Wyniki wyszukiwania

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Habitat requirements of Eurasian pine marten Martes martes in a Mediterranean environment

100%

Lombardini M., Cinerari C. E., Murru M., Vidus Rosin A., Mazzoleni L., Meriggi A.

Acta Theriologica

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2015

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tom 60

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nr 2

Evaluating presence and habitat requirements of small carnivores is essential for their conservation. The Eurasian pine marten Martes martes, often described as a habitat specialist associated primarily with forest habitats, has been recently found to live even in patchily wooded country and in shrublands. We evaluated the environmental factors that determine the distribution of the pine marten in a Mediterranean landscape on the island of Sardinia (central Italy). Camera trapping sessions and scat surveys were carried out to assess the presence of the species, then a potential distribution model was developed using ecological niche factor analysis (ENFA), which requires only presence data. The pine marten selected highest altitudes, shrublands, rocky areas, and woodlands, and avoided urban areas and arable lands. Our results indicate that pine marten distribution in our study area is constrained by these variables. The ENFA analysis provided important clues about the distribution range of M. martes and its preferential environmental conditions, updating knowledge of its ecological requirements in Italy.

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Natural regeneration and gender-specific spatial pattern of Taxus baccata in an old-growth population in Foresta Umbra (Italy)

84%

Vessella F., Salis A., Scire M., Piovesan G., Schirone B.

Dendrobiology

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2015

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tom 73

English yew is rare and endangered dioecious species. Research on regeneration processes of endangered taxa is important to understand the mechanisms allowing a species to survive under several ecological scenarios, to predict future distribution shifts, to achieve best management practices and conservation policies. Our investigation was focusing on one of the oldest yew population in Europe, in Foresta Umbra in Italy. The main aim of this study was to understand spatial regeneration processes and dynamics related with parent trees’ sex distribution. Geostatistical analysis showed that seedlings occur in patches avoiding direct competition with adult yews. Negative relationship between regeneration and yew density and basal area was found. A general model for the reproductive ecology is proposed: females are less competitive and more environmentally demanding than males, because of their reproductive effort. Indeed, male and female fitness responds differently across environmental gradients, thus favouring spatial segregation of seedlings. Understanding the yew’s adaptive effectiveness is essential to ensure the conservation of existing populations, and encourage the species’ resilience into areas where yew is endangered.

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Water pollution induced by rainfed and irrigated agriculture in Mediterranean environment at basin scale

84%

Duarte A. C.

International Journal of Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology

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2011

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tom 11

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nr 1-2

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Barn Owl Tyto alba predation on small mammals in relation to the Mediterranean environment [Pisa Province, Italy]

84%

Varuzza P., Capizzi D., Santini L., Apollonio M.

Acta Ornithologica

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2001

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tom 36

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nr 2

The diet of the Barn Owl was investigated in 13 localities in the Pisa province, Central Italy. In each locality the percentage of forest and cultivated land, and the linear development of roads and rivers were recorded. To estimate the prey availability, the small mammal communities in seven different localities within the same province were sampled during live trapping sessions. Barn Owls preyed mainly upon rodents (79.4%) and insectivores (18.8%), while birds were eaten to a small degree (1.9%). The main prey taxon was Apodemus sp. (39.7%), followed by Microtus savii (26.1%). The relative frequencies of these two prey items were negatively correlated. Statistically significant differences in the mean prey weight in the thirteen localities were detected. The mean prey weight was positively associated with the wood surface and negatively with the area of cultivated fields. A positive relationship between prey diversity and cultivation was recorded. This indicates that Barn Owls which forage in cultivated habitats tend to prey on smaller species, mainly shrews and voles, and to have a more diversified prey spectrum. On the contrary, owls foraging in wooded areas were more specialized and preyed on larger Animals.

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Food digestibility of an Eurasian badger Meles meles with special reference to the Mediterranean region

84%

Rosalino L. M., Loureiro F., Macdonald D. W., Santos-Reis M.

Acta Theriologica

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2003

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tom 48

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nr 2

Feeding trials were carried out with a captive adult badger Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758) to establish relationships (digestibility coefficients) between the biomass of freshly consumed food and the dry undigested remnants recovered from scats (bone, teeth, hair, feathers, exoskeleton parts, seeds, etc). The foods studied were those revealed by our research to be the principal components of badger diet in a Mediterranean environment, and the values of the digestibility coefficients (DC) were: 24.74 for rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, 21.72 for rodents, 19.81 for pigeons Columba sp., 99.50 for amphibians, 32.35 for arthropods imago, 44.39 for insect larvae, 18.45 for earthworms Lumbricus rubellus, 2.75 for acorns Quercus sp., 9.19 for arbutus Arbutus unedo, 12.25 for blackberries Rubus ulmifolius, 46.12 for figs Ficus carica, 34.87 for loquats Eriobotrya japonica, 10.94 for olives Olea europaea, and 12.02 for pears Pyrus bourgaeana. The variability of DC values was measured, and attributed to the heterogeneity of constituents of the selected food types. There was no statistically significant correlation between the average weight of consumed food and the digestibility coefficients, confirming the expectation that such coefficients must be derived empirically for each food type.

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Badger Meles meles feeding ecology in dry Mediterranean environments of the southwest edge of its distribution range

67%

Barea-Azcon J. M., Ballesteros-Duperon E., Gil-Sanchez J. M., Virgos E.

Acta Theriologica

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2010

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tom 55

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nr 1

45-52

The dietary preference of badgers Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758) for earthworms and other food resources has been widely discussed. In the Mediterranean area, rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, fruits (mainly olives Olea europaea) and arthropods are the most important foods. We describe badger dietary habits in a xeric Mediterranean area, comparing use and availability of olives and rabbits. Our results indicated that olives and rabbits are the predominant resources consumed, however we did not detect any evidence of specialisation when we compared consumption versus field availability. In the case of olives we found that their consumption is reduced when juvenile rabbits or figs Ficus carica are widely available, which is evidence against any specialisation in this resource. Figs appear to be a key food item for badgers; they were consumed in large amounts when available. Badgers in this xeric area can be viewed as generalist or facultative specialists, using the most profitable resource when available but shifting its preferences to other less profitable food resources when availability of other primary food resource are reduced. Our results also indicated the high suitability of some human agricultural uses (eg fruit orchards) for this species, especially in the otherwise harsh Mediterranean environments.

Ograniczanie wyników

Habitat requirements of Eurasian pine marten Martes martes in a Mediterranean environment

Natural regeneration and gender-specific spatial pattern of Taxus baccata in an old-growth population in Foresta Umbra (Italy)

Water pollution induced by rainfed and irrigated agriculture in Mediterranean environment at basin scale

Barn Owl Tyto alba predation on small mammals in relation to the Mediterranean environment [Pisa Province, Italy]

Food digestibility of an Eurasian badger Meles meles with special reference to the Mediterranean region

Badger Meles meles feeding ecology in dry Mediterranean environments of the southwest edge of its distribution range