Abstract
The diet of three owl species was analysed in 32 sites localised in the Masovian Landscape Park and its outskirts to determine the structure of small mammal communities. Study was done in the years 1993–2016, 5,728 vertebrate prey (including 4,001 mammals) were collected. Five species of soricomorphs, six bats, 14 rodents and one species of Carnivora were found. Among mammals, Myodes glareolus had the greatest share in the diet of Strix aluco. Tyto alba most frequently caught Microtus arvalis and Sorex araneus, while Asio otus – M. arvalis and M. oeconomus. Those prey, together with Apodemus flavicollis and A. agrarius, dominated in small mammal communities. One site of Crocidura leucodon was found on the western edge of its range in Poland. The share of bats in the diet of S. aluco was small (0.5% of mammals), Plecotus auritus was most frequent. Muscardinus avellanarius was found in forests of the southern part of the Masovian Landscape Park. It was relatively often caught by S. aluco in favourable habitats. Shares of M. oeconomus, M. agrestis and M. avellanarius in the diet of owls were significantly higher in southern part of the study area remote from Warsaw.
Highlights
Few data on small mammals in the Masovian Landscape Park and its surroundings have been published so far
Apart from species associated with woodlots and forests, species typical for open areas of fields and meadows were frequent among small mammals in grounds situated east, south and west of the Masovian Landscape Park (Table 6)
The majority of species of small mammals noted in the study area were well within their ranges
Summary
Few data on small mammals in the Masovian Landscape Park and its surroundings have been published so far. The aim of the presented study was to supplement data on species composition and domination structure of small mammal communities through the analysis of the diet of http://rcin.org.pl. The share of small mammals (especially dominating species) in the diet of tawny owls reflects properly the proportion of their number in the hunting grounds of these predators (Balčiauskienė & Naruševičius 2006). Forested south-eastern parts of the study area are situated on Garwolin Plain (a sandy-loamy postglacial plain) and farther to the east there are agricultural lands with a small percent of forests. Over 100-year-old park in oak-hornbeam habitat with planted coniferous trees surrounded by wet and fresh meadows in the Świder River valley, 6 km east of the MLP. Las Matki Mojej, Ao Small forest complex 700 m from the western border of the MLP surrounded by dense housing, unused railway and industrial grounds
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