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8 INTRODUCTION Fig. 2. The distributional range of M. avellanarius (according to Juskaitis & Biichner 2013, updated) and the geographical position of Lithuania (white outline) within this range. Note: dormouse reintroduction sites in Britain are not …
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western part of its range, while in the rest of the range it is considered stable (Juskaitis & Biichner 2013). Habitat loss due to deforestation, when farmland, urban development, roads and other forms of unsuitable habitat replace po- tentially good …
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1. Review of studies on M. avellanarius in Europe M. avellanarius has been the subject of many studies carried out in different parts of its range, including distribution studies in Austria (Spitzenberger 1983), Belgium (Li- bois 1980), Croatia (Tvrtkovié …
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1. REVIEW OF STUDIES ON M. AVELLANARIUS monitoring (Sanderson 2004; White 2012) and reintroductions (Oxford 2007; Mitchell- Jones & White 2009; Chanin 2014). Many other studies on M. avellanarius have ad- ditionally been carried out in Britain during the …
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12 1. REVIEW OF STUDIES ON M. AVELLANARIUS The influence of habitat loss and fragmenta- tion on M. avellanarius has also been stud- ied recently (Mortelliti et al. 2009, 2011; Zapponi et al. 2013). Some other aspects of the ecology of M. avellanarius have …
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1. REVIEW OF STUDIES ON M. AVELLANARIUS b, c). The influence of high nestbox densities (Juskaitis 2005b) and methodological aspects of the use of nestbox grids in population studies of M. avellanarius have also been an- alysed (Juskaitis 2006b). During …
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2. Study areas in Lithuania, material and methods 2.1. Environmental conditions in Lithuania Lithuania (area 65 300 km?) is situated on the Baltic Sea (see Fig. 2 in page 8) and lies in the transition region between the West Euro- pean maritime and East …
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Fig. 3. Localities of M. avellanariusin Lithuania and lo- cations of study sites A and B (mapped on 10 = 10 km squares of the national grid “Lithuania-94”). Lithuania, Sakiai district; 55°03’N, 23°04’E) in 1984-1990 and 1997-2013, and at study site B …
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2. STUDY AREAS IN LITHUANIA AND METHODS Fig. 5. Scheme of study site B in 1985-1993. 1 — nestbox, 2 — forest edge. est stands occupied comparatively large areas: 40-50 year-old aspen-dominated stands with Norway spruce, oak and birch, and Norway …
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The methods used to study M. avel- lanarius populations were based on the fol- lowing three main principles: 1) even spacing of nestboxes in a grid system in large forest areas; 2) regular checking of the boxes; 3) marking of all dormice caught. Ordinary …
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18 2. STUDY AREAS IN LITHUANIA AND METHODS animals were weighed and their sex and age de- termined. During 1981-1993, M. avellanarius were weighted using a pair of scales with the precision of 0.1 g. 100 g and 60 g spring balanc- es were used during the …
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or the entire tail lost. However, irrespective of the length of the lost part of their tail, all such animals were called “tail-less” dormice. Condition of the wound in the tail and its regrowth with hair were evaluated for esti- mating how long before …
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20 2. STUDY AREAS IN LITHUANIA AND METHODS (16 x 8 x 8cm) were fixed on horizontal branch- es or tree trunks using sticky tape at a height of 1-2 m. Hazelnut kernels and pieces of apple were used as bait. The total trapping effort was 1750 trap nights, …
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3. Ecology of M. avellanarius 3.1. Habitats of M. avellanarius 3.1.1. Main features of M. avellanarius habitats within its distributional range In different parts of its comparatively large distributional range, environmental conditions for M. …
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3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS Fig. 9. Habitat of M. avellanarius in oak woodland with hazel in Lithuania. sprawling growth habit, ensuring plenty of near-horizontal interdigitating branches to facilitate arboreal travel. Such conditions are found where …
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1970; Hurel & McIntosh 1984; Capizzi et al. 2002; Vilhelmsen 2003; Juskaitis & Siozinyté 2008). The best-developed understorey usu- ally occurs around forest edges, and M. avel- lanarius were often found at the edges of for- ests or glades (Fig. 10) and …
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24 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS 2012; S. Buchner & J. Lang, unpublished). M. avellanarius have habitat require- ments that may be met by coppice woodland management (Bright & Morris 1990, 1996, 2005; Bright et al. 2006). In effect, coppicing maintains an …
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rally and understorey develops in the gaps thus formed (Juskaitis & Siozinyté 2008). Many researchers (e.g. Lozan 1970; Gaisler et al. 1977; Andéra 1987; Faltin 1988; Bako et al. 1998; Jurczyszyn & Wolk 1998; Hecker et al. 2003a) who studied the …
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26 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS dwarf pine Pinus mugo stands in the subalpine belt of the western Tatra Mountains, at about 1600 m a.s.]. (Miklos & Buchamerova 2004). Records of M. avellanarius in subalpine dwarf pine forests also exist in other areas …
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with early successional stages of forest stand formation (16% in overgrown clearings and 5% in young spruce plantations). Among forest stands, 39% of M. avellanarius locali- ties were situated in forest stands dominated by spruce, 20% in birch-dominated …
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28 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS Fig. 1 13. Mixed eer Hoa a with Norway spruce and hazel in the understorey at uty site A - one of the typical habitats of M. avellanarius in Lithuania. plantations, some overgrown clearings, wil- low Salix sp. scrub and …
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M. avellanarius can still be found in such habitats, especially when they occupy small areas and are surrounded by other more suitable habitats (JuSkaitis 2007b). The four plants most associated with M. avellanarius in Britain are hazel, oak, honeysuckle …
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30 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS nian forests, but they are not widespread. Honeysuckle L. periclymenum is absent from Lithuanian forests, but another spe- cies of honeysuckle L. xylosteum (a spherical shrub up to 2-3 m high) is present in Lithua- nia …
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adult per hectare (Juskaitis 2003a, 2008a), a comparatively low figure when compared to the average densities of 2.2-3.5 adults/ha in Great Britain for example (Bright et al. 2006, Bright & Morris 2008), possibly indicating a lower quality of dormouse …
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32 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS 3.2. Nests and nest sites of M. avellanarius 3.2.1. Summer nests of M. avellanarius During its summer activity period, M. avellanarius build tightly woven ball- shaped nests with an entrance hole on the side, but the …
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ee i ay ani 3.2. NESTS AND NEST SITES Fig. 15. Different types of nests of M. avellanarius: a) ited nest; b) geet nest in aernee Cc) grassy nest; d) foliar nest in nestbox. stricted to the plants growing in the area where they live, nevertheless the nest …
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34 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS groups used by M. avellanarius (Vilhelmsen 1996). In Sweden, the characteristic nests of M. avellanarius were woven with grass, leaves, ferns and strips of bark from juniper Juniperus communis or honeysuckle Lon- icera …
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lanarius and they can both be found in over- grown clearings in the forests (JuSkaitis & Remeisis 2007a). Wren nests may also some- times be similar to M. avellanarius nests (Berg 1996; Bright et al. 2006). According to Kahmann & Frisch (1950), the number …
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36 3. ECOLOGY OF M. AVELLANARIUS Nest supporting plants reflect the com- position of the plant community, but within this M. avellanarius show preference to par- ticular plant species that support and hide the nests best. More than 70% of nests of M. …
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A: Fig. 17. Nest of M. avellanarius in young oak tree. 3.2. NESTS AND NEST SITES trees usually become suitable for M. avel- lanarius nests after they have lost their tops and sprouted several new shoots. Tree tops could be cut by humans or bitten off by …