Abstract
We studied the effect of a forest edge management quasi-experiment on hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) nest numbers in the reproductive season in the Netherlands. We found that the number of nests increased significantly from 2009 to 2013 in managed edges after clearing 75–100 % of mature trees, with a peak in the second year, whereas those in unmanaged edges decreased. In addition, we studied habitat characteristics in forest edges and hedgerows, and found a positive effect of a high upper shrub layer and a high abundance of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus agg. and Rubus spp.), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) on nest densities. Based on these results, we propose a potential dormouse management strategy that extends conventionally advocated coppice management for regions with well-developed forest edges by (i) postulating a blackberry-oriented landscape restoration approach and (ii) using clearing of mature trees as a tool to boost local dormouse populations in forest edges that have become unsuitable as dormouse habitat due to vegetational succession.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Amori G, Hutterer R, Kryštufek B, Yigit N, Mitsain G, Meinig G, Juškaitis R (2008) Muscardinus avellanarius. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. Retrieved August 24, 2011 from www.iucnredlist.org.
Berg L, Berg Ǻ (1998) Nest site selection by the dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius in two different landscapes. Ann Zool Fenn 35:115–122
Bogdziewicz M, Zwolak R (2014) Responses of small mammals to clear-cutting in temperate and boreal forests of Europe: a meta-analysis and review. Eur J Forest Res 133:1–11
Bright PW, Morris PA (1990) Habitat requirements of dormice Muscardinus avellanarius in relation to woodland management in southwest England. Biol Conserv 54:307–326
Bright PW, Morris PA (1991) Ranging and nesting behaviour of the dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, in diverse low-growing woodland. J Zool 224:177–190
Bright PW, Morris PA (1993) Foraging behaviour of dormice Muscardinus avellanarius in two contrasting habitats. J Zool 230:69–85
Bright PW, Morris PA (1996) Why are dormice rare? a case study in conservation biology. Mammal Rev 26:157–187
Büchner S (2008) Dispersal of common dormice Muscardinus avellanarius in a habitat mosaic. Acta Theriol 53:259–262
Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: a practical information-theoretic approach, 2nd edn. Springer, New York
Dormann CF, McPherson JM, Araújo MB et al (2007) Methods to account for spatial autocorrelation in the analysis of species distributional data: a review. Ecography 30:609–628
Foppen R, Verheggen L, Boonman M (2002) Biology, status and conservation of the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in the Netherlands. Lutra 45:147–154
Juškaitis R (2007a) Feeding by the common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius): a review. Acta Zool Lit 17:151–159
Juškaitis R (2007b) Peculiarities of habitats of the common dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius, within its distributional range and in Lithuania: a review. Folia Zool 56:337–348
Juškaitis R, Büchner S (2013) The hazel dormouse. Westarp Wissenschaften, Hohenwarsleben
Lislevand T (2012) Habitat and nest placement of Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio breeding in clear-cuts in southern Norway. Ornis Norv 35:28–36
Magurran AE (2004) Measuring biological diversity. Blackwell Publishing, New York
Merckx T, Berwaerts K (2010) What type of hedgerows do Brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae L.) butterflies prefer? Implications for European agricultural landscape conservation. Insect Cons Div 3:194–204
Perea R, San Miguel A, Gil L (2011) Disentangling factors controlling fruit and seed removal by rodents in temperate forests. Seed Sci Res 21:227–234
Richards SA (2005) Testing ecological theory using the information-theoretic approach: Examples and cautionary results. Ecology 86:2805–2814
Spencer JW, Kirby KJ (1992) An inventory of ancient woodland for England and Wales. Biol Conserv 62:77–93
Trout RC, Brooks SE, Rudlin P, Neil J (2012) The effects of restoring a conifer plantation on an ancient woodland site (PAWS) in the UK on the habitat and local population of the hazel dormouse. Eur J Wildl Res 58:635–643
Vilhelmsen H (2003) Status of dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) in Denmark. Acta Zool Acad Sci Hung 49(suppl 1):139–145
Wolton R (2009) Hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius (L.) nest site selection in hedgerows. Mammalia 73:7–12
Wuttke N, Büchner S, Roth M, Böhme W (2012) Habitat factors influencing the distribution of the hazel dormouse (muscardinus avellanarius) in the Ore mountains, Saxony, Germany. Peckiana 8:21–30
Acknowledgments
Funds were provided by the HABITAT Euregio INTERREG IV-A Programme. We thank S. de Goeij for conducting the vegetation survey, and (private) landowners for allowing us on their lands. We thank C. Lawson for his advice on statistical analysis, and M. T. O’Mara and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on a previous version of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by C. Gortázar
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(DOCX 378 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ramakers, J.J.C., Dorenbosch, M. & Foppen, R.P.B. Surviving on the edge: a conservation-oriented habitat analysis and forest edge manipulation for the hazel dormouse in the Netherlands. Eur J Wildl Res 60, 927–931 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-014-0849-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-014-0849-5