Adaptation to living in an open arid environment: lessons from the burrow structure of the two southern African whistling rats, Parotomys brantsii and P. littledalei

This study examines interspecific differences in the architecture and field characteristics of the burrow systems of Brants' whistling rat, Parotomys brantsii, and Littledale's whistling rat, Parotomys littledalei. The two rodents are endemic to the arid west region of southern Africa. Both build complex burrow systems with numerous nest chambers and associated interconnecting tunnels, as well as a number of entrances. Burrow systems of P. littledalei are restricted to areas of good plant cover, whilst many P. brantsii burrows are situated in open locations with only limited plant cover. Further, the burrows of P. brantsii cover a much larger area than those of P. littledalei, with many more entrances. As P. brantsii feed predominantly within the boundaries of their burrows and not in the open veld, their burrow systems effectively serve as a predator refuge, into which this diurnal rodent can quickly run in the event of danger. Thus, by building large multi-holed burrow systems, P. brantsii have become independent of the protection offered by bush cover and can exist within relatively open areas within their distributional range. On the other hand, the reduced number of entrances to P. littledalei burrow systems may largely restrict this species to areas with adequate cover, including coastal and riverine bush, with which it is often associated.     

An experimental study on the burrowing activity of river crabs on subsurface water movement and piping erosion

The effects of the burrowing activity of river crabs on subsurface water movement and piping erosion were studied through a flume experiment. Cohesive field soil was used and constant fluvial head was applied. During the experiments with river crabs, burrows were excavated downwards under the groundwater level. At the outlet of each burrow, the crabs excavated pellets of soil and stacked them in piles, in the form of cone mounds. These mounds acted as effective dams for subsurface outflow, but they sometimes collapsed. The roofs of the burrows also caved in occasionally, whereby the crabs would excavate new burrows. The burrowing activity of the crabs led to marked erosion. In contrast, no marked erosion was observed in experiments without crabs, indicating that piping erosion occurs through the assistance of burrowing activity. It was observed that burrowing activity and piping erosion was pronounced when the hydraulic head was not significantly high (0.21–0.25). Analysis of the potential distribution of the soil mass indicated that the head loss close to the burrow was small in the case of experiments with crabs. This suggests that the burrow enhances rapid discharge of subsurface water. Consequently, burrowing activity was found to play an important role in piping erosion and rapid discharge of subsurface water.     

Impacts of interrelated biotic and abiotic processes during the past 125 000 years of landscape evolution in the Northern Mojave Desert, Nevada, USA

Interrelated, biotic (flora and fauna) and abiotic (pedogenesis and hydrology) processes were examined at four sites (30, and approximately 1000–3000, 7000–12 000, and 125 000 years before present) in the northern Mojave Desert. Data collected at each included floral and faunal surveys; soil texture, structure, and morphology; and soil hydraulic properties. Separate measurements were made in shrub undercanopy and intercanopy microsites. At all sites, shrubs made up greater than 86 percent of total perennial cover, being least on the youngest site (4 percent) and most on the 7000–12 000-year-old site (31 percent). In the intercanopy, winter annual density was highest on the 1000- to 3000-year-old site (249 plants/m²) and lowest on the oldest site (4 plants/m²). Faunal activity, measured by burrow density, was highest on the 1000–3000- and 7000–12 000-year-old sites (0.21 burrows/m²) and density was twice as high in the undercanopy versus the intercanopy. Burrow density was lower at the two oldest sites, although density was not statistically greater in the undercanopy than intercanopy. At the older sites, the soil water balance was increasingly controlled by Av horizons in intercanopy soils in which saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_sat) decreased 95 percent from the youngest to the oldest site. No significant reduction in K_sat in undercanopy soils was observed. Decreases in the intercanopy sites correlated with decreases in annual plant density and bioturbation, suggesting these processes are interrelated with surface age.     

