Habitat selection of beech martens (Martes foina) in relation to prey availability and habitat characteristics in an agricultural landscape.

Otte, Pieter (2021) Habitat selection of beech martens (Martes foina) in relation to prey availability and habitat characteristics in an agricultural landscape. Master's Research Project 1, Ecology and Evolution.

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Abstract

Meadow breeding bird populations have shown a strong decrease in the recent decades caused by intensification of agriculture. Despite conservation efforts to decrease the negative effect of agriculture on meadow-bird populations, the decline continues rapidly due to increased predation by generalist predators. Little research is done on the ecology of predators of meadow-birds. This study focusses on the beech marten (Martes foina), a predator of meadow-birds, in a landscape with a mosaic of intensively farmed parcels and parcels where different types of measures for meadow birds are taken, creating spatiotemporal variation in the occurrence of prey species (breeding meadow-birds and common voles Microtus arvalis). In 2020 and 2021, six different beech martens were GPS-tracked during the breeding season of meadow-birds. Weekly field measurements were taken in fields with different levels of meadow-bird conservation measures in the home range of the martens. In addition, prey availability was determined by monitoring vole activity and meadow-bird presence (nests and chicks). In both study years it was found that voles prefer intensive grasslands whereas meadow-birds prefer fields with meadow-bird conservation measures. Four out of six martens showed preference for meadow-bird habitats. These findings imply that beech martens actively select for habitats where meadow-birds are abundant instead of habitats where alternative prey such as voles are present.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master's Research Project 1)
Supervisor name:	Klaassen, R.H.G.
Degree programme:	Ecology and Evolution
Thesis type:	Master's Research Project 1
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	06 Apr 2022 10:52
Last Modified:	06 Apr 2022 10:52
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/26820

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