Abstract
The fragmentation of landscapes, induced by the growing urbanisation, is a major cause of biodiversity loss. Ecological corridors are landscape elements that make up for the negative effects of habitat fragmentation in agricultural or natural landscapes. However, their effectiveness have been rarely assess in an urban context. To do so, we analysed shrews in woodlots, corridors and domestic gardens that are connected or disconnected from a corridor. Indeed, these mammals are very sensitive to fragmentation and could play an important ecological role even in small and isolated areas such as domestic gardens. Ninety-seven shrews, from three species were trapped. In our study, Sorex coronatus, Sorex minutus and Crocidura russula were not widely distributed and mainly occurred in woodlots, corridors and connected gardens. In gardens, shrew occurrences were mainly determined by landscape configuration with negative effects of the distance to the corridor and the distance to the woodlot, stronger for C.russula than Sorex species. At the local scale, garden management and vegetation showed a positive effect mainly for Sorex species. The quality of gardens seems good enough to permit the co-occurrence of several species of shrews and thus competition was not identified as a major process for determining the occurrence. We showed that, as in other ecosystems, ecological corridors in urban context can play an effective role for the distribution of organisms with low dispersal capabilities and should be develop in planning strategies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahern J (2007) Green infrastructure for cities: the spatial dimension. In: Novotny V, Brown P (eds) Cities of the future: towards integrated sustainable water and landscape management. IWA Publishers, London, pp 267–283
Bailey S (2007) Increasing connectivity in fragmented landscapes: an investigation of evidence for biodiversity gain in woodlands. For Ecol Manage 238:7–23
Baker PJ, Harris S (2007) Urban mammals: what does the future hold? An analysis of the factors affecting patterns of use of residential gardens in Great Britain. Mamm Rev 37:297–315
Balloux F, Goudet J, Perrin N (1998) Breeding system and genetic variance in the monogamous, semi-social shrew, Crocidura russula. Evolution 52:1230–1235
Barnard CJ, Brown CAJ (1981) Prey size selection and competition in the common shrew (Sorex araneus L.). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 8:239–243
Beier P, Noss RF (1998) Do habitat corridors provide connectivity? Conserv Biol 12:1241–1252
Blanchoud H, Farrugia F, Mouchel JM (2004) Pesticide uses and transfers in urbanised catchments. Chemosphere 55:905–913. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2003.11.061
Bryant MM (2006) Urban landscape conservation and the role of ecological greenways at local and metropolitans cales. Landsc Urban Plan 76:23–44
Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and inference—a practical information-theorical approach, 2nd edn. Springer, New York
Churchfield S (1982) Food availability and the diet of the common shrew, Sorex araneus, in Britain. J Anim Ecol 51:15–28
Churchfield S (1990) The natural history of shrews. Helm/A and C Black, London
Clergeau P, Savard J-PL, Mennechez G, Falardeau G (1998) Bird abundance and diversity along an urban-rural gradient: a comparative study between two cities on different continents. Condor 100:413–425
Clergeau P, Croci S, Jokimaki J (2004) How useful are urban island ecosystems for defining invader patterns? Environ Conserv 31:181–184
Clergeau P, Croci S, Jokimäki J, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki M-L, Dinetti M (2006) Avifauna homogenisation by urbanisation: analysis at different European latitudes. Biol Conserv 127:336–344
Clobert J (2001) Dispersal. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Coffin AW (2007) From roadkill to road ecology: a review of the ecological effects of roads. J Transp Geogr 15:396–406
Collinge SK (1996) Ecological consequences of habitat fragmentation: implications for landscape architecture and planning. Landsc Urban Plan 36:59–77
COMOP (2009) Trame verte et bleue: orientations nationales pour la préservation et la restauration des continuités écologiques. Choix stratégiques. Grenelle de l’Environnement, Paris
Constantine NL, Campbell TA, Baughman WM, Harrington TB, Chapman BR, Miller KV (2005) Small mammal distributions relative to corridor edges within intensively managed southern pine plantations. South J Appl For 29:148–151
Crawley MJ (2009) The R book. Wiley-Blackwell, Chicago
Croci S, Butet A, Georges A, Aguejdad R, Clergeau P (2008) Small urban woodlands as biodiversity conservation hot-spot: a multi-taxon approach. Landsc Ecol 23:1171–1186
Davies ZG, Fuller RA, Loram A, Irvine KN, Sims V, Gaston KJ (2009) A national scale inventory of resource provision for biodiversity within domestic gardens. Biol Conserv 142:761–771
Davis AM, Glick TF (1978) Urban ecosystems and island biogeography. Environ Conserv 5:299–304. doi:10.1017/S037689290000638X
de Redon L, Machon N, Kerbiriou C, Jiguet F (2010) Possible effects of roadside verges on vole outbreaks in an intensive agrarian landscape. Mamm Biol 75:92–94
