Abundance and diversity of small mammals in response to various linear habitats in semi-arid agricultural landscapes |
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| Institution: | 1. Food and Environment Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4;2. Applied Mammal Research Institute, 11010 Mitchell Avenue, Summerland, BC, Canada V0H 1Z8;3. Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 4200 Highway 97 South, Summerland, BC, Canada V1X 7S3;1. Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal;2. Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Área Biodiversidad y Conservación, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán, s/n., E-28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain;3. Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Ed. C2, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;4. BioISI- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;1. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral, IDEAus-CONICET, CC 128, 9120, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina;2. Ecología de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vectores, Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, CONICET, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina;1. Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, 53030 Radicondoli, Siena, Italy;2. U.R. Ecologia comportamentale, Etologia e Gestione della Fauna, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy;1. Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Apdo. 13, 33300 Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain;2. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Facultat de Biociències, Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain;1. French National Museum of Natural History, Centre d''Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR7204), MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France;2. EDF R&D, EPI Department, Site des Renardières, Ecuelles 77818 Moret sur Loing cedex, France |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the influence of linear habitats, three types of hedgerows and two types of field margins, on the small mammal community within a semi-arid agricultural landscape in south-central British Columbia, Canada. We examined whether abundance, species richness, and species diversity of small mammals in tree fruit orchards differed from linear, edge habitats along orchard margins. Our five edges spanned grassy to wooded habitats. Linear habitats were intensively sampled for vascular plants in 2003 and small mammal communities from 2003 to 2007. Vegetation and total abundance of small mammal species among three types of hedgerows were similar and population changes followed those within nearby apple orchards. Species richness and diversity of small mammals, however, were significantly higher in hedgerows than orchards. Fewer mammals occupied hedgerows with high volumes of herb and shrub biomass, but richness and diversity of mammals did increase with shrub volume. All seven species of small mammals were represented in the hedgerow communities, including two species at risk: the Great Basin pocket mouse Perognathus parvus and the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Two types of field margins (orchard-sagebrush and orchard-old field) along fencerows provided habitat for P. parvus. Field margins managed for herbaceous plant species along fencerows and other such linear configurations provided habitat for R. megalotis. Linear non-crop habitats should maintain the overall small mammal community, as well as the two species at risk, within this semi-arid agricultural landscape. |
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