大庆龙凤湿地须浮鸥巢址选择研究

为了认知影响须浮鸥(Chlidonias hybridus)营巢的主要环境因素,于2011年6～7月,采用直接观察法和样方法在大庆龙凤湿地自然保护区内对须浮鸥的巢区进行了调查研究.在本次调查中共发现须浮鸥巢73个,逐巢进行了常规测量,并对须浮鸥巢址及附近无巢对照区域的生境进行了调查.主成分分析和独立样本t检验的结果表明,须浮鸥属于集群营巢,而影响须浮鸥巢址选择的主要因素依次为巢下水深、巢距植物距离、巢周明水面积、植物高度、植物密度和巢距干扰源距离.其中,前3个因素影响须浮鸥生境中食物的供给条件,后3个因素影响须浮鸥巢的隐蔽条件.须浮鸥选择巢址的条件是能提供丰富食物且具有较好隐蔽条件的生境.     

Exploring spatially varying and scale-dependent relationships between soil contamination and landscape patterns using geographically weighted regression

Landscape pattern is an important determinant of soil contamination at multiple scales, and a proper understanding of their relationship is essential for alleviating soil contamination and making decisions for land planners. Both soil contamination and landscape patterns are heterogeneous across spaces and scale-dependent, but most studies were carried out on a single scale and used the conventional multivariate analyses (e.g. correlation analysis, ordinary least squared regression-OLS) that ignored the issue of spatial autocorrelation. To move forward, this paper examined spatially varying relationships between agricultural soil trace metal contamination and landscape patterns at three block scales (i.e. 5 km × 5  km, 10 km × 10 km, 15 km × 15 km) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), south China, using geographically weighted regression (GWR). This paper found that GWR performed better than OLS in terms of increasing R square of the model, lowering Akaike Information Criterion values and reducing spatial autocorrelation. GWR results revealed great spatial variations in the relationships across scales, with an increasing explanatory power of the model from small to large block scales. Despite a few negative correlations, more positive correlations were found between soil contamination and different aspects of landscape patterns of water, urban land and the whole landscape (i.e. the proportion, mean patch area, the degree of landscape fragmentation, landscape-level structural complexity, aggregation/connectivity, road density and river density). Similarly, more negative correlations were found between soil contamination and landscape patterns of forest and the distance to the river and industry land (p < 0.05). Furthermore, most significant correlations between soil contamination and landscape variables occurred in the western PRD across scales, which could be explained by the prevailing wind, the distribution of pollutant sources and the pathway of trace metal inputs.     

Differential seedling performance and environmental correlates in shrub canopy vs. interspace microsites

Shrubs in semi-arid ecosystems promote micro-environmental variation in a variety of soil properties and site characteristics. However, little is known regarding post-fire seedling performance and its association with environmental variation in former shrub canopy and interspace microsites. We compared post-fire seeding success and various soil properties important for seedling establishment between shrub canopy and interspace microsites in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) plant communities in southeast Oregon, U.S.A. We burned 5, 20 × 20 m sites and established paired canopy and interspace micro-transects seeded with bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata, 193 seeds/m) or crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum, 177 seeds/m). At one year post-fire, seedling density was 69% higher (p = 0.012) for crested wheatgrass (compared to bluebunch wheatgrass) and 75% higher (p = 0.019) for interspace microsites (compared to canopy). However, tiller and leaf area production were over twice as high (p < 0.05) in canopy microsites. Soil color and soil temperature, explained 19–32% of variation in seedling performance metrics. Shrub effects on seeding success are complex and interact with abiotic disturbances, but patterns of increased seedling performance in canopy microsites and their relationships to soil variables may suggest tactics for increasing success of restoration practices.     

Impact of thermal convection on air circulation in a mammalian burrow under arid conditions

Microclimates in mammal burrows depend on a critical balance between production, consumption and ventilation. This study investigates one, potentially dominant, advective ventilation mechanism: thermal convective venting (TCV). Temperature profiles were monitored continuously inside artificial mammalian burrows that were dug in the central Negev Desert of Israel, representing a typical arid environment. Using a heat transfer numerical model, it was found that heat transfer by TCV occurs regularly during nights and early mornings, driven by a thermal gradient between the burrow's soil and the atmosphere. The venting properties of TCV were tested using tracer visualization experiments in a climate-controlled laboratory under controlled conditions mimicking field thermal gradients. An inclined burrow produced convective venting rates two orders of magnitude higher than the calculated CO₂ production rate of Sundevall's jird (Meriones crassus, the case-study mammal); i.e., TCV can support the mammal's respiratory needs, even when neglecting other potential venting mechanisms like diffusion and wind-driven venting. Our calculations suggest that TCV can also support the respiration needs of larger mammals since venting by TCV increases as the burrow radius increases.     

