Assemblages of orthopterans, small mammals and birds of prey in areas after conversion from arable land to grassland
References
- Aldridge CL, Saher DJ, Heinrichs JA, Monroe AP, Leu M & Hanser SE 2024: Evaluating Spatial Coverage of the Greater Sage-Grouse Umbrella to Conserve Sagebrush-Dependent Species Biodiversity within the Wyoming Basins. Land 13(1): 123. DOI: 10.3390/land13010123.
- Álvarez M, León-Ortega M, Martínez JE, Calvo JF & Jiménez-Franco MV 2024: Wintering raptor species distribution in a semiarid Mediterranean region: the relevance of lowlands and open habitats as stopover sites. European Journal of Wildlife Research 70(2): 30. DOI: 10.1007/s10344-024-01784-5.
- Andersson M 1980: Nomadism and site tenacity as alternative reproductive tactics in birds. The Journal of Animal Ecology 175–184. JSTOR.
- Arnóczkyné Jakab D & Nagy A 2022: How can an intensively used agricultural landscape preserve diversity of Orthoptera assemblages? Journal of Insect Conservation 26(6): 947–958. DOI: 10.1007/s10841-022-00439-7.
- Avenant N 2011: The potential utility of rodents and other small mammals as indicators of ecosystem “integrity” of South African grasslands. Wildlife Research 38(7): 626. DOI: 10.1071/wr10223.
- Apfelbaum SI, Lehnhardt S, Boston M, Daly L, Pinnow G, Gillespie K & Waller DM (2025): Native Grass Enhances Bird, Dragonfly, Butterfly and Plant Biodiversity Relative to Conventional Crops in Midwest, USA. Agriculture, 15(15), 1666. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15151666
- Baláž I, Ambros M, Tulis F, Veselovskỳ T, Klimant P & Augustiničová G 2013: Hlodavce a hmyzožravce Slovenska, Prírodovedec no. 547. Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Nitra.
- Balčiauskas L & Balčiauskienė L 2022: Small mammal diversity changes in a Baltic country, 1975–2021: A Review. Life 12(11): 1887. DOI: 10.3390/life12111887.
- Balestrieri A, Gazzola A, Formenton G & Canova L 2019: Long-term impact of agricultural practices on the diversity of small mammal communities: a case study based on owl pellets. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 191(12). DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7910-5.
- Beemster N & Vulink JT 2013: The long-term influence of grazing by livestock on common vole and raptors in man-made wetlands in the Netherlands. Lutra 56: 5–21.
- Berlusconi A, Gobbi M, Martinoli A, Alba R, Assandri G, Bona F, Buzzetti FM, Battisti CD, Morelli C, Scridel D, Cecere JG, Preatoni D, Romano A, Rubolini D, Martinoli A & Morganti M 2025: Foraging niche partitioning within a recently established guild of falcons. Ibis 167(3): 734–749. DOI: 10.1111/ibi.13399.
- Birrer S 2009: Synthesis of 312 studies on the diet of the Long-eared Owl Asio otus. Ardea 97(4): 615–624. DOI: 10.5253/078.097.0430
- Brighton CH, Kloepper LN, Harding CD, Larkman L, McGowan K, Zusi L & Taylor GK 2022: Raptors avoid the confusion effect by targeting fixed points in dense aerial prey aggregations. Nature Communications 13(1): 4778. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32354-5.
- Csákiová Ž 2025: Vplyv manažmentových opatrení na spoločenstvá drobných cicavcov [The impact of management measures on small terrestrial mammal communities]. Master thesis. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 74. [In Slovak with English summary].
- Chavko J & Krištín A 2017: Foraging opportunism and feeding frequency in the red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) in Slovakia: case study from 2017. Slovak Raptor Journal 11: 31–41. DOI: 10.1515/srj-2017-0009.
- Chavko J, Slobodník R, Deutschová L, Lipták J, Mihók J, Obuch J & Nemcek V 2014: The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) population, diet and nest boxes in Slovakia: LIFE-project report 2011–2014. Slovak Raptor Journal 8(2): 73–86. DOI: 10.2478/srj-2014-0009.
- Chavko J, Obuch J, Lipták J, Slobodník R & Baláž M 2019: Changes in nesting habitat of the saker falcon (Falco cherrug) influenced its diet composition and potentially threatened its population in Slovakia in the years 1976–2016. Raptor Journal 13: 75–104. DOI: 10.2478/srj-2019-0009.
