Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance
Several studies indicate a long-term decline in the numbers of voles in northern Fennoscandia. Altered land use and forest management practices have been proposed as possible causes of the decline. This doctorial thesis aimed to identify, on different spatial scales, landscape patterns that are impo...
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Luleå tekniska universitet, Geovetenskap och miljöteknik
2003
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ftluleatu:oai:DiVA.org:ltu-16815 2023-05-15T16:11:50+02:00 Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance Ecke, Frauke 2003 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-16815 eng eng Luleå tekniska universitet, Geovetenskap och miljöteknik Luleå Doctoral thesis / Luleå University of Technology 1 jan 1997 → …, 1402-1544 2003:30 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-16815 Local 028b9240-6f80-11db-962b-000ea68e967b info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Ecology Ekologi Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis text 2003 ftluleatu 2022-10-25T20:50:49Z Several studies indicate a long-term decline in the numbers of voles in northern Fennoscandia. Altered land use and forest management practices have been proposed as possible causes of the decline. This doctorial thesis aimed to identify, on different spatial scales, landscape patterns that are important for the abundance of small mammals and that might be related to the decline. General trends and aspects of spatial habitat modelling were reviewed. Trapping data from three large extent monitoring programs were related to habitat factors on different spatial scales. For these analyses, a broad range of statistical and GIS (geographic information system) related methods was applied. On the microscale (trapping station, extent <= 10 m) and mesoscale (transect, length 90 m), structural habitat factors such as coarse and fine woody debris, umbrella vegetation and structural complexity of the forest floor were identified as important factors influencing small mammal abundance. Small mammal densities were related to the percentage landcover of vegetation types on the micro-, meso-, macro- (subarea/landscape, 1 x 1, 2.5 x 2.5 and 2 x 5 km) and regional scale (overall study area, 20 x 20 - 80 x 80 km). The spatial continuity (non- fragmentation) of old-growth pine forest patches on the landscape scale was positively related to the abundance of C. rufocanus, the species that showed the most pronounced long-term decline in numbers. The results of this thesis strongly suggest that altered land use might indeed be involved in the decline in numbers of voles in managed forest areas in northern Fennoscandia. To reveal and test responses of small mammals to changes in landscape patterns in more detail, this work proposes further application of large scale approaches. These approaches, e.g. the GIS-based prediction of the areas with currently high abundance of C. rufocanus can be tested by field sampling of the type applied in this thesis. Such approaches should consider the key aspects identified in the reviews on GIS-based ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Fennoscandia Luleå University of Technology Publications (DiVA) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Luleå University of Technology Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftluleatu |
language |
English |
topic |
Ecology Ekologi |
spellingShingle |
Ecology Ekologi Ecke, Frauke Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
topic_facet |
Ecology Ekologi |
description |
Several studies indicate a long-term decline in the numbers of voles in northern Fennoscandia. Altered land use and forest management practices have been proposed as possible causes of the decline. This doctorial thesis aimed to identify, on different spatial scales, landscape patterns that are important for the abundance of small mammals and that might be related to the decline. General trends and aspects of spatial habitat modelling were reviewed. Trapping data from three large extent monitoring programs were related to habitat factors on different spatial scales. For these analyses, a broad range of statistical and GIS (geographic information system) related methods was applied. On the microscale (trapping station, extent <= 10 m) and mesoscale (transect, length 90 m), structural habitat factors such as coarse and fine woody debris, umbrella vegetation and structural complexity of the forest floor were identified as important factors influencing small mammal abundance. Small mammal densities were related to the percentage landcover of vegetation types on the micro-, meso-, macro- (subarea/landscape, 1 x 1, 2.5 x 2.5 and 2 x 5 km) and regional scale (overall study area, 20 x 20 - 80 x 80 km). The spatial continuity (non- fragmentation) of old-growth pine forest patches on the landscape scale was positively related to the abundance of C. rufocanus, the species that showed the most pronounced long-term decline in numbers. The results of this thesis strongly suggest that altered land use might indeed be involved in the decline in numbers of voles in managed forest areas in northern Fennoscandia. To reveal and test responses of small mammals to changes in landscape patterns in more detail, this work proposes further application of large scale approaches. These approaches, e.g. the GIS-based prediction of the areas with currently high abundance of C. rufocanus can be tested by field sampling of the type applied in this thesis. Such approaches should consider the key aspects identified in the reviews on GIS-based ... |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Ecke, Frauke |
author_facet |
Ecke, Frauke |
author_sort |
Ecke, Frauke |
title |
Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
title_short |
Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
title_full |
Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
title_fullStr |
Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
title_sort |
effects of landscape patterns on small mammal abundance |
publisher |
Luleå tekniska universitet, Geovetenskap och miljöteknik |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-16815 |
genre |
Fennoscandia |
genre_facet |
Fennoscandia |
op_relation |
Doctoral thesis / Luleå University of Technology 1 jan 1997 → …, 1402-1544 2003:30 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-16815 Local 028b9240-6f80-11db-962b-000ea68e967b |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
_version_ |
1765997030474252288 |