NEW OBSERVATIONS OF STOAT (Mustela erminea L.) IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

UDK: 599.742.4(497.6) The Stoat occupies a wide range of habitats. It is often found in successional or forest-edge habitats, in the scrub, alpine meadows, marshes, riparian woodlands, hedgerows, and riverbanks that have high densities of small mammals, especially Microtus and Arvicola voles (KİNG, 1983). PULLİAİNEN, (1999) stated that coniferous and mixed woodlands are preferred, but that many other habitats are used including tundra and the summits of fells and mountains. Dense forests and deserts are avoided (KİNG, 1983). Although mentioned in all to-day's Laws on Hunting (1893 – 2014) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, there are not so many records of this species or official reports in hunting bag. Considering its geographic range (IUCN 2020), in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the stoat is recorded only in the western and northern parts of the country. İn this paper, we presented new localities where the stoat was observed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as types of habitats where it was recorded.

Groundwater dependence of riparian woodlands and the disrupting effect of anthropogenically altered streamflow

Riparian ecosystems fundamentally depend on groundwater, especially in dryland regions, yet their water requirements and sources are rarely considered in water resource management decisions. Until recently, technological limitations and data gaps have hindered assessment of groundwater influences on riparian ecosystem health at the spatial and temporal scales relevant to policy and management. Here, we analyze Sentinel-2–derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; n = 5,335,472 observations), field-based groundwater elevation (n = 32,051 observations), and streamflow alteration data for riparian woodland communities (n = 22,153 polygons) over a 5-y period (2015 to 2020) across California. We find that riparian woodlands exhibit a stress response to deeper groundwater, as evidenced by concurrent declines in greenness represented by NDVI. Furthermore, we find greater seasonal coupling of canopy greenness to groundwater for vegetation along streams with natural flow regimes in comparison with anthropogenically altered streams, particularly in the most water-limited regions. These patterns suggest that many riparian woodlands in California are subsidized by water management practices. Riparian woodland communities rely on naturally variable groundwater and streamflow components to sustain key ecological processes, such as recruitment and succession. Altered flow regimes, which stabilize streamflow throughout the year and artificially enhance water supplies to riparian vegetation in the dry season, disrupt the seasonal cycles of abiotic drivers to which these Mediterranean forests are adapted. Consequently, our analysis suggests that many riparian ecosystems have become reliant on anthropogenically altered flow regimes, making them more vulnerable and less resilient to rapid hydrologic change, potentially leading to future riparian forest loss across increasingly stressed dryland regions.

More than just Night Parrots: A baseline bird survey of Pullen Pullen Reserve, south-western Queensland

The birds of arid environments often exhibit nomadism, seasonal breeding and population fluctuations that respond to highly variable weather patterns. In this study we present data from a baseline bird survey in Bush Heritage Australia’s Pullen Pullen Reserve in south-western Queensland. We conducted seasonal surveys (October–November 2018, May 2019) in 40 sites representing Spinifex (Triodia spp.) grasslands, a complex of Mitchell Astrebla spp./chenopod grasslands and Georgina Gidgee Acacia georginae riparian woodlands, using a standardised 2-ha census. A total of 85 species was recorded in the standardised sites, as well as an additional 16 species recorded opportunistically. Twenty-six species (31%), many of which were nomadic, were recorded from only one of the surveys. Bird abundance and species richness were highest in the post-wet-season survey (May 2018), and there was strong variation in the composition of the bird species between the three habitats surveyed. These data provide a baseline to continue monitoring and to understand the resident and more peripatetic elements of this arid bird community, which should be surveyed regularly to investigate the role of changing management and the long-term influence of global environmental change.

Use of coniferous plantations by bats in western Poland during summer

Mixed commercial plantation forests often receive little or no attention in terms of conservation of protected habitats and species. This study was aimed at assessing the value of such habitats for bats. In July 2015 we used standardised mist netting in 11 locations within and near the Natura 2000 sites “Nietoperek” and “Buczyny Łagowsko-Sulęcińskie” in western Poland. Particular attention was paid to mixed plantation forest, usually dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Natural and protected habitats, i.e. riparian woodlands and beech forest were also investigated for comparison. In total 96 bats of 12 species were caught. The highest number of bats (15.0 individuals caught per night) and the highest biodiversity index (H´) was recorded in localities situated in mixed plantation forest. Contrary to common evaluation of this type of habitat, mixed plantation forest may serve important role for local bat populations by providing commuting corridors and possibly also foraging areas. Keywords: Barbastella barbastellus, bat conservation, coniferous plantations, Myotis myotis