- Cherrill A 2011: Species richness of Orthoptera in agricultural landscapes. Aspects of Applied Biology 108: 73–80.
- Danko Š, Darolová A & Krištín A 2002: Rozšírenie vtákov na Slovensku. (Birds distribution in Slovakia.) Veda, Bratislava. [In Slovak with English summary].
- Delattre P, Giraudoux P, Baudry J, Quéré JP & Fichet E 1996: Effect of landscape structure on Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) distribution and abundance at several space scales. Landscape Ecology 11(5): 279–288.
- Dudich A, Lysỳ J & Štollmann A 1985: Súčasné poznatky o rozšírení drobnỳch zemnỳch cicavcov (Insectivora, Rodentia) južnej časti Podunajskej nížiny [Current knowledge about the distribution of small terrestrial mammals (Insectivora, Rodentia) in the southern part of the Danube Lowlands]. Spravodaj Oblastného múzea v Komárne, Prírodné vedy 5: 157–186 [In Slovak].
- Eriksson O 2021: The importance of traditional agricultural landscapes for preventing species extinctions. Biodiversity and Conservation, 30(5), 1341–1357. DOI: 10.1007/S10531-021-02145-3.
- Fabriciusová V, Kaňuch P & Krištín A 2011: Response of Orthoptera assemblages to management of montane grasslands in the Western Carpathians. Biologia 66(6): 1127–1133. DOI: 10.2478/s11756-011-0115-1.
- Fedor P 1999: Rovnokrídlovce (Caelifera a Ensifera) mozaiky biotopov v okolí dunajského vodného diela. Folia faunistica Slovaca 4: 75–78.
- Fox J & Weisberg S 2019: An R Companion to Applied Regression. Third. Sage, Thousand Oaks CA. Retrieved from https://www.john-fox.ca/Companion/.
- Galis M 2020: Na poliach pusto, o škodlivosti rozľahlých monokultúr na ornej pôde a možných riešeniach [Desolate fields, the harmful effects of extensive monocultures on arable land, and possible solutions]. Inštitút environmentálnej politiky, MŽP SR. Retrieved from https://www.minzp.sk/iles/iep/2020_5_na_poliach_pusto.pdf. [In Slovak]
- Ganbold O, Azua J, Suuri B, Paik I-H, Khuderchuluun O, Paek WK & Reading RP 2017: Diet composition of lesser kestrels in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 10(4): 460–464.
- Gardiner T 2007: Orthoptera of crossfield and headland footpaths in arable farmland. Journal of Orthoptera Research 16(2): 127–133.
- Gardiner T & Casey D 2022: Orthoptera in the early stages of post-arable rewilding in south-east England. Journal of Orthoptera Research 31(2): 163–172. DOI: 27200117
- Gentili S, Sigura M & Bonesi L 2014: Decreased small mammals species diversity and increased population abundance along a gradient of agricultural intensification. Hystrix 25(1). DOI: 10.4404/hystrix-25.1-9246.
- Gerlach J, Samways M & Pryke J 2013: Terrestrial invertebrates as bioindicators: an overview of available taxonomic groups. Journal of Insect Conservation 17(4): 831–850. DOI: 10.1007/s10841-013-9565-9.
- Hansson L & Henttonen H 1985: Gradients in density variations of small rodents: the importance of latitude and snow cover. Oecologia 67(3): 394–402. DOI: 10.1007/BF00384946.
- Hellström P, Nyström J & Angerbjörn A 2014: Functional responses of the rough-legged buzzard in a multi-prey system. Oecologia 174(4): 1241–1254. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2866-6.
- Heroldová M, Bryja J, Zejda J & Tkadlec E 2007: Structure and diversity of small mammal communities in agriculture landscape. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 120(2–4): 206–210. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee. 2006.09.007.
- Hingtgen TM & Clark WR 1984: Small Mammal Recolonization of Reclaimed Coal Surface- Mined Land in Wyoming. The Journal of Wildlife Management 48(4): 1255. DOI: 10.2307/3801786. Hoi H, Kristin A, Valera F & Hoi C 2004: Clutch enlargement in Lesser Gray Shrikes (Lanius minor) in Slovakia when food is superabundant: a maladaptive response? The Auk 121(2): 557–564.
- Holišová V 1967: The food of Apodemus agrarius (Pall.). Zoologické listy 16: 1–14.
- Hološková A, Cíbik J & Reif J 2024: Why do openfarmland specialist birds prefer small fields? The evaluation of mechanisms using a cross-border study. Global Ecology and Conservation 56: e03327.