Effects of the abandonment of the burrowing mounds of fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus cretzschamar 1828) on vegetation and soil surface attributes along the coastal dunes of North Sinai,Egypt

Fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus) are strictly herbivorous and live in densely complex burrows in the desert of North Africa and the Middle East. Little is known however about the effect of their foraging and burrowing activities on surface morphology and plant community attributes. This study evaluated such effects by comparing burrow and mound surface morphology, canopy of the main host chenopod shrub Anabasis articulata, vegetation cover, and plant abundance and species richness on and off both active and abandoned colonies in the semi-stabilized sand dunes of the Northern Sinai. In general, active burrow systems were characterized by reduced A. articulata canopy area, and more soil disturbance, with higher and larger burrow mounds dominated by bare ground, dung, and dead and fresh litter. The abandonment of mounds for five years has resulted in significant increases of plant cover, canopy height, abundance and species richness. Vegetation structure and plant species assemblages differed between mound and non-mound patches of both active and abandoned sites. The results suggest that fat sand rats can have significant direct and indirect, short-term and long-term effects on vegetation dynamics and structure through their mound building and foraging.     

Quantifying sediment transport across an undisturbed prairie landscape using cesium-137 and high resolution topography

Soil erosion is a global environmental problem, and anthropogenic fallout radionuclides offer a promising tool for describing and quantifying soil redistribution on decadal time scales. To date, applications of radioactive fallout to trace upland sediment transport have been developed primarily on lands disturbed by agriculture, grazing, and logging. Here we use ¹³⁷Cs to characterize and quantify soil erosion at the Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, an undisturbed grassland in northeastern Kansas. We report on the small scale (< 10 m) and landscape scale (10 to 1000 m) distribution of fallout ¹³⁷Cs, and show significant variability in the concentrations and amounts of ¹³⁷Cs in soils at our site. ¹³⁷Cs soil concentrations and amounts typically vary by 10% to 30% on small scales, which most likely represents the spatial heterogeneity of the depositional processes. Landscape scale variability of soil ¹³⁷Cs was significantly higher than small scale variability. Most notably, soils collected on convex (divergent) landforms had ¹³⁷Cs inventories of 2500 to 3000 Bq m^− 2, which is consistent with the expected atmospheric inputs to the study area during the 1950s and 1960s. Concave landforms, however, had statistically lower inventories of 1800 to 2300 Bq m^− 2. The distribution of ¹³⁷Cs on this undisturbed landscape contrasts significantly with distributions observed across disturbed sites, which generally have accumulations of radioactive fallout in valley bottoms. Because the upslope contributing area at each sampling point had a significant negative correlation with the soil inventory of ¹³⁷Cs, we suggest that overland flow in convergent areas dominates soil erosion at Konza on time scales of decades. Very few points on our landscape had ¹³⁷Cs inventories significantly above that which would be predicted from direct deposition of ¹³⁷Cs on the soil surface; we conclude therefore that there is little net sediment storage on this undisturbed landscape.     

大沙鼠掘洞对准噶尔荒漠植物群落的小尺度影响

通过比较大沙鼠洞区和对照区植物种类组成、盖度和密度的差异,研究了大沙鼠掘洞对准噶尔荒漠植物群落物种组成和植被结构的小尺度影响。使用Mann-Whitney U检验表明,洞区植物种数(n=6.47)显著高于对照区(n=4.32)(z=5.55,p<0.01);洞区半灌木种数(n=0.89)显著低于对照区(n=1.21)(z=2.70,p<0.01)。由于大沙鼠的采食,建群种盐生假木贼(Anabasis salsa)在洞群区的出现频率,密度以及高度均显著低于对照区;洞区草本植物种数(n=5.55)显著高于对照区(n=3.11)(z=6.65,p<0.01)。3种多年生草本植物在洞区的密度均显著高于其在对照区的密度。在大沙鼠洞区,由于废弃的鼠洞入口塌陷而形成的坑洼中沉积的疏松粗质沙土促进了沙生针茅(Stipa glareosa)和细叶鸢尾(Iris tenuifolia)的生长发育。8种一年生植物中,盐生草(Halogeton glomeratus)、对叶盐蓬(Girgensohnia oppositiflora)、小车前(Plantagominuta)、鹤虱(Lappula semiglabra)和黄芪(Astragalussp.)的出现频率和密度在洞区均显著增加。尽管受到大沙鼠的采食,盐生草在洞区的出现频率和密度不仅没有减小,反而显著增加。这可能是由于大沙鼠对土壤的扰动,在洞区形成的裸地促进了盐生草等一年生植物的生长发育。     

