Effects of Post-Fire Management on a Mediterranean Small Mammal Community

Fire

article

Ignasi Torre¹  Alexis Ribas²  Roger Puig-Gironès³ 

[1] BiBio Research Group and Mammal Research Area, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers;Parasitology Section, Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona;Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat ,(IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona;Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona;Departament de Ciències Ambientals, University of Girona

关键词: rodents;    shrews;    salvage logging;    vegetation structure;    forest recovery;    habitat management;   

DOI  :  10.3390/fire6010034

学科分类：环境科学（综合）

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Wildfires simplify ecosystems, modifying the ecological niches of the fauna living in the recently burned areas. Small mammals respond rapidly to changes in habitat structure and composition after fire, but the effects of fire can be ameliorated by some management strategies (e.g., salvage logging). Hence, it is necessary to explore whether alternative management strategies may be able to return the ecosystem to its initial state. We studied the small mammal community by live trapping on eight plots under different post-fire treatments in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park (Barcelona province, NE Spain). At the community level, an increase in overall relative abundance and species density was observed in the burned areas. Apodemus sylvaticus, the most abundant mammal in study area, used woody debris piles as a shelter against predators. Mus spretus was more abundant in post-fire sites with large open areas interspersed with woody debris piles. Crocidura russula steadily increased its presence in later successional stages when ground cover became more complex. Our results suggest that combining different management strategies may be appropriate to improve the habitat suitability and biodiversity of small mammals and other key open-land species throughout the burned area.

【 授权许可】

CC BY