- Hološková A, Hanzelka J, Grünwald J, Szarvas F, Řeřicha M, Štrobl M, Kadlec T & Reif J 2025: Predictors of farmland bird species richness in intensively used agricultural landscapes: habitat heterogeneity, crop type, and food supply matter. Landscape Ecology 40(3). DOI: 10.1007/s10980-025-02079-z.
- Horncastle VJ, Chambers CL & Dickson BG 2019: Grazing and wildfire effects on small mammals inhabiting montane meadows. The Journal of Wildlife Management 83: 534–543. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21635
- Horváth GF, Schäffer D, Pogány Á & Tóth D 2012: Spatial distribution of small mammal populations in Drava floodplain forest. Šumarski list 136(3–4): 141–150. Hrvatsko šumarsko društvo.
- Horváth A, Bank L & Horváth GF 2020: Variation in the diet and breeding biology of the Common Barnowl (Tyto alba) in a demographic cycle of Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) between two outbreaks. Ornis Hungarica 28(2): 37–65.
- Hsieh TC, Ma KH & Chao A 2024: iNEXT: Interpolation and Extrapolation for Species Diversity. Retrieved December 15, 2024 from http://chao.stat.nthu.edu.tw/wordpress/software_download/.
- Karaska D, Trnka A & Danko, Štefan 2002: The Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), 178–180. In: Danko Š, Darolová & Krištín A (eds), Birds distribution in Slovakia. Veda, Bratislava. [In Slovak]
- Klimkowicz-Pawlas A, Smreczak B & Maliszewska-Kordybach B 2023: Integrated Ecological Risk Assessment of the Agricultural Area under a High Anthropopressure Based on Chemical, Ecotoxicological and Ecological Indicators. Agriculture 13(7): 1353. DOI: 10.3390/agriculture13071353.
- Kočárek P, Holuša J & Vidlička Ľ 2005: Blattaria, Mantodea, Orthoptera & Dermaptera of the Czech and Slovak Repub lics. Kabourek, Zlín, 349.
- Koroleva E, Miholova D, Cibulka J, Mader P & Slameva A 1999: Small Mammals as Bioindicators for Terrestrial Ecosystems in Bohemia, 308–309. In: Peakall DB, CH Walker & P Migula (eds), Biomarkers: A Pragmatic Basis for Remediation of Severe Pollution in Eastern Europe. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht.
- Kouba M, Bartoš L & Šťastný K 2013: Differential movement patterns of juvenile Tengmalm’s owls (Aegolius funereus) during the post-fledging dependence period in two years with contrasting prey abundance. PLoS ONE 8(7): e67034. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067034.
- Kouba M, Bartoš L, Tomášek V, Popelková A, Šťastný K & Zárybnická M 2017: Home range size of Tengmalm’s owl during breeding in Central Europe is determined by prey abundance. PloS one 12(5): e0177314. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177314
- Kouba M, Bartoš L, Tulis F, Ševčík M, Sovadinová S, Bušina T, Janouš M, Kouba P, Bartošová J & Hongisto K 2023: Post-fledging survival of Tengmalm’s owl offspring in boreal forests: Interactive effects of varying dynamics of main prey and habitat composition. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11: 240. DOI: 10.3389/fevo. 2023.1151622
- Kouba M, Bartoš L, Tulis F, Stehlíková Sovadinová S & Korpimäki E 2024: Survival rates and causes of death in Tengmalm’s owl offspring during the post-fledging dependence period in Central and North Europe. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 12: 1388643. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2024.1388643.
- Kozakiewicz M & Kozakiewicz A 2008: Long-Term Dynamics and Biodiversity Changes in Small Mammal Communities in a Mosaic of Agricultural and Forest Habitats. Annales Zoologici Fennici 45(4): 263–269. DOI: 10.5735/086.045.0404.
- Krištín A 1995: Why the Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor) survives in Slovakia: food and habitat preferences, breeding biology. Folia Zoologica (44): 325–334.
- Krištín A 2004: Assemblages of Orthoptera and Mantodea in isolated salt marshes and non-sandy habitats in an agricultural landscape (Danube lowland, South Slovakia). Articulata 19(1): 43–52.
- Krištín A, Kaňuch P & Sárossy M 2004: Grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera) and mantids (Mantodea) of sand dunes in the Danube lowland (S-Slovakia).
