Long‐term changes in a small mammal community in a temperate zone meadow subject to seasonal floods and habitat transformation

Abstract

We tested small mammal (SM) community response to the influence of seasonal floods and habitat transformation in a temporal zone meadow (west Lithuania). The habitat transitioned from a natural flooded meadow in 2008-2012 to a mowed and pastured area in 2020. SM were trapped in late summer to autumn using lines of 25 traps (145 in total), the number of trapping sessions being one or several per year. We tested the hypotheses that: (1)any reaction to the multiple disturbances is species-specific, that is, the relative abundance of SM species and their proportion in the community differs with respect to the flood magnitude and habitat transformation, and (2) at the guild level, disturbances favor habitat generalists, thereby changing the characteristics of SM community. The average relative density of SM was 20.25 individuals per 100 trap nights (range 7.56-40.67), with 4-year-long cyclical changes of density observed. In separate years, we recorded from 4 to 9 species; Shannon's diversity index varied from 0.46 to 2.19, with expressed change of the dominant species. Habitat generalist species were favored, while habitat specialists were disadvantaged. As the meadow transformation progressed, unfavored states in the SM community prevailed, with excessive numbers of granivore and herbivore species present. Our study suggests that multiple disturbances may lead to an increase in relative abundance, species richness, and diversity within the SM assemblages.