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Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals: Exploring Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Dynamics Through Small Mammal Monitoring and Research: 2nd Edition

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A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Diversity and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 6111

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Dr. Vasileios A. Bontzorlos

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Guest Editor

CSO “TYTO—Association for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems”, 41335 Larisa, Greece
Interests: wildlife ecology and biology; small mammals; raptor ecology and biology; biodiversity; multivariate statistics; agricultural ecosystems; avifauna; wildlife management
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Dr. George P. Mitsainas

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Guest Editor

Section of Animal Biology, Biology Department, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: recording and monitoring of the biodiversity of vertebrates, focusing on small mammals; protection and conservation of endemic, rare and threatened mammals of the Greek fauna; faunistic studies, based on diet analysis (owl pellets, fecal matter, etc.); study of phylogenetic relationships, with the use of chromosomal and other approaches; protection and sustainable management of protected areas of Greece
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Small mammals play critical roles in ecological systems, occupying diverse niches and contributing to ecosystem functioning. They are highly abundant in all ecosystems and assume multiple roles. For instance, they can serve as secondary consumers on plant communities to the extent of becoming pests in agriculture, they comprise a primary food source for a large range of predators, and they function as pathogen transmitters. Through long-term research of small mammal communities and the study of their diversity, abundance, community assembly and interactions, important insights can be generated with respect to ecological processes and mechanisms in nature. Small mammals constitute an ideal animal group to explore critical research questions, which include how they respond to climate change, how they react to land use changes and habitat transformation, and how they adapt to but also shape ecosystem processes. Addressing these questions can also shed light on how small mammals adjust their ecological and population dynamics, their community structure, intra and interspecific competition, in reaction to a continuously changing landscape and environment.

This Special Issue aims to broaden the understanding of small mammal ecology by approaching them as biodiversity indicators, factors and indicators of climate resilience in ecosystems, and essential links of ecosystem dynamics. We invite contributions that delve into these ecological aspects of small mammals, encompassing not only monitoring efforts but also broader ecological approaches.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Biodiversity and community ecology of small mammals in different ecosystems, ranging from natural habitats to anthropogenic landscapes.
Assessing the responses of small mammals to climate change, including shifts in distribution patterns, phenology, and population dynamics.
Investigating the ecological impacts of small mammals as seed dispersers, pollinators, and predators in diverse ecological networks.
Understanding the role of small mammals in shaping ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling, vegetation dynamics, and trophic interactions.
Examining the effects of land use change and habitat fragmentation on small mammal communities and their ecological functions.
Exploring the mechanisms underlying small mammal adaptation and resilience to environmental stressors, including both abiotic and biotic factors.
Integrating technological advances, such as molecular techniques and remote sensing, in the study of small mammal ecology and conservation.

By encompassing these ecological dimensions, this Special Issue seeks to emphasize the significance of small mammals as indicators of ecosystem health, drivers of ecological processes, and potential targets for conservation strategies. We encourage researchers to contribute original research, review articles, and case studies that advance our understanding of the ecological complexities surrounding small mammal communities and their conservation in the face of ongoing environmental changes.

Dr. Vasileios A. Bontzorlos
Dr. George P. Mitsainas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

small mammals
biodiversity
indicators
monitoring
assessment
communities

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Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals: Exploring Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Dynamics through Small Mammal Monitoring and Research in Life (4 articles)

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Research

28 pages, 3433 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Intraspecific Variability in the Forest Dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) and Woolly Dormouse (Dryomys laniger) from Türkiye and Adjacent Regions Based on Mitochondrial DNA

by Ercüment Çolak, Georgi Markov, Engin Selvi, Teoman Kankılıç, Perinçek Seçkinozan Şeker, Maria A. Kocheva, Milena K. Gospodinova, Reyhan Çolak, Hristo Dimitrov and Nuri Yiğit

Life 2025, 15(4), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15040660 - 17 Apr 2025

