The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend?
Compared to other small mammals, shrews are understudied due to their limited impact on agriculture, lower biomedical importance, and difficulty to study. Based on trapping data from 1975–2023, we investigated changes in Lithuanian shrews (<i>Sorex araneus</i>, <i>Sorex minutus<...
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2024-10-01
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| author | Linas Balčiauskas Laima Balčiauskienė |
| author_facet | Linas Balčiauskas Laima Balčiauskienė |
| author_sort | Linas Balčiauskas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Compared to other small mammals, shrews are understudied due to their limited impact on agriculture, lower biomedical importance, and difficulty to study. Based on trapping data from 1975–2023, we investigated changes in Lithuanian shrews (<i>Sorex araneus</i>, <i>Sorex minutus</i>, <i>Neomys fodiens</i>, and <i>Neomys milleri</i>) over six decades. We analyzed the relative abundance of shrews and the proportion of their species within small mammal communities to assess temporal patterns and distribution in major habitat types. The first main finding was the confirmation of a decrease in <i>S. araneus</i> abundance in the 2020s compared to the 1990s and 2010s. The species proportion in 2020s was lower than in the 1970s–2000s; the decrease started in the 1980s and accelerated in the 2000s. Abundances and proportions of <i>S. minutus</i> and <i>N. fodiens</i> showed no significant trend. The abundance of <i>N. fodiens</i> was very low. The relative abundances and proportions of <i>Sorex</i> species were highest in commensal (human-related) and mixed (including forest, wetland, and meadow) habitats. Shrews were underrepresented in agricultural habitats, with the numbers of both <i>S. araneus</i> and <i>S. minutus</i> 4.1 times lower than expected. While the presence of <i>S. minutus</i> in commensal habitats could be explained by their diet specificity, the capture of <i>N. fodiens</i> and <i>N. milleri</i> in commensal habitats is a novel feature of their ecology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-69e85dc902f545ce8c96aa9ea0a30759 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
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| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj-art-69e85dc902f545ce8c96aa9ea0a307592025-08-20T02:48:05ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292024-10-011411139310.3390/life14111393The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend?Linas Balčiauskas0Laima Balčiauskienė1Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaNature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412 Vilnius, LithuaniaCompared to other small mammals, shrews are understudied due to their limited impact on agriculture, lower biomedical importance, and difficulty to study. Based on trapping data from 1975–2023, we investigated changes in Lithuanian shrews (<i>Sorex araneus</i>, <i>Sorex minutus</i>, <i>Neomys fodiens</i>, and <i>Neomys milleri</i>) over six decades. We analyzed the relative abundance of shrews and the proportion of their species within small mammal communities to assess temporal patterns and distribution in major habitat types. The first main finding was the confirmation of a decrease in <i>S. araneus</i> abundance in the 2020s compared to the 1990s and 2010s. The species proportion in 2020s was lower than in the 1970s–2000s; the decrease started in the 1980s and accelerated in the 2000s. Abundances and proportions of <i>S. minutus</i> and <i>N. fodiens</i> showed no significant trend. The abundance of <i>N. fodiens</i> was very low. The relative abundances and proportions of <i>Sorex</i> species were highest in commensal (human-related) and mixed (including forest, wetland, and meadow) habitats. Shrews were underrepresented in agricultural habitats, with the numbers of both <i>S. araneus</i> and <i>S. minutus</i> 4.1 times lower than expected. While the presence of <i>S. minutus</i> in commensal habitats could be explained by their diet specificity, the capture of <i>N. fodiens</i> and <i>N. milleri</i> in commensal habitats is a novel feature of their ecology.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/11/1393insectivoresSoricidaehabitatsrelative abundancesspecies proportionstemporal changes |
| spellingShingle | Linas Balčiauskas Laima Balčiauskienė The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend? Life insectivores Soricidae habitats relative abundances species proportions temporal changes |
| title | The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend? |
| title_full | The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend? |
| title_fullStr | The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend? |
| title_short | The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend? |
| title_sort | long term dynamics of shrew communities is there a downward trend |
| topic | insectivores Soricidae habitats relative abundances species proportions temporal changes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/11/1393 |
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