- Krištín A, Tulis F, Klimant P, Bacsa K & Ambros M 2017: Food supply (Orthoptera, Mantodea, Rodentia and Eulipotyphla) and food preferences of the red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) in Slovakia. Slovak Raptor Journal 11(1): 1–14. DOI: 10.1515/srj-2017-0005.
- Lenth RV 2025: emmeans: Estimated Marginal Means, aka Least-Squares Means. DOI: 10.32614/CRAN. package.emmeans.
- Leseberg NP, Kutt A, Evans MC, Nou T, Spillias S, Stone Z, Walsh JC, Murphy SA, Bamford M, Burbidge AH, Crossing K, Davis RA, Garnett ST, Kavanagh RP, Murphy R, Read J, Reid J, Van Leeuwen S, Watson AWT, Watson JEM & Maron M 2023: Establishing effective conservation management strategies for a poorly known endangered species: a case study using Australia’s Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Biodiversity and Conservation 32(8–9): 2869–2891.
- Li G, Li J, Kohl KD, Yin B, Wei W, Wan X, Zhu B & Zhang Z 2019: Dietary shifts influenced by livestock grazing shape the gut microbiota composition and cooccurrence networks in a local rodent species. Journal of Animal Ecology 88(2): 302–314.
- Luoto M, Rekolainen S, Aakkula J & Pykälä J 2003: Loss of Plant Species Richness and Habitat Connectivity in Grasslands Associated with Agricultural Change in Finland. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 32(7): 447–452. DOI: 10.1579/0044-7447-32.7.447.
- Magioli M, Moreira MZ, Fonseca RCB, Ribeiro MC, Rodrigues MG & Ferraz KMPMDB 2019: Humanmodified landscapes alter mammal resource and habitat use and trophic structure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(37): 18466–18472. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904384116.
- Melstrom RT & Horan RD 2014: Interspecies Management and Land Use Strategies to Protect Endangered Species. Environmental and Resource Economics 58(2): 199–218. DOI: 10.1007/s10640-013-9699-y.
- Meyer S 2020: The Status of Arable Plant Habitats in Central Europe, 55–73. In: Hurford C, P Wilson, & J Storkey (eds), The Changing Status of Arable Habitats in Europe. Springer International Publishing, Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-59875-4_5.
- Miklós L 2002: Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic; Atlas krajiny Slovenskej republiky.
- Moro D & Gadal S 2007: Benefits of habitat restoration to small mammal diversity and abundance in a pastoral agricultural landscape in mid-Wales. Biodiversity and Conservation 16(12): 3543–3557. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-006-9104-z.
- Nicholls CI & Altieri MA 2013: Plant biodiversity enhances bees and other insect pollinators in agroecosystems. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 33(2): 257–274. DOI: 10.1007/s13593-012-0092-y.
- Norrdahl K & Korpimäki E 2002: Seasonal changes in the numerical responses of predators to cyclic vole populations. Ecography 25(4): 428–438. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0587.2002.250405.x.
- Obuch J 2011: Spatial and temporal diversity of the diet of the tawny owl (Strix aluco). Raptor Journal 5(1): 1–120. DOI: 10.2478/v10262-012-0057-8.
- Obuch J 2022: Temporal changes in proportions of small mammals in the diet of the mammalian and avian predators in Slovakia. Lynx, n. s 55: 86–106
- Palatitz P, Fehérvári P, Solt S, Kotymán L, Neidert D & Harnos A 2011: Exploratory analyses of foraging habitat selection of the Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 57(3): 255–268.
- Perner J & Malt S 2003: Assessment of changing agricultural land use: response of vegetation, grounddwelling spiders and beetles to the conversion of arable land into grassland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 98(1–3): 169–181. DOI: 10.1016/S0167-8809(03)00079-3.
- Petrović B, Bumbálek R, Zoubek T, Kuneš R, Smutný L & Bartoš P 2024: Application of precision agriculture technologies in Central Europe-review. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 15: 101048. DOI: 10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101048.
- Poláčiková Z 2010: Small terrestrial mammals’ (Eulipotyphla, Rodentia) synusia of selected localities in western Slovakia. Ekológia (Bratislava) 29(2): 131–139. DOI:10.4149/ekol_2010_02_131.
- Pykälä J, Luoto M, Heikkinen RK & Kontula T 2005: Plant species richness and persistence of rare plants in abandoned semi-natural grasslands in northern Europe. Basic and applied ecology 6(1): 25–33.
- R Core Team 2025: R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Retrieved March 21 from https://www.R-project.org/.
