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The response of small
mammal communities to cattle grazing on a coastal meadow |
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Niels M.
Schmidt1 and Henrik Olsen |
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Department
of Ecology, Zoology Section, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural
University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark, 1e-mail:
nms@kvl.dk |
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Abstract: The
response of small mammals to cattle grazing on a coastal meadow with three
different grazing intensities was evaluated. Grazed areas tended to hold
fewer small mammals than the ungrazed control area, though the variation was
high. The negative effect of grazing increased with grazing intensity. Small
mammals were caught almost exclusively in patches of high, dense vegetation,
and it is suggested that the negative effect of grazing results from the
reduced number of such patches. Grazing also affected small mammal species
richness, where richness was generally lower in the area of high grazing
intensity than in areas with low grazing intensity or without grazing. |
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Key words:
coastal meadow, grazing, small mammals, species richness |