Action Plan for conservation of the Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius in Denmark

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1 English summary Action Plan for conservation of the Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius in Denmark Introduction In Denmark the dormouse is distributed in the southern part of the country. Its population has been declining, so now it belongs to the threatened species. In Denmark the dormouse immigrated c years ago with the deciduous wood. At that time the climate was warmer, and the forest was dominated by tree species such as oak, lime and hazel. At that time the dormouse was presumably more widely distributed than nowadays. Today the dormouse is known only from the central, the southern and the southwestern part and of Zealand, the southern part of Funen and the south-eastern part of Jutland. The dormouse is few in number and has declined so it is red-listed not only in Denmark but in all its areas of distribution. The reason for the decline of the dormouse is change of climate, reduction and fragmentation of the forest area, felling of hedges and change of forest management. In co-operation with the Danish Forests Association, a number of counties, experts and others the Danish Nature and Forest Agency has worked out the Action Plan for conservation of the Dormouse in Denmark, see below: The Action Plan Objects The superior object of the Action Plan is to ensure a favourable conservation status of the species so that it in the long term is able to maintain a viable population in its natural areas of distribution in Denmark. The actual objects are to ensure the conservation of dormice in the areas where they are known to live for the time being, and to promote stable populations there, including the ensuring of possibilities of dispersal inside their actual habitats and between areas. Besides the management of dormice shall promote the knowledge of distribution of dormice and the conservation status of the population in order to concentrate directly on problem areas and to put focus on key habitats for dormice. Monitoring Still the distribution of the dormouse is not known in details, and the conditions of the existing populations are based on estimates and guess. The actual counties, the National Environmental Research Institute and the Danish Forest and Nature Agency have therefore started a monitoring programme in order to find out where a special conservation effort should be done for the survival of dormice in Denmark. It is a monitoring programme which is necessary if Denmark shall fulfil its obligations according to the EU Habitats Directive. The first priority of the monitoring is up-dating of the present dormouse localities, based on data deriving from Project Dormouse from For the autumn of 2000 and 2001 the county of Storstrøm has ordered an up-dating of the localities in that county. 18

2 A monitoring programme for the planned demonstration projects in the State forests of Funen and Odsherred will also be of high priority. In connection with the three years project the Danish Atlas of Mammals a mapping of all Danish species of mammals is planed. The project is going to examine selected areas of forest out of the well-known distribution of dormice, while the Danish Forest and Nature Agency aims at a repeated registration of formerly known localities for dormice. The Danish Nature Conservancy Society will try to raise funds for a project concerning putting up nest boxes. If this project will be realised, it will be worked into other strategies concerning monitoring and conservation of dormice. Information of forest owners and counties The Danish Forest and Nature Agency will make the existing knowledge of dormouse localities available to the counties of Western Zealand, Roskilde, Storstrøm, Funen and Vejle. The counties are requested to act in accordance with the Action Plan, and to consider the dormouse in their planning for instance by designating new forest regeneration areas, linking up existing forests with dormice. Forest owners giving shelter to dormice are informed by the local State forest district and encouraged to realise a dormice-friendly forest management. The greater forest owners are given first priority. With the information follow maps of locality, a leaflet of dormice-friendly forest management, information on possible subsidies, and an invitation to a forest walking tour. In the counties of Western Zealand, Roskilde, Storstrøm, Funen and Vejle a minimum of one forest walking tour made by the Danish Forest and Nature Agency is arranged. Hereby owners and administrators will visit habitats, look at signs of dormice and get an informal talk about dormicefriendly forest management. The walking tour will be in a wood typical of the local area. Leaflet of forest management The Danish Forest and Nature Agency will distribute a leaflet concerning dormice-friendly forest management. This leaflet is going to inform how a dormouse habitat looks like, how the management by means of practical measures may ensure a local dormouse population besides the possibilities of getting subsidies, planting and management of edges of wood, planting deciduous trees etc. This leaflet will be written as an article in the magazine Skoven, published by the Danish Forests Association. Establishing projects of demonstration In the forests of Hvalsø (Odsherred State forest district) and Sollerup (Funen State forest district) projects of demonstration will be made in order to promote better dormice-friendly forest management. A monitoring programme should be carried out, so that experience can be achieved on the influence of forestry of the dormouse population. These experiences should be incorporated into the management plans of the two State forest districts and if convenient also implicate private forest districts as well. Involvement of the public In those State forests giving shelter to dormice, leaflets and info-maps should inform about the presence of dormice. Focus on the dormouse and its conservation will be made by means of exhibitions and articles in cooperation with non-governmental organisations, rangers, museums of natural history and others. 19

3 The Action plan is published in the website of the Danish Forest and Nature Agency: Legislation It is being contemplated whether it is necessary to ensure hedges legally inside the dormouse distribution area. Also it is being considered whether it may be necessary to prohibit or restrict the use of mice venom in dormouse habitats. Establishing new habitats and corridors of dispersal New habitats and better ways of dispersal ought to be established in connection with existing dormouse habitats by planting new forests and hedges. The counties are encouraged to make this possible in their regional planning. Working group In order to follow and evaluate the measures of the dormouse Action Plan, a dormouse working group is established. The working group is appointed for a period of 5 years, consisting of the Danish Forest and Nature Agency, the relevant State forest districts, the National Environmental Research Institute, the relevant counties, the Danish