Dearborn DC, Kark S (2010) Motivations for conserving urban biodiversity. Conserv Biol 24:432–440
Dickman CR (1987) Habitat fragmentation and vertebrate species richness in an urban environment. J Appl Ecol 24:337–351
Dickman CR (1988) Body size, prey size, and community structure in insectivorous mammals. Ecology 69:569–580
Dickman CR, Doncaster CP (1987) The ecology of small mammals in urban habitats. I. Populations in a patchy environment. J Anim Ecol 56:629–640
Doody B, Sullivan J, Meurk C, Stewart G, Perkins H (2010) Urban realities: the contribution of residential gardens to the conservation of urban forest remnants. Biodivers Conserv 19:1385–1400
Ellenbroek FJM (1980) Interspecific competition in the shrews Sorex araneus and Sorex minutus (Soricidae, Insectivora): a population study of the Irish pygmy shrew. J Zool 192:119–136
European Environment Agency (2011) Landscape fragmentation in Europe. vol http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/landscape-fragmentation-in-europe
Fahrig L (2003) Effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 34:487–515
Felson AJ, Pickett STA (2005) Designed experiments: new approaches to studying urban ecosystems. Front Ecol Environ 3:549–556
Fischer J, Lindenmayer DB (2007) Landscape modification and habitat fragmentation: a synthesis. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 16:265–280. doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2007.00287.x
Forman RTT (1995) Land mosaics: the ecology of landscapes and regions. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Forman RTT, Godron M (1981) Patches and structural components for a landscape ecology. Bioscience 31:733–740
Gilbert-Norton L, Wilson R, Stevens JR, Beard KH (2010) A meta-analytic review of corridor effectiveness. Conserv Biol 24:660–668
Gill SE, Handley JF, Ennos AR, Pauleit S, Theuray N, Lindley SJ (2008) Characterising the urban environment of UK cities and towns: a template for landscape planning. Landsc Urban Plan 87:210–222
Goddard MA, Dougill AJ, Benton TG (2010) Scaling up from gardens: biodiversity conservation in urban environments. Trends Ecol Evol 25:90–98. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2009.07.016
Hanski I (1986) Population dynamics of shrews on small islands accord with the equilibrium model. Biol J Linn Soc 28:23–36
Hanski I (1989) Habitat selection in a patchy environment: individual differences in common shrews. Anim Behav 38:414–422
Hanski I (1998) Metapopulation dynamics. Nature 396:41–49
Henein K, Merriam G (1990) The elements of connectivity where corridor quality is variable. Landsc Ecol 4
Hess GR, Fischer RA (2001) Communicating clearly about conservation corridors. Landsc Urban Plan 55:195–208
Horskins K, Mather PB, Wilson JC (2006) Corridors and connectivity: when use and function do not equate. Landsc Ecol 21:641–655
Jacobson B, Peres-Neto P (2010) Quantifying and disentangling dispersal in metacommunities: how close have we come? How far is there to go? Landsc Ecol 25:495–507
Jongman RHG, Külvik M, Kristiansen I (2004) European ecological networks and greenways. Landsc Urban Plan 68:305–319
Loram A, Tratalos J, Warren P, Gaston K (2007) Urban domestic gardens (X): the extent & structure of the resource in five major cities. Landsc Ecol 22:601–615
Massol F, Gravel D, Mouquet N, Cadotte MW, Fukami T, Leibold MA (2011) Linking community and ecosystem dynamics through spatial ecology. Ecol Lett 14:313–323
Mathieu R, Freeman C, Aryal J (2007) Mapping private gardens in urban areas using object-oriented techniques and very high-resolution satellite imagery. Landsc Urban Plan 81:179–192
McDonnell MJ, Pickett STA, Groffman P, Bohlen P, Pouyat RV, Zipperer WC, Parmelee RW, Carreiro MM, Medley K (1997) Ecosystem processes along an urban-to-rural gradient. Urban Ecosyst 1:21–36
McGarigal K, Cushman SA (2002) Comparative evaluation of experimental approaches to the study of habitat fragmentation effects. Ecol Appl 12:335–345. doi:doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012%5B0335:CEOEAT%5D2.0.CO;2
McKinney M (2008) Effects of urbanization on species richness: a review of plants and animals. Urban Ecosyst 11:161–176
Michel N, Burel F, Butet A (2006) How does landscape use influence small mammal diversity, abundance and biomass in hedgerow networks of farming landscapes? Acta Oecol 30:11–20
Michel N, Burel F, Legendre P, Butet A (2007) Role of habitat and landscape in structuring small mammal assemblages in hedgerow networks of contrasted farming landscapes in Brittany, France. Landsc Ecol 22:1241–1253
Miller JR, Hobbs RJ (2002) Conservation where people live and work; Conservación donde la Gente Vive y Trabaja da planeación eficaz de la conservación. Conserv Biol 16:330–337
Mitchell-Jones AJ, Amori G, Bogdanowicz W, Krystufek B, Reijinders PJH, Spitzenberger F, Stubbe M, Thissen JBM, Vohralik V, Zima J (1999) The atlas of European mammals. T. & A.D. Poyser, London
Mortelliti A, Boitani L (2009) Distribution and coexistence of shrews in patchy landscapes: a field test of multiple hypotheses. Acta Oecol 35:797–804
Mortelliti A, Amori G, Capizzi D, Rondinini C, Boitani L (2010) Experimental design and taxonomic scope of fragmentation studies on European mammals: current status and future priorities. Mamm Rev 40:125–154