Scale dependent effects in resource selection by crop-raiding Japanese macaques in Niigata Prefecture,Japan

A resource selection function is one that yields values proportional to the probability of use of a resource unit. This quantity is influenced by the heterogeneity of landscape structures, which occurs over multiple spatial scales. To provide input into wildlife management strategies, we investigated the scale dependency and functional responses of Japanese macaques using multiple scale analysis. The multiple buffers with radii of 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 m were defined as the spatial scale. Crop damage was predicted at the within-home range scale, using the Random Forests algorithm with environmental variables linked to resource selection of Japanese macaques. Sixteen environmental variables were defined, covering aspects of landscape configuration, human disturbance, topography, and adopted countermeasures. Crop damage was most accurately predicted within a buffer zone of 1000 m, although radii exceeding 1000 m were also highly accurate. Although the importance of variables differed among spatial extents, the functional responses for each environmental variable were independent of spatial extent. These results suggest that the limiting factors of crop damage depend on spatial extent, while functional responses in resource selection remain constant across spatial extents. We also compared a multi-scale gradient map with a typical binary map to demonstrate the uncertainty in damage predictions at different spatial scales. Our results may aid wildlife management planning, for which differences in resource selection across different spatial scales are critically important.     

Nest dynamics of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae,Nasutitermitinae) and its association with the supporting vegetation in a semiarid area,northeast, Brazil

We evaluated growth, abandonment, decay and emergence of new nests of the Neotropical termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae) and its association with the supporting vegetation in an area of caatinga (arid thorn scrub in the state of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil). In an area of 1 ha, a total of 272 nests were observed monthly, from March 2005 to March 2007. Of these, 245 nests were small, 9 were of medium size, and 18 were large nests. During the rainy season (from June to February), nests grew 94.2 L, whereas during the dry season (March–May), their total growth was 23 L. The number of abandoned nests was positively correlated with rainfall. Decomposition of nests was greater during the rainy season. The pattern of nest distribution was associated with the distribution of the primary supporting plants. Rainfall appears to be one of the most important factors in the dynamics of growth of nests of C. cyphergaster in the caatinga.     

Pinus jeffreyi establishment along a forest-shrub ecotone in eastern California,USA

We examined large-scale climatic and small-scale biotic and abiotic factors affecting Pinus jeffreyi (Pinaceae) seedling establishment at its low-elevation boundary along the conifer forest-sagebrush steppe ecotone in eastern California, USA. In three successive growing seasons, P. jeffreyi seedlings were planted in three microhabitats (under Artemisia tridentata or Purshia tridentata canopies, and in open intershrub spaces) at a site within the ecotone (2300 m) and at a lower-elevation site (2200 m). We measured Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR; 400–700 nm), soil moisture and temperature, and air temperature in the three microhabitats, and monitored seedling survival, drought stress, and herbivory. At both sites, soil moisture decreased two- to six-fold between May and August of each summer. Maximum and minimum daily air temperatures were higher and lower, respectively, in intershrub areas, as were maximum daily soil temperatures and maximum daily PAR. At the ecotone site, mean P. jeffreyi seedling survival was longest following a very wet winter and shortest following a dry winter. For both elevations, seedlings had shorter survival times in intershrub microsites as compared to shrub microsites. Drought and herbivory both influenced seedling mortality within each microhabitat, but drought was the major determinant of seedling mortality by the end of each summer.     

