@article{BobrowskiGillichStolter2020, author = {Bobrowski, Maria and Gillich, Benjamin and Stolter, Caroline}, title = {Nothing else matters? Food as a driving factor of habitat use by red and roe deer in winter?}, series = {Wildlife Biology}, volume = {2020}, journal = {Wildlife Biology}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley}, doi = {10.2981/wlb.00723}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2373}, pages = {9}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Habitat use by cervids can have large effects on vegetation. Therefore, factors influencing habitat use are pertinent to ecology, nature conservation as well as management of forests and hunting. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing habitat use by red and roe deer, Cervus elaphus and Capreolus capreolus, in the L{\"u}neburger Heide, Germany. We used faecal pellet counts as an indicator of habitat use and applied generalized linear models to conclude that habitat use by both cervids was largely explained by the availability of food plants. In particular, the occurrence of bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and deciduous trees such as beeches Fagus sylvatica were of major importance. Nonetheless, red and roe deer showed preferences for different plant species, but for both deer, the presence of large trees and conifers, with exception of young Norway spruce Picea abies providing shelter for roe deer, was less attractive. Furthermore, the proximity of mineral licks was important for both cervids. Relative to roe deer, red deer showed a stronger avoidance of well-used paths. Surprisingly, landscape features such as distance to settlements and elevated hunting standshad no significant effect. Our study demonstrates similarities and differences in habitat use of two important herbivores of the Northern temperate forests. We propose that managers establish 'decoy' sites for deer: areas with a high proportion of ground vegetation and young trees of lower forestry value. This will serve to divert deer from valuable trees and thereby enhance biodiversity. These open stands could be interspersed with dense islands of young coniferous trees to offer shelter and should be distant to frequently used pathways. Mineral licks may help enhance use of these sites. Providing an attractive resource for both species of cervids is the best way to manage large herbivores in economically valuable forests.}, language = {en} } @article{SchusterSpechtRieger2021, author = {Schuster, Rolf K. and Specht, Peter and Rieger, Siegfried}, title = {On the Helminth Fauna of the Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766)) in the Barnim District of Brandenburg State/Germany}, series = {Animals}, volume = {11}, journal = {Animals}, number = {8}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2076-2615}, doi = {10.3390/ani11082444}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2496}, pages = {15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The muskrat is a neozoon species that has occupied many countries of continental North Europe after its introduction from north America as fur animals. Due to its burrowing activity it damages river and canal banks and structures of flood control. For this reason, the eradication of this alien species is recommended. Muskrats are also of parasitological interest since they can act as suitable intermediate hosts for Echinococcus multilocularis. On the other hand, little is known on the other helminths that infect muskrats. A total of 130 muskrats of different age groups trapped in different habitats in the Barnim district of the Brandenburg state by a professional hunter were examined for parasites and seven trematodes (Echinostoma sp., Notocotylus noyeri, Plagiorchis elegans, Plagiorchis arvicolae, Psilosostoma simillimum, P. spiculigerum, Opisthorchis felineus and four larval cestode species (Hydatigera taeniaeformis, Taenia martis, Taenia polyacantha, Taenia crassiceps) were detected. Larval stages of E. multilocularis were not found. O. felineus was found for the first time in muskrats in Germany. All the named parasites were present in Europe prior to the introduction of muskrats. With a prevalence of 48.9\%, Strobilocercus fasciolaris, the larval stage of the cat tapeworm, H. taeniaeformis, was the most frequent parasite found in adult muskrats.}, language = {en} } @article{StrakaWolfGrasetal.2019, author = {Straka, Tanja M. and Wolf, Maritta and Gras, Pierre and Buchholz, Sascha and Voigt, Christian C.}, title = {Tree Cover Mediates the Effect of Artificial Light on Urban Bats}, series = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, number = {7}, publisher = {Frontiers Media S.A.}, issn = {2296-701X}, doi = {10.3389/fevo.2019.00091}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3273}, pages = {11}, year = {2019}, abstract = {With urban areas growing worldwide, so does artificial light at night (ALAN) which negatively affects many nocturnal animals, including bats. The response of bats to ALAN ranges from some opportunistic species taking advantage of insect aggregations around street lamps, particularly those emitting ultraviolet (UV) light, to others avoiding lit areas at all. Tree cover has been suggested to mitigate the negative effects of ALAN on bats by shielding areas against light scatter. Here, we investigated the effect of tree cover on the relationship between ALAN and bats in Berlin, Germany. In particular, we asked if this interaction varies with the UV light spectrum of street lamps and also across urban bat species. We expected trees next to street lamps to block ALAN, making the adjacent habitat more suitable for all species, irrespective of the wavelength spectrum of the light source. Additionally, we expected UV emitting lights next to trees to attract insects and thus, opportunistic bats. In summer 2017, we recorded bat activity at 22 green open spaces in Berlin using automated ultrasonic detectors. We analyzed bat activity patterns and landscape variables (number of street lamps with and without UV light emission, an estimate of light pollution, and tree cover density around each recording site within different spatial scales) using generalized linear mixed-effects models with a negative binomial distribution. We found a species-specific response of bats to street lamps with and without UV light, providing a more detailed picture of ALAN impacts than simply total light radiance. Moreover, we found that dense tree cover dampened the negative effect of street lamps without UV for open-space foraging bats of the genera Nyctalus, Eptesicus, and Vespertilio, yet it amplified the already existing negative or positive effect of street lamps with or without UV on Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus, and Myotis spp. Our study underpins the importance of minimizing artificial light at night close to vegetation, particularly for bats adapted to spatial complexity in the environment (i.e., clutter-adapted species), and to increase dense vegetation in urban landscape to provide, besides roosting opportunities, protection against ALAN for open-space foraging bats in city landscapes.}, language = {en} }