IVth International Conference on Dormice (Rodentia, Gliridae)13 - 16 September 1999 EDÝRNE - TURKEY |
THE SYSTEM OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DRYOMYS NITEDULA IN THE BIALOWIEZA FOREST (EASTERN POLAND)
Nowakowski, W. K.
Agricultural & Pedagogic Univ., Inst. of Biology, Prusa 12, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland, e-mail: sikorka@supermedia.pl
The study was conducted in years 1993-1998 in the managed stands within the Bialowieza Forest (eastern Poland). I controlled 165 bird nestboxes placed along a 13 km-long transect in the area. I marked individually and than released each Forest Dormouse caught there.
Amongst the nestboxes occupied by Forest Dormice, 91.5% were used by one animal during a season. I never stated use of one nestbox by more than 3 individuals within one season. If a Forest Dormouse was caught several times within a season, in 62.5% of cases it was met in the same nestbox as previously. 10.4% of animals should be considered to be migrants - the mean distance of their displacement was ca 2 km. The largest distance of a passage was below 200 m. Thus, it can be concluded that the diameter of the Forest Dormouse territory is ca 65 - 100 m.
The territories were rather stable from year to year. After hibernation, I found 47.1% of animals in the same nestbox as in the preceding year. In one season, Forest Dormice inhabited on average only 35.2% of the nestboxes placed in the suitable habitats.
Amongst the nestboxes occupied in a given season, 39.1% on average were used in some other season.
Conclusion:
There appears a picture of the Forest Dormouse population which, in the dance of birth and death, large jumps and little steps, cuts capers on the stage of the environment freely and loosely.