Road-related landscape elements as a habitat: A main asset for small mammals in an intensive farming landscape
International audience Road construction creates new habitats for a variety of species. In intensive farming landscapes, road verges may be the only suitable habitat for rodents. However, little attention has been paid to other road-related landscape elements (RRLEs), such as excavation slopes or th...
Published in: | Basic and Applied Ecology |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
HAL CCSD
2017
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2017.09.013 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01677310 |
Summary: | International audience Road construction creates new habitats for a variety of species. In intensive farming landscapes, road verges may be the only suitable habitat for rodents. However, little attention has been paid to other road-related landscape elements (RRLEs), such as excavation slopes or the central islands of roundabouts, and their importance in a rodent territory. This study investigated all types of RRLE in terms of rodent abundances and habitat quality. RRLEs were compared with the semi-natural elements of the studied landscape using a capture-mark-recapture protocol. Four species and 3154 individuals were captured over a period of four months. Relative abundance and habitat quality were higher in RRLEs than in semi-natural elements. Mapping of the landscape showed that 86% of crop fields are accessible to Microtus arvalis (and almost 100% for Apodemus sylvaticus) from road verges. Our results highlight the importance of road verges and all other RRLEs in the conservation of species diversity in intensive farming landscapes. |
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