Viewed by 313

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal intraspecific variations in two Dryomys species distributed in Türkiye, based on mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene sequences, and to discuss the factors driving these variations in the context of phylogeography and genetic species concepts. As a result of Maximum Likelihood, Bayesian Inference, and Network analyses, which included haplogroups or lineages from Italy, Russia, the Caucasus, and Iran identified in previous studies, along with Turkish haplotypes, three major clades (MC1, MC2, and MC3) were identified within Dryomys nitedula. These clades began to diverge evolutionarily in the middle of the Late Miocene (8.82 million years ago) and exhibit significant genetic differences from one another. The Turkish haplotypes were divided into five distinct lineages (N1–N5), each within five subclades (SC1–SC5), which were nested within these MCs. These lineages, their geographical distributions, and the subspecies defined in previous studies that correspond to these lineages are as follows: N1 from the Thrace region (Dryomys nitedula wingei), N2 from the Black Sea region (potentially a new subspecies), N3 from western and central Anatolia (Dryomys nitedula phrygius), N4 from northeastern Anatolia (Dryomys nitedula tichomirowi), and N5 from eastern Anatolia (Dryomys nitedula pictus). The N2 lineage, distributed in areas close to the coastal side of the Eastern Black Sea region and with a range close to both N3 (D. n. phrygius) and N4 (D. n. tichomirowi), exhibited high genetic differentiation from these two lineages and was a candidate to be treated as a new subspecies of Dryomys nitedula in Türkiye. The N5 lineage, which includes haplotypes from the distribution areas of the populations initially classified as Dryomys pictus and later as Dryomys nitedula pictus in previous studies, was found to be more closely related to Dryomys nitedula kurdistanicus from the Zagros Mountains than to D. n. pictus from the central regions of Iran. Combining the results of this study with previous research, it is clear that the D. nitedula lineages in Türkiye, along with haplogroups or subspecies in neighboring regions diverged between the middle Late Miocene and Middle Pleistocene. This divergence is believed to have been driven by climatic cycles and geomorphological processes that shaped the topography of their distribution range. The high genetic diversity observed in the lineages of Anatolia suggests that the region may have served as a glacial refuge for D. nitedula. Similarly to the processes and factors shaping the evolution of D. nitedula, Dryomys laniger was found to have diverged into two lineages, western (L1) and eastern (L2 or Dryomys anatolicus), within its distribution range during the Late Pliocene (2.94 Mya). To make a more accurate taxonomic assessment of D. laniger, a larger number of samples is needed, and the distribution limits should be more clearly defined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals: Exploring Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Dynamics Through Small Mammal Monitoring and Research: 2nd Edition)

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21 pages, 4173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Spatial Modeling of Two Giant Flying Squirrels (Sciuridae: Petaurista): Navigating Climate Resilience and Conservation Roadmap in the Eastern Himalaya and Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspots

by Imon Abedin, Manokaran Kamalakannan, Tanoy Mukherjee, Hilloljyoti Singha, Dhriti Banerjee, Hyun-Woo Kim and Shantanu Kundu

Life 2025, 15(4), 589; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15040589 - 3 Apr 2025