Pauchard A, Aguayo M, Peña E, Urrutia R (2006) Multiple effects of urbanization on the biodiversity of developing countries: the case of a fast-growing metropolitan area (Concepcion, Chile). Biol Conserv 127:272–281
Pearce J, Venier L (2005) Small mammals as bioindicators of sustainable boreal forest management. For Ecol Manage 208:153–175
Pellissier V, Cohen M, Boulay A, Clergeau P (2012) Birds are also sensitive to landscape composition and configuration within the city centre. Landscape Urban Plann 104:181–188. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.10.011
Peltonen A, Hanski I (1991) Patterns of island occupancy explained by colonization and extinction rates in shrews. Ecology 72:1698–1708
Pickett STA, Cadenasso ML (2008) Linking ecological and built components of urban mosaics: an open cycle of ecological design. J Ecol 96:8–12
Porter E, Forschner B, Blair R (2001) Woody vegetation and canopy fragmentation along a forest-to-urban gradient. Urban Ecosyst 5:131–151. doi:10.1023/a:1022391721622
R Development Core Team (2011) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna
Ricketts TH (2001) The matrix matters: effective isolation in fragmented landscapes. Am Nat 158:87–99
Rico A, Kindlmann P, Sedlacek F (2007) Barrier effects of roads on movements of small mammals. Folia Zool 56:1–12
Saunders DA, Hobbs RJ, Margules CR (1991) Biological consequences of ecosystem fragmentation: a review. Conserv Biol 5:18–32. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.1991.tb00384.x
Savard J-PL, Clergeau P, Mennechez G (2000) Biodiversity concepts and urban ecosystems. Landsc Urban Plan 48:131–142
Scheu S (2002) The soil food web: structure and perspectives. Eur J Soil Biol 38:11–20
Shchipanov NA, Kuptsov AV, Demidova TB, Kalinin AA, Aleksandrov DY, Pavlova SV (2008) Nonresidence and dispersal of common shrews (Sorex araneus, Insectivora). Zool Zhurnal 87:331–343
Shchipanov NA, Tumas’yan FA, Raspopova AA, Kouptsov AV (2011) Two types of using of space in the resident common shrews Sorex araneus L. Biol Bull 38:92–97. doi:10.1134/s1062359010061020
Smith R, Gaston K, Warren P, Thompson K (2006) Urban domestic gardens (VIII): environmental correlates of invertebrate abundance. Biodivers Conserv 15:2515–2545
Storfer A, Murphy MA, Spear SF, Holderegger R, Waits LP (2010) Landscape genetics: where are we now? Mol Ecol 19:3496–3514
Tigas LA, Van Vuren DH, Sauvajot RM (2002) Behavioral responses of bobcats and coyotes to habitat fragmentation and corridors in an urban environment. Biol Conserv 108:299–306
Tikhonova G, Tikhonov I, Surov A, Bogomolov P (2009) Structure of small mammal communities in Moscow parks and public gardens. Russ J Ecol 40:213–217
Tyler G (2008) Differences in abundance, species richness, and body size of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) between beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests on Podzol and Cambisol. For Ecol Manage 256:2154–2159
Vergnes A, Le Viol I, Clergeau P (2012) Green corridors in urban landscapes affect the arthropod communities of domestic gardens. Biol Conserv 145:171–178. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.11.002
Vogel P (1999) Colonisation capacity of the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula: an experimental study. Säugetierkunde Mitt 44:37–47
Vuilleumier S, Fontanillas P (2007) Landscape structure affects dispersal in the greater white-toothed shrew: Inference between genetic and simulated ecological distances. Ecol Model 201:369–376
Wang M, Grimm V (2007) Home range dynamics and population regulation: an individual-based model of the common shrew Sorex araneus. Ecol Model 205:397–409. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.03.003
Woods M, McDonald RA, Harris S (2003) Predation of wildlife by domestic cats Felis catus in Great Britain. Mamm Rev 33:174–188
World Bank (2009) The World Bank Urban & Local Governement Strategy. Concept & Issues Note. http://wwwwburbanstrategyorg/urbanstrategy/sites/wburbanstrategyorg/files/Urban%20Strategy%20Concept%20Note%20FINALpdf
Yalden DW, Morris PA, Harper J (1973) Studies on the comparative ecology of some french small mammals. Mammalia 37:257–276
Acknowledgments
We thank Ms Fiona Pujalte-Johnson for the language revision. We also thank François Chiron for his help in determination. The Study was supported by the French ministry of the environment and by the ANR “Trame Verte Urbaine”.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
Details of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) computed on the local and landscape variables (DOCX 77.0 KB)
ESM 2
Table of correlations between environmental variables (DOC 67.0 KB)
ESM 3
List and details of all the Generalized Liner Models computed on the occurrence of all shrews and on each species separately (XLS 39.0 KB)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vergnes, A., Kerbiriou, C. & Clergeau, P. Ecological corridors also operate in an urban matrix: A test case with garden shrews. Urban Ecosyst 16, 511–525 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-013-0289-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-013-0289-0