Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Small mammal and raptor densities in habitat islands; area effects in a south Swedish agricultural landscape

  • Published:
Landscape Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There was no significant correlation between the size of habitat islands in cropped fields and the density of field vole, bank vole, and common shrew populations during autumn. Despite this, winter densities of perching raptors were considerably higher in small islands than in large one. Explanations for this, apparently suboptimal, hunting pattern are discussed. The distribution should increase predation mortality for small rodents in small compared to large patches and may have been the cause of the higher winter mortality actually found for field voles in small patches.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Caughley, G. 1977. The analysis of vertebrate populations. John Wiley & Sons.

  • Davies, P.W. an Davis, P.E. 1973. The ecology and conservation of the Red Kite in Wales. Br. Birds 66: 224–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottfried, B.M. 1982. A seasonal analysis of small mammal populations on woodlot islands. Can. J. Zool. 60: 1660–1664.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansson, L. 1981. Immigration to human habitations by south Swedish small mammals. Z. Angew. Zool. 68: 339–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loman, J. In press. The small mammal fauna in an agricultural landscape in southern Sweden. Mammalia.

  • Loman, J. and von Schantz, T. In press. Birds in a farmland - more species in small than in large habitat islands. Conservation Biology.

  • Lefkovich, L.P. and Fahrig, L. 1985. Spatial characteristics of habitat patches and population survival. Ecol. Modell. 30: 297–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merriam, G. 1984. Connectivity, A fundamental ecological characteristic of landscape pattern. Proceedings of the first international seminar of the Intern. Assoc. of Landscape Ecology 1: 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sylvén, M. 1978. Interspecific relations between sympatrically wintering common buzzards Buteo buteo and roughlegged buzzards Buteo lagopus. Ornis Scand. 9: 197–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Apeldoorn, R.C. and Van der Zee, F. In press. Small mammals in the agricultural landscape, the role of habitat size and isolation for the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). Proc. 2nd Int. Sem. Int. Ass. Landscape Ecol.

  • Wegner, J.F. and Merriam, G. 1979. Movements by birds and small mammals between a wood and adjoining farmland habitats. J. Appl. Ecol. 16: 349–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wessel, M. 1969. Die Winternahrung des Rotmilvans (Milvus milvus) in Niedersachsen. Vogelk. Ber. aus Niedersachsen 1: 41–46.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden

    Jon Loman

Authors
  1. Jon Loman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Loman, J. Small mammal and raptor densities in habitat islands; area effects in a south Swedish agricultural landscape. Landscape Ecol 5, 183–189 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158065

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158065

Keywords

Search

Navigation