Acta Carp. Occ. 16: 1-11, 2025 | https://doi.org/10.62317/aco.2025.001

Burrow Distribution and Fossorial Activity of Forest Rodents in a Quercetalia pubescentis Forest Stand in Malá Fatra Mts.

Andrej Mateček1, Ladislav Hlôška2, Ivan Baláž3
1 Planky 2789/88, SK-841 06 Bratislava – Záhorská Bystrica, Slovenská republika
2 Partizánov 40/196, SK-038 51 Turčianska Štiavnička, Slovenská republika
Katedra ekológie a environmentalistiky, Fakulta prírodných vied a informatiky, Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre,
3 Tr. A. Hlinku 1, SK-949 01 Nitra, Slovenská republika

Populations of forest rodents change their structure and density depending on environmental conditions, causing variations in their fossorial activity and bur­row distribution. Research conducted over two years focused on forest rodent species, Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus. A correlation was recorded be­tween rodent clustering and the aggregation of burrow openings in systems located in plots with a significantly higher representation of European beech (Fagus syl­vatica). Plots with scattered oaks (Quercus spp.) were intensively used by forest rodents. This tree species provides numerous cavities widely used for creating storage sites by small mammals. The activity of small terrestrial mammals was assessed based on fossorial activity. The highest number of clustered openings was recorded in the late summer period.

Keywords: bank vole, spatial activity, xerothermophilous oak forest, yellow-necked mouse

Received: January 9, 2025; Revised: February 10, 2025; Accepted: February 18, 2025; Published online: March 7, 2025  Show citation

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Mateček, A., Hlôška, L., & Baláž, I. (2025). Burrow Distribution and Fossorial Activity of Forest Rodents in a Quercetalia pubescentis Forest Stand in Malá Fatra Mts. Acta Carpathica Occidentalis, 16, Article 1-11. https://doi.org/10.62317/aco.2025.001
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