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<p>In 2005–2016, we investigated a secondary succession of small mammal communities in forest ecosystems in High Tatras (Slovakia) disturbed by windstorm and fire. This long-term ecological study confirmed the occurrence of significant temporal and spatial changes in species composition and number of dominant small mammal species. A comparison between disturbed and undisturbed plots indicated notable differences in species richness and abundance. The gradations of dominant small mammal species in disturbed habitats were asynchronous and showed a wider range of amplitude than in the undisturbed plots. An analysis of the temporal and spatial changes in the structure of small mammal communities in relation to selected environmental gradients confirmed the statistically significant effect of secondary succession on species composition, abundance, and exchange in forest ecosystems in the High Tatra Mountains following a disturbance.</p>
</abstract>

In 2005–2016, we investigated a secondary succession of small mammal communities in forest ecosystems in High Tatras (Slovakia) disturbed by windstorm and fire. This long-term ecological study confirmed the occurrence of significant temporal and spatial changes in species composition and number of dominant small mammal species. A comparison between disturbed and undisturbed plots indicated notable differences in species richness and abundance. The gradations of dominant small mammal species in disturbed habitats were asynchronous and showed a wider range of amplitude than in the undisturbed plots. An analysis of the temporal and spatial changes in the structure of small mammal communities in relation to selected environmental gradients confirmed the statistically significant effect of secondary succession on species composition, abundance, and exchange in forest ecosystems in the High Tatra Mountains following a disturbance.

Temporal and spatial changes in small mammal communities in a disturbed mountain forest

Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources

Folia Oecologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

In 2005–2016, we investigated a secondary succession of small mammal communities in forest ecosystems in High Tatras (Slovakia) disturbed by windstorm and...

Temporal and spatial changes in small mammal communities in a disturbed mountain forest

Published Online: Dec 30, 2021

Page range: 9 - 22

Received: Jun 01, 2021

Accepted: Oct 04, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2022-0002

Keywords
disturbance, habitat selection, plant succession, small mammals

© 2022 Ladislav Hlôška et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Temporal and spatial changes in small mammal communities in a disturbed mountain forest

Published Online: Dec 30, 2021

Page range: 9 - 22

Received: Jun 01, 2021

Accepted: Oct 04, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2022-0002

Keywordsdisturbance, habitat selection, plant succession, small mammals

© 2022 Ladislav Hlôška et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
disturbance, habitat selection, plant succession, small mammals