Factors influencing vole bark damage intensity in managed mountain-forest plantations of Central Europe

• Published in: European journal of forest research 2016-04, Vol.135 (2), p.331-342
• Main Authors: Suchomel, Josef, LuboÅ¡ Purchart, Ladislav Čepelka, Marta HeroldovÃ
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal populations; Bark; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carrying capacity; Clethrionomys glareolus; Fagus sylvatica subsp. sylvatica; forest plantations; Forestry; Forests; grasses; ground vegetation; habitats; Herbs; Life Sciences; Microtus; Monoculture; Mountains; Original Paper; Plant Ecology; Plant Sciences; Plantations; Rodents; saplings; Seedlings; Spatial distribution; voles
• ISSN: 1612-4669; 1612-4677
• DOI: 10.1007/s10342-016-0938-y

We studied the impact of vole bark gnawing in forest plantations dominated by European beech in two Czech mountain ranges (the Hrubý Jeseník Mts, the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts) with different habitat conditions. Of the four present vole species, only the field vole caused significant damage, the impact of the bank vole being inconclusive. In both ranges, the key factor determining the presence and abundance of voles (Microtus sp.) was the occurrence of grasses. Saplings in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts suffered significantly higher damage than those in the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts (13.6 vs. 3.3 % damaged seedlings), with degree of damage closely related to the abundance and spatial distribution of voles. We relate it to lower carrying capacity caused by poor herb layer and higher proportion of spruce monocultures surrounding the plantations in the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. Our results indicate that artificial beech regeneration is more successful in mixed and spruce forests with rich undergrowth (the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts) than in large spruce stands with reduced herb undergrowth (the Hrubý Jeseník Mts).