Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i>
Land-use change is the main driver of biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean basin. New socio-economic conditions produced a rewilding process so that cultural landscapes are being invaded by more natural habitats. We analyze the effects of landscape change on the demography and the spatial distribu...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/8/1230 |
| _version_ | 1797432005249466368 |
|---|---|
| author | Ignasi Torre Mario Díaz |
| author_facet | Ignasi Torre Mario Díaz |
| author_sort | Ignasi Torre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Land-use change is the main driver of biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean basin. New socio-economic conditions produced a rewilding process so that cultural landscapes are being invaded by more natural habitats. We analyze the effects of landscape change on the demography and the spatial distribution of <i>Crocidura russula</i> in six protected areas of the western Mediterranean basin. The study was conducted in the period 2008–2020 on 19 live trapping plots representing the three main natural habitats of the area (scrubland, pinewood, and holm oak woodland). We used a multiscale approach to ensure that the scale of response matched landscape structure (from plot to landscape) using either vegetation profiles (LiDAR) and land use data obtained from years 2007 and 2017. Statistical models (multiple-season single-species occupancy models) showed that <i>C. russula</i> populations were strongly associated to habitat features at the plot level. These models were used to predict occupancy at sampling units for the whole study area (850 km<sup>2</sup>), showing contrasting trends that shifted at relatively small spatial scales (expansions and retractions of species ranges). Parks showing extreme scrubland encroachment (−8% of area) and afforestation (+6%) significantly reduced habitat suitability for shrews and reductions in occupancy (−5%). Results would indicate faster changes in the spatial distribution of the target species than previously expected on the basis of climate change, driven by fast landscape changes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:53:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e2fa76e96764450a194984d3aae8776 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:53:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e2fa76e96764450a194984d3aae87762023-12-01T23:54:39ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292022-08-01128123010.3390/life12081230Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i>Ignasi Torre0Mario Díaz1BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, SpainDepartment of Biogeography and Global Change (BGC-MNCN-CSIC), National Museum of Natural Sciences, C/Serrano 115 Bis, E-28006 Madrid, SpainLand-use change is the main driver of biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean basin. New socio-economic conditions produced a rewilding process so that cultural landscapes are being invaded by more natural habitats. We analyze the effects of landscape change on the demography and the spatial distribution of <i>Crocidura russula</i> in six protected areas of the western Mediterranean basin. The study was conducted in the period 2008–2020 on 19 live trapping plots representing the three main natural habitats of the area (scrubland, pinewood, and holm oak woodland). We used a multiscale approach to ensure that the scale of response matched landscape structure (from plot to landscape) using either vegetation profiles (LiDAR) and land use data obtained from years 2007 and 2017. Statistical models (multiple-season single-species occupancy models) showed that <i>C. russula</i> populations were strongly associated to habitat features at the plot level. These models were used to predict occupancy at sampling units for the whole study area (850 km<sup>2</sup>), showing contrasting trends that shifted at relatively small spatial scales (expansions and retractions of species ranges). Parks showing extreme scrubland encroachment (−8% of area) and afforestation (+6%) significantly reduced habitat suitability for shrews and reductions in occupancy (−5%). Results would indicate faster changes in the spatial distribution of the target species than previously expected on the basis of climate change, driven by fast landscape changes.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/8/1230<i>C. russula</i>landscape changeoccupancy modelsspatial distributionscrubland encroachmentafforestation |
| spellingShingle | Ignasi Torre Mario Díaz Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i> Life <i>C. russula</i> landscape change occupancy models spatial distribution scrubland encroachment afforestation |
| title | Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i> |
| title_full | Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i> |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i> |
| title_short | Assessing the Effects of Landscape Change on the Occupancy Dynamics of the Greater White-Toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura russula</i> |
| title_sort | assessing the effects of landscape change on the occupancy dynamics of the greater white toothed shrew i crocidura russula i |
| topic | <i>C. russula</i> landscape change occupancy models spatial distribution scrubland encroachment afforestation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/8/1230 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ignasitorre assessingtheeffectsoflandscapechangeontheoccupancydynamicsofthegreaterwhitetoothedshrewicrocidurarussulai AT mariodiaz assessingtheeffectsoflandscapechangeontheoccupancydynamicsofthegreaterwhitetoothedshrewicrocidurarussulai |