species have important ecological and social roles, additional comparative studies, increasing our understanding of processes that determine their presence in cities, are essential for urban green planning which aims to conserve biodiversity.

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Section: Space and Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Space and Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Density and Occupancymentioning

confidence: 97%

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The impact of urbanisation on chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels: a global systematic review

Tranquillo,

Bisi,

Wauters

et al. 2023

Mammal Review

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“…An absence of knowledge of what constitutes effective design, appropriate placement and whether artificial refuges are used successfully can limit conservation efforts ( Cowan et al, 2020 ). Artificial refuges have been most widely studied ( Brady, Risch & Dobson, 2000 ; Cowan et al, 2021 ) and applied ( Gryz, Jaworski & Krauze-Gryz, 2021 ) for birds both during and outside of breeding seasons ( e.g. , Mainwaring, 2011 ); data relating to ground-dwelling terrestrial small mammals are comparatively limited ( Cowan et al, 2021 ) despite declines within urban areas ( e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What makes a house a home? Nest box use by West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) is influenced by nest box placement, resource provisioning and site-based factors

Gazzard

Baker

2022

PeerJ

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Artificial refuges provided by householders and/or conservation practitioners potentially represent one mechanism for mitigating declines in the availability of natural nest sites used for resting, breeding and hibernating in urban areas. The effectiveness of such refuges for different species is, however, not always known. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of UK householders to identify factors associated with the use of ground-level nest boxes for West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), a species of conservation concern. Overall, the percentage of boxes used at least once varied with season and type of use: summer day nesting (35.5–81.3%), breeding (7.2–28.2%), winter day nesting (20.1–66.5%) and hibernation (21.7–58.6%). The length of time the box had been deployed, the availability of artificial food and front garden to back garden access significantly increased the likelihood that a nest box had been used for all four nesting types, whereas other factors related to placement within the garden (e.g., in a sheltered location, on hardstanding such as paving, distance from the house) and resource provisioning (bedding) affected only some nesting behaviours. The factors most strongly associated with nest box use were the provisioning of food and bedding. These data suggest, therefore, that householders can adopt simple practices to increase the likelihood of their nest box being used. However, one significant limitation evident within these data is that, for welfare reasons, householders do not routinely monitor whether their box has been used. Consequently, future studies need to adopt strategies which enable householders to monitor their boxes continuously. Ultimately, such studies should compare the survival rates and reproductive success of hedgehogs within artificial refuges versus more natural nest sites, and whether these are affected by, for example, the impact of nest box design and placement on predation risk and internal microclimate.

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“…To compensate for the loss of cavity trees, man‐made nest boxes are widely used in forests and non‐forest areas (Bolton et al, 2004; Corrigan et al, 2011; Gryz et al, 2021; Leniowski & Węgrzyn, 2013; McComb & Noble, 1982). In Poland, about 25 types of nest boxes for birds and small mammals are used, of which more than 400,000 are currently installed in the wooded areas managed by the Polish State Forests alone (unpublished data from the General Directorate of State Forests).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

My home is your home: Nest boxes for birds and mammals provide habitats for diverse insect communities

Jaworski

Gryz

Krauze‐Gryz

et al. 2021

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Cavity‐bearing trees are important nesting sites for many birds and mammals but have become rare due to anthropogenic modification of natural environments. Nest boxes are often used to compensate for the loss of these microhabitats. Nest boxes contain amounts of organic debris exploited by a variety of organisms, mainly insects. We studied the largely unexplored group of nest‐dwelling insects by rearing them from plant detritus and animal remains accumulated in nest boxes of six bird and two mammal species, distributed in forest, farmland and urban environments in Poland. We recorded 119 species representing eight insect orders. Nest substrates composed of plant detritus and animal remains supported similar insect species richness but differed significantly in terms of the insect community composition. Nests of Falco tinnunculus and Tyto alba and also Parus spp. and Strix aluco had very similar insect communities. The structural compositions of insect communities were also similar in nests of Parus spp. and Sturnus vulgaris, and of F. tinnunculus and S. aluco. Flies and earwigs were associated with nests of Parus spp. and Sciurus vulgaris and were more abundant in forests and urban environments, whereas wasps preferred S. aluco nests in forests. Our study shows that nest boxes may serve as replacement habitats for a variety of nest‐associated insects. Therefore, we suggest a more flexible approach to nest boxes maintenance and management, for example, less frequent cleaning or providing more than one nest box in a given place to enhance conservation of nest‐associated insects.

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Target Species and Other Residents—An Experiment with Nest Boxes for Red Squirrels in Central Poland

Cited by 5 publications

References 58 publications

The impact of urbanisation on chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels: a global systematic review

The impact of urbanisation on chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels: a global systematic review

What makes a house a home? Nest box use by West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) is influenced by nest box placement, resource provisioning and site-based factors

My home is your home: Nest boxes for birds and mammals provide habitats for diverse insect communities

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