林地への放牧牛の導入が小型哺乳類の個体数およびその生息環境に及ぼす影響

概要

論文の詳細を見る
At a private farm where forest grazing was started in 2004, effects of cattle on the abundance of small mammals and their habitats were evaluated. Small mammals were trapped during 2003-2007; their numbers at grazing and non-grazing forest sites were compared. Four characteristics of small mammals' habitats at grazing and non-grazing forest sites, i.e. vegetation structure, plant cover, litter thickness, and soil hardness, were investigated and compared. Numbers of small mammals at grazing and nongrazing forest sites did not differ. No significant cumulative effect of 4 years' forest grazing was found. Although three habitat qualities of small mammals, vegetation structure, plant cover and litter thickness, were different between grazing and non-grazing forest sites from the non-grazing condition identified at the start of this study, these habitat differences showed no significant cumulative effect attributable to 4 years' forest grazing. These results demonstrate that forest grazing by cattle with light intensity, 11.7-25.9 cow-days ha^<-1> had little impact on small mammal populations and their habitats.
日本草地学会の論文
2009-07-15