Diet of a fossorial rodent (Octodontidae), above-ground food availability,and changes related to cattle grazing in the Central Monte (Argentina)

Overgrazing by livestock has caused desertification in the Monte, where ctenomyids and livestock share grasses as main food items. The diet of Ctenomys eremophilus, above-ground food availability and changes related to cattle grazing are analyzed in the arid plain of Mendoza, Argentina. The most available categories were grasses, followed by low shrubs and tall shrubs. Tuco-tucos showed dietary generalism, ate mainly above-ground plant parts, preferred grasses and avoided shrubs at both grazed and ungrazed sites. Plant cover, grass diversity and availability decreased under livestock grazing, which was reflected in the diet by a lower percentage of grasses, a shift toward low shrubs and higher number of frequently used resources. Tuco-tucos in the grazed paddock compensated for lower consumption of vegetative plant parts by increasing the use of Prosopis flexuosa pods stored inside burrows. Moreover, greater dietary variation among individuals suggests foraging restricted to the items closest to burrow holes. These feeding tactics would allow them to reduce above-ground foraging as a response to high raptor predation risk due to increased bare soil. The plant recovery detected during the rest period, favoured by moderate stocking rate and rotational grazing system, would allow coexistence of tuco-tucos and cattle.     

Reproductive biology of Spondias tuberosa Arruda (Anacardiaceae), an endemic fructiferous species of the caatinga (dry forest), under different management conditions in northeastern Brazil

In areas under different management conditions (management units, MUs) located either on a slope or at the base of a slope and either in a plantation or in a pasture, we compared the flower and fruit production, floral visitors, visitation rates and pre-emergent reproductive success (PERS) of Spondias tuberosa (Anacardiaceae) in an area of dry forest in NE Brazil. Individuals in the plantation MU produced more flowers per inflorescence than those in other MUs, but there were no statistical differences in mean fruit set among MUs. The only difference in mean visitation rates was between the plantation (65.83 ± 38.49) and the slope sites (11.5 ± 12.8). We observed visits by 19 insect species, including bees (31.6%), butterflies (31.6%), wasps (26.3%) and flies (10.5%). A clustering analysis based on the number of visits showed that a) the plantation site is most different from the other MUs, b) the pasture and the site at the base of the slope are similar to the slope site, and c) the higher frequency of visits of pollinators in the plantation MU was responsible for these differences. Of the 19 species of insects visiting the flowers, 12 were considered pollinators. The pollinator similarity analysis indicated a clear separation between areas and suggested that human activity has resulted in the replacement of native pollinators by exotic species. However, these changes apparently have not affected the pre-emergent reproductive success of S. tuberosa. Our results show that plant reproductive biology in semi-arid ecosystems may be modified by human action and that changes in floral production and pollinator guilds are the most conspicuous effects. However, the traditional management performed by local people may not affect the reproductive success of plant species.     

Spatial and temporal patterns across an ecological boundary: Allochthonous effects of a young saltwater lake on a desert ecosystem

We documented changes in the abundance and composition of terrestrial flora and fauna with respect to distance from the sea edge and timing of large allochthonous inputs from the Salton Sea, California. We found significant effects that were most pronounced within 300 m of the shore, but extended 3 km inland via coyote scat deposition. The zone within 300 m of the sea had a higher density of vegetation with a distinctly different plant composition. The denser vegetation supported higher abundances of birds and reptiles. Coyotes exhibited spatial and temporal responses to marine subsidies of fish, while birds were likely subsidized by aquatic aerial insects. Top-down control, as well as dietary and habitat preferences, may have resulted in reduced number of ants, beetles, and small mammals near the sea. Species responses to the habitat edge appeared to be associated with life history, as the near shore habitat favored habitat generalists and shore specialists, while inland desert habitat favored many sand and open desert specialists. Ecosystem responses support current theories of allochthonous spatial subsidies and consumer-resource dynamics but were limited in scope, magnitude, and distance.     

Pine plantation bands limit seedling recruitment of a perennial grass under semiarid conditions

Pine plantations coexist with Stipa tenacissima grasslands in many semiarid western Mediterranean areas. We compared three microsites created by a 30-year-old Pinus halepensis plantation: below pine plantation line (BP), below canopy of pines (BC) and interline bare band (BA). They were evaluated in terms of soil properties, pine litter and suitability as recruitment niches for S. tenacissima. Next, in a manipulative experiment in growth chambers we tested the hypothesis that pine litter interferes with the seedling emergence of S. tenacissima. Three treatments in pots were compared: (a) soil from BA; (b) intact soil + litter from BP; and (c) soil + litter from BP, which was mixed in the laboratory (BPMX). In the field the main microsite differences were pine cover and litter cover and thickness. Seedling emergence was significantly greater in BA than in BP. Emergence and litter depth fits a linear regression model. In the growth chamber litter did not interfere with the emergence of S. tenacissima. However, seedlings grown without litter were 28% longer and their mass was 27% greater than in the litter treatments. The detected pine litter interference may be relevant for plant dynamics and might be considered in forestry management programs.     

