<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Use of tree hollows by a Mediterranean forest carnivore</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Forest Ecology and Management</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2014</style></year></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Elsevier B.V.</style></publisher><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">315</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">54-62</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Although tree hollows seem to be key structures for a wide range of forest mammals, their importance for Mediterranean forest carnivores remain poorly understood. Here we address this issue, by analysing daily resting site use by 21 radio-collared common genets. Tree hollows were used far more frequently during the wet season (October–April; 73.1% of daily locations) than in the dry season (May–September; 47.6%). Nests and underground dens were the second and third most frequently used resting sites, respectively, in both wet (17.5% and 9.4%) and dry (34.1% and 18.3%) seasons. Each individual reused a large percentage of its resting sites (65.7%). Some resting sites (17.3%) were used by more than one individual, but simultaneous sharing was exceedingly rare (0.56% of daily locations). Hollow use probability during the wet season varied little in relation to environmental variables, though there was a tendency to be higher away from riparian habitats (&gt;50m) and to be lower in sites with very high shrub cover (&gt;80%). Environmental influences were responsible for more variability in the dry season, when hollow usage was highest in hot days, in days with precipitation, far from riparian habitats, close to sources of human disturbance, in landscapes dominated by continuous forest habitats, and in sites with low shrub cover. Results support the importance of tree hollows for Mediterranean forest carnivores, probably because they provide safe shelter against unfavourable weather, predators and human disturbance. However, results also revealed the importance of riparian trees, which offer support for building nests close to sources of water and food during the dry season. Considering home range size and the average number of hollow-bearing trees used by each genet, we recommend that management of cork and holm oak forests should strive to safeguard at least 4.6 hollow-bearing trees per 100ha, while simultaneously maintaining large riparian trees. This will improve the resting habitat for common genets, while presumably favouring also other Mediterranean carnivores.</style></abstract></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Carvalho, Filipe</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mira, António</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Comparing annual vertebrate road kills over two time periods, 9 years apart: a case study in Mediterranean farmland</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">European Journal of Wildlife Research</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">mediterranean farmland</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">redundancy analysis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">variance partitioning</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vertebrates</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011///</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://www.springerlink.com/index/10.1007/s10344-010-0410-0</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">57</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">157 - 174</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">We surveyed road kills occurring along a 26-km stretch of a major national road (Portugal) in two different years: 1996 and 2005. For analysis purposes, we divided the data into seven vertebrate groups: amphibians, reptiles, carnivores, prey mammals (shrews, moles, rodents, rabbits and hares), hedgehogs, owls and passerines. Main factors influencing vertebrate road casualties were evaluated using redundancy analysis and variance partitioning techniques, focusing on three sets of variables: land cover, landscape metrics and spatial location. We also took into account meteorological conditions and changes in traffic intensity specific to each of the surveyed years. The percentage of variance explained by the explanatory variables was greater in 1996 (67.5%) than in 2005 (48.1%). Many variables influencing road kill incidence were common to both years. The most significantly associated factor was the distance to the Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede (NPSSM): road kills decreased steadily as our survey moved south, away from the NPSSM border. Moreover, an increased incidence of road losses occurred in forested areas, such as montado and traditional olive groves. As 2005 was a climatically drier year, additional variance factors became prominent, including the distance to water reservoirs, suggesting a greater influence of water availability. Traffic flow increased by almost 150% from 1996 to 2005, which may explain the overall increase in road kills, with the notable exception of the amphibian group, whose road fatalities incidences decreased approximately sixfold. We expect that our survey will provide a comprehensive understanding of the most critical factors currently influencing vertebrate road fatalities and aid in improving the effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce them.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue></record></records></xml>