Impact of sheep grazing on small mammals diversity in lower mountain coniferous forest glades

Abstract

Sheep grazing has once been a traditional mode of exploitation of forest as well as alpine zones in the majority of European montane regions. Nowadays, in Tatra Mts, sheep grazing is limited to a number of glades of anthropogenic origin, primarily as a method of protection against overgrowing with trees. Results of the present study demonstrate that sheep grazing causes a decrease in species diversity of small mammals Micromammalia in forest zone glades. The values of biodiversity indicators in sheep-grazed glades are lower than those in the non-managed or mown ones. On sheep-grazed glades, a lower biodiversity of Soricomorpha and a domination of common vole Microtus arvalis have been found.