Influence of forest management on ground-dwelling small mammals

Authors:

• Michał Bogdziewicz

Abstract

Maintaining biological diversity is one of the main goals of modern forestry. To reach this objective we need to know how management practices affect forest species. This study summarizes the results published in papers on the influence of clear-cutting on small mammals. Most of the studied species increased in abundance on clear-cuts. The response of voles (Microtus agnstls and M. arvalis) was uniformly positive. Mice (Apodemus flavkollis and A. sykaticus) and shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus) varied in their responses but generally their number increased on clear-cuts. Bank voles (Myodesglareolus) appeared to be associated with the heterogeneity of habitat rather than with the age of forest stands per se. Nevertheless, our knowledge on the effects of forest management on small mammals is far from complete. In particular, there are almost no studies on the subject conducted in Western Europe or concerning management practices other than clear-cutting.