Study

Surviving on the edge: a conservation-oriented habitat analysis and forest edge manipulation for the hazel dormouse in the Netherlands

  • Published source details Ramakers J.C., Dorenbosch M. & Foppen R.B. (2014) Surviving on the edge: a conservation-oriented habitat analysis and forest edge manipulation for the hazel dormouse in the Netherlands. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 60, 927-931.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Remove vegetation by hand/machine

Action Link
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
  1. Remove vegetation by hand/machine

    A replicated, before-and-after, site comparison study in 2009–2013 at six forest sites in the Netherlands (Ramakers et al. 2014) found that after clearance of most mature trees, hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius nest abundance declined briefly but then increased relative to areas where no trees were cleared. Dormouse nest numbers in cleared plots fell in the year after clearing to 32% of pre-clearance levels. Two to four years after clearance, nest numbers were higher, at 374–803% of pre-clearance levels. Data were presented as standardised indices. In uncleared plots, there was a declining trend throughout with, at the end of the study, nest numbers 21% of the count made at the start of the study. Dormouse nests were counted along transects in September and November each year in 2009–2013. In 10 arbitrarily chosen ‘managed’ segments along transects (average 92 m long), 75–100% of mature trees were cut in winter 2009–2010. Ten unmanaged transect sections (average 181 m long) were monitored as controls.

    (Summarised by: Nick Littlewood)

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