0000000000483199
AUTHOR
Jane Koskimäki
Are habitat loss, predation risk and climate related to the drastic decline in a Siberian flying squirrel population? A 15 year study
To devise effective conservation actions, it is important to know which factors are associated with the population parameters of a declining population. Using mark–recapture methods, we estimated the annual population size, growth rate and survival probability of an ear-tagged flying squirrel population over a 15-year period in a 4,500 ha study area in western Finland. The species is considered vulnerable, but detailed knowledge concerning population sizes or trends is lacking. The population parameters and changes therein were regressed against habitat availability, an indicator of predation pressure, and mean winter temperature (an indicator of climate change), to reveal potential reasons…
The temporal variation in Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) population size
Human land use causes declines of natural populations, for example, by loss of habitat area. Additionally, habitat fragmentation can cause the population size to decline more than is expected based on the area lost. Some ecological processes, such as demographic stochasticity and Allee effect, can expose already small populations to further decline. The endangered Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) has suffered from intensive forestry in Finland. In this thesis I estimated the size and growth rate of a local flying squirrel population living in nest boxes in Alavus using 15-year mark-recapture data. I regressed the estimated population size against habitat availability to detect rel…