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Francis Raoul, Jean-Pierre Quéré, Dominique Rieffel, Nadine Bernard, Kenichi Takahashi, Renaud Scheifler, Akira Ito, Qian Wang, Jiamin Qiu, Wen Yang, Philip S. Craig, Patrick Giraudoux

Distribution of small mammals in a pastoral landscape of the Tibetan plateaus (Western Sichuan, China) and relationship with grazing practices / Distribution des micromammifères dans un paysage pastoral du plateau Tibétain (Ouest Sichuan, Chine), et rel

Keywords: Cricetulus, grazing, Habitat, landscape, Microtus, Ochotona, pturage, paysage

Small mammal distribution was studied along a grazing gradient in a pastoral landscape of the Tibetan plateaus of Western Sichuan, China. Smaller small mammals (<100 g) were sampled using standard trapping. The link between habitat and both smaller and larger small-mammal distribution on a landscape scale was estimated using landscape transects. The relative density of the Microtus oeconomus/limnophilus complex ranged from higher levels in fenced grassland and bushes (i.e., low grazing pressure), to lower levels in habitats with a high grazing pressure, where this species was not trapped. Ochotona curzoniae, O. cansus and Cricetulus kamensis displayed a reverse gradient, with higher relative densities in overgrazed habitats (bare ground). The distribution of Microtus irene was restricted to two slope habitats: rocky slopes and Stellera chamaejasme grassland. Microtus leucurus was only trapped in Potentilla fruticosa bushes and in a single grassland type with an intermediate stage of degradation. These results suggest a differential response of the small mammal species in terms of relative density to grazing pressure level.

Mammalia, Walter de Gruyter

Print ISSN: 0025-1461
Volume: 70, 03/2006
Pages: 214 - 225

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