Effect of sheep grazing on rangeland plant communities: Case study of landscape depressions within Syrian arid steppes

The arid rangelands of Syria cover over half of the nation's landmass. Punctuating this landscape are broad, dry basins, or wadis, and gentle landscape depressions that exhibit localized elevated vegetation productivity and unique edaphic and hydrologic properties. Historically, continuous heavy grazing and aggressive agricultural activities resulted in excessive ecological degradation within these sensitive environments. Information is needed to determine the influence of livestock grazing on plant communities in landscape depressions and the impact that this has on ecosystem resilience. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of short-term sheep grazing on vegetation characteristics and plant community structure within depressions, and to provide recommendations for improved grazing management. Study plots were randomly located within paired topographic depressions located in northwestern Syria. Vegetation samples were collected along transects including plant biomass, plant density, herbaceous cover, and species diversity. In grazed plots, plant biomass was 49 g DM/m² compared to 234.4 g DM/m² in protected plots. Average plant density was 65 plants/m² in grazed plots compared to 1013 plants/m² in protected plots (P = 0.001). Herbaceous cover was 175% higher on protected sites compared to grazed plots. Average diversity (Shannon–Wiener index value) was 0.8 in grazed plots compared to 2.3 in protected plots. These results suggest that plant community structure will be impacted from short-term grazing and that a site's ability to positively respond to disturbance over time may be limited. We conclude that carefully planned grazing management should result in greater plant productivity and diversity.     

Seasonal variability of phytoplankton biomass and composition in the major water masses of the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean

Long-term changes in phytoplankton biomass and community composition are important in the ecosystem and biogeochemical cycle in the Southern Ocean. We aim to ultimately evaluate changes in phytoplankton assemblages in this region on a decadal scale. However, yearly continuous data are lacking, and long-term datasets often include seasonal variability. We evaluated the seasonal changes in phytoplankton abundance/composition across latitudes in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean via multi-ship observations along the 110°E meridian from 2011 to 2013. The chlorophyll a concentration was 0.3–0.5 mg m⁻³ in the Subantarctic Zone (40–50°S) and 0.4–0.6 mg m⁻³ in the Polar Frontal Zone (50–60°S); pico-sized phytoplankton (<10 μm), mainly haptophytes, were dominant in both zones. In the Antarctic Divergence area (60–65°S), the chlorophyll a concentration was 0.6–0.8 mg m⁻³, and nano-sized phytoplankton (>10 μm), mainly diatoms, dominated. Chlorophyll a concentrations and phytoplankton community compositions were the same within a latitudinal zone at different times, except during a small but distinct spring bloom that occurred north of 45°S and south of 60°S. This small seasonal variation means that this part of the Southern Ocean is an ideal site to monitor the long-term effects of climate change.     

Comparison of input data with different spatial resolution in landscape pattern analysis – A case study from northern Latvia

A suitable spatial scale needs to be selected in geographical and landscape ecological research, and this requires great consideration as different scales have profound effect on derived landscape spatial patterns. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of different scales on landscape metrics using simulated patterns, but few have been conducted to compare different data sources with variable scale for regional- and landscape-scale assessments. Possibly this has occurred because researchers have been prone to use the best available source, a well-known standard, and easiest to use. This study was conducted to assess the impact of input data resolution on values of landscape pattern metrics in four landscapes at scales 1:10 000, 1:50 000 and 1:100 000. The aim was to determine the applicability of three data sources for thematic models in landscape pattern analyses in the Eastern Baltic region. We found that the utility of CORINE Land Cover data for comprehensive structural assessment in mosaic-type landscapes was very limited, as the level of cartographic generalization excluded many small and linear landscape structure elements with potentially high importance for landscape functioning, such as habitat continuity. We also found that actual area harvested using clearcuts was considerably higher than shown in CORINE data, due to clearcuts size being much smaller than the minimum mapping unit. In the light of this, we suggest using data with spatial resolution corresponding to a cartographic scale of at least 1:50 000, in cases when spatial patches have size up to 25 ha.