- Rahmanian S, Hejda M, Ejtehadi H, Farzam M, Memariani F & Pyšek P 2019: Effects of livestock grazing on soil, plant functional diversity, and ecological traits vary between regions with different climates in northeastern Iran. Ecology and Evolution 9(14): 8225–8237. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5396.
- Roberge J & Angelstam P 2004: Usefulness of the Umbrella Species Concept as a Conservation Tool. Conservation Biology 18(1): 76–85. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004. 00450.x.
- Rodríguez-Estrella R, Donázar JA & Hiraldo F 1998: Raptors as indicators of environmental change in the scrub habitat of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Conservation Biology 12(4): 921–925.
- Rutz C & Bijlsma RG 2006: Food-limitation in a generalist predator. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 273(1597): 2069–2076. DOI: 10.1098/rspb. 2006.3507.
- Salas A, Duchardt C & Carr N 2024: Overwintering Raptor Abundance and Community Composition in Relation to Prairie Dog Colonies in the Southern and Central Great Plains. Journal of Raptor Research 58(1). DOI: 10.3356/JRR-22-119.
- Schröpfer L 2013: Autumn passage of the European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus) through southwestern Bohemia in 1999–2012. Sylvia (49): 135–144.
- Shore RF & Douben PET 1994: Predicting Ecotoxicological Impacts of Environmental Contaminants on Terrestrial Small Mammals, 49–89. In: Ware GW (ed), Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Springer New York, New York, NY.
- Shore RF, Meek WR, Sparks TH, Pywell RF & Nowakowski M 2005: Will Environmental Stewardship enhance small mammal abundance on intensively managed farmland? Mammal Review 35(3–4): 277–284. Wiley. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2005.00072.x.
- Smout S, Asseburg C, Matthiopoulos J, Fernández C, Redpath S, Thirgood S & Harwood J 2010: The functional response of a generalist predator. PloS one 5(5): e10761.
- Správa o poľnohospodárstve a potravinárstve v Slovenskej republike za rok 2022 [Report on agriculture and food production in the Slovak Republic for 2022]/2023: Bratislava, Retrieved 20 May, 2025 from https://www.mpsr.sk/. [In Slovak]
- Stone ER 2007: Measuring Impacts of Restoration on Small Mammals in a Mixed-grass Colorado Prairie. Ecological Restoration 25(3): 183–190. University of Wisconsin Press. DOI: 10.3368/er.25.3.183.
- Tischler W 1949: Grundzüge der terrestrischen Tierökologie. Wiesbaden: Vieweg-Teubner Verlag.
- Tkadlec E & Zejda J 1998: Small rodent population fluctuations: The effects of age structure and seasonality. Evolutionary Ecology 12(2): 191–210. DOI: 10.1023/A:1006583713042.
- Török P, Lindborg R, Eldridge D & Pakeman R 2024: Grazing effects on vegetation: Biodiversity, management, and restoration. Applied Vegetation Science 27(3): e12794. DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12794.
- Tulis F, Jánošíková R, Ambros M, Baláž I, Baláž M, Košša J, Poláčiková Z, Jureček R, Dudich A, Stollman A & Ševčík M 2025: Five-decade expansion of striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) and the process of its establishment in colonized territories. Mammal Research 70(4): 465–475. DOI: 10.1007/s13364-025-00810-4.
- Venables WN & Ripley BD 2002: Modern Applied Statistics with S. Fourth. Springer, New York.
- Werling BP, Dickson TL, Isaacs R., Gaines HR, Gratton C, Gross KL, Liere H, Malmstrom CM, Meehan TD, Ruan L, Robertson BA, Robertson BA, Robertson GP, Schmidt TM., Schmidt TM, Schrotenboer AC, Schrotenboer AC, Teal TK, Wilson JK & Landis DA 2014. Perennial grasslands enhance biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services in bioenergy landscapes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(4), 1652–1657.
- Zejda J, Heroldová M & Jánová E 2025: Transformation of the agricultural landscape and its influence on small terrestrial mammal communities in South Moravia (Czech Republic, Central Europe). Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 382: 109482. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2025.109482.
Language: English
Submitted on: Oct 30, 2025
Accepted on: Mar 20, 2026
Published on: Jun 2, 2026
Published by: Raptor Protection of Slovakia
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year
Keywords:
Related subjects:
© 2026 Filip Tulis, Michal Ševčík, Roman Slobodník, Ivan Baláž, Žofia Csakiová, Jakub Košša, Ankhbayar Lkhagvasuren, Michal Ambros, Anton Krištín, published by Raptor Protection of Slovakia
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.