Viewed by 358

Abstract

Global warming and anthropogenic threats are significant drivers of biodiversity loss, particularly impacting smaller mammalian species. Hence, this study assessed two overlooked giant flying squirrel species, Petaurista magnificus and Petaurista nobilis, distributed across the transboundary regions of the Eastern Himalayas and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots. Utilizing a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) species distribution model, this study delineated suitable habitats within the IUCN-defined extent of both Petaurista species based on two modeling approaches: the habitat–climate model (HCM) and the climate-only model (COM). The models identified suitable habitat coverage of only 3.92% (HCM) and 3.75% (COM) for P. magnificus and 14.17% (HCM) and 10.04% (COM) for P. nobilis. However, as the HCM integrates both environmental and habitat variables, providing a more holistic assessment, it revealed limited biological corridor connectivity within the IUCN-defined extent for both species. Furthermore, the future projections based on the HCM indicate habitat loss of up to 81.90% for P. magnificus and 89.88% for P. nobilis due to climate change, alongside severe fragmentation, leading to the disappearance of viable habitat patches. These remaining suitable patches are expected to shrink and become increasingly isolated in the future due to climate change. Furthermore, centroid shift analyses based on the HCM predict a northwestward shift for P. magnificus and a westward shift for P. nobilis under different climate scenarios. Hence, to address these conservation challenges, the study underscores the necessity for extensive field surveys, genetic assessments, habitat corridor evaluations, and the establishment of transboundary conservation frameworks to formulate an evidence-based species management strategy for both Petaurista species. Full article

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17 pages, 8617 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Habitat Suitability Assessment of Key Wildlife in Hainan Tropical Rainforest Based on ESDM

by Wutao Yao, Jin Yang, Yong Ma, Lixi Liu, Erping Shang and Shuyan Zhang

Life 2025, 15(2), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020323 - 19 Feb 2025

Viewed by 461

Abstract

Hainan tropical rainforest is the largest contiguous tropical rainforest in China, but it has experienced increasing disturbances from anthropogenic activities in recent decades due to economic and social development. However, the current status of wildlife habitats within the rainforest remains insufficiently studied, lacking systematic and scientific assessments necessary to guide effective biodiversity conservation strategies. This study focuses on Jianfengling area of Hainan tropical rainforest, using wildlife infrared camera monitoring data and habitat environmental factor data collected through multi-source monitoring in 2020–2021. By applying the Ensemble Species Distribution Model (ESDM), we assessed the spatial distribution of habitat suitability and its influencing factors for seven representative wildlife species, as well as the overall spatial distribution of multi-species habitat suitability. The results indicate that wildlife habitat suitability in Jianfengling study area exhibits a spatial pattern of high suitability in the central regions and low suitability in surrounding areas. Anthropogenic activities and DEM were identified as the most significant factors influencing habitat selection, with most species favoring mid and high altitude areas (500–1000 m) where human activities are less prevalent. This study provides scientific support for tropical rainforest management authorities to optimize resource allocation, develop dynamic monitoring strategies, and implement effective conservation measures. Full article

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16 pages, 4137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracking the Morphological Trends in Apodemus flavicollis: Evidence from a Five-Decade Study

by Linas Balčiauskas and Laima Balčiauskienė

Life 2025, 15(2), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15020322 - 19 Feb 2025

Viewed by 396

Abstract

We examined long-term trends in the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) in Lithuania using data collected from 1980 to 2024. Over 10,000 individuals were captured and 5666 were necropsied to measure standard morphometric traits, including body mass, length, and appendage dimensions. Temporal trends revealed an increase in the proportion of A. flavicollis within small mammal communities, from 6.5% in the 1980s to 28.2% in the 2020s, particularly in forest and grassland habitats. Sexual dimorphism was confirmed, with males generally larger than females in all traits, although age influenced the degree of size difference. Morphometric traits showed a consistent increase from the 1980s to the 2010s, followed by significant declines in body mass, body length, and ear length in the 2020s. Declines were most pronounced in males across all age groups. These findings are consistent with our previous findings in the field vole (Microtus agrestis) from the Baltic region, and the global patterns of body size reduction in small mammals due to climate warming and habitat change. This study highlights the importance of integrating sex- and age-based analyses to understand the ecological and evolutionary responses of mammals to environmental pressures. Future research is essential to explore the broader implications of these trends for ecosystem dynamics and species survival. Full article

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25 pages, 12861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Phylogeography of Two Specialist Rodents in Forest Fragments in Kenya

by Alois Wambua Mweu, Kenneth Otieno Onditi, Laxman Khanal, Simon Musila, Esther Kioko and Xuelong Jiang

Life 2024, 14(11), 1469; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14111469 - 12 Nov 2024

Viewed by 1108

Abstract

The fragmented forests of the Kenya highlands, known for their exceptional species richness and endemism, are among the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots. However, detailed studies on the fauna of these ecosystems—especially specialist species that depend on moist forests, which are particularly threatened by habitat fragmentation—are still limited. In this study, we used mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and the displacement loop) and a nuclear marker (retinol-binding protein 3) to investigate genetic and morphological diversity, phylogenetic associations, historical divergence, population dynamics, and phylogeographic patterns in two rodent species—the soft-furred mouse (Praomys jacksoni) and the African wood mouse (Hylomyscus endorobae)—across Kenya’s forest landscapes. We found a complex genetic structure, with P. jacksoni exhibiting greater genetic diversity than H. endorobae. The Mt. Kenya P. jacksoni populations are significantly genetically different from those in southwestern forests (Mau Forest, Kakamega Forest, and Loita Hills). In contrast, H. endorobae presented no observable biogeographic structuring across its range. The genetic diversity and geographic structuring patterns highlighted selectively strong effects of forest fragmentation and differing species’ ecological and evolutionary responses to these landscape changes. Our findings further underscore the need for expanded sampling across Kenya’s highland forests to better understand species’ changing diversity and distribution patterns in response to the impacts of human-mediated habitat changes. These insights are critical for informing conservation strategies to preserve biodiversity better in this globally important region. Full article

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17 pages, 4219 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Long-Term Dynamics of Shrew Communities: Is There a Downward Trend?

by Linas Balčiauskas and Laima Balčiauskienė

Life 2024, 14(11), 1393; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14111393 - 29 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1022

Abstract

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 (Sorex araneus, Sorex minutus, Neomys fodiens, and Neomys milleri) 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 S. araneus 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 S. minutus and N. fodiens showed no significant trend. The abundance of N. fodiens was very low. The relative abundances and proportions of Sorex 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 S. araneus and S. minutus 4.1 times lower than expected. While the presence of S. minutus in commensal habitats could be explained by their diet specificity, the capture of N. fodiens and N. milleri in commensal habitats is a novel feature of their ecology. Full article

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14 pages, 5975 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Habitat Suitability Assessment for Two Burrowing Rodents on the Island of Lesvos: A Niche-Based Approach

by Stylianos P. Zannetos, Konstantinos Theodorou, Yiannis G. Zevgolis, Eleni Galinou and Triantaphyllos Akriotis

Life 2024, 14(10), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/life14101231 - 26 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1645

Abstract

We conducted a habitat suitability assessment for two burrowing rodents, Anatolian or Nehring’s blind mole rat (Nannospalax xanthodon) and Harting’s vole (Microtus hartingi), on the island of Lesvos using a niche-based approach. We collected data on the presence of the two species across the island and selected several environmental variables, including land cover, geology, and habitat topography, to assess their influence on habitat suitability. We used the Maxent species distribution modelling algorithm to predict suitable habitats. The results showed that both species preferred habitats with low slopes and specific geological substrates, i.e., alluvial deposits and volcanic rocks. M. hartingi showed a preference for open habitats such as saltmarshes and non-irrigated arable land, while N. xanthodon preferred non-irrigated arable land, pastures, and discontinuous urban fabric. The model predicted a wider area of suitable habitats for Microtus hartingi compared to N. xanthodon. Interestingly, the two species are absent from the southeastern part of the island despite our model predicting high suitability; this indicates that a natural barrier of hilly terrain, extensive pine forests, and limestone rock formations may exist that impedes dispersal. Our study provides valuable insights into the habitat preferences of these two burrowing rodents on the island of Lesvos, which can inform biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management strategies. Full article

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Ecology and Conservation of Small Mammals: Exploring Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Ecosystem Dynamics Through Small Mammal Monitoring and Research: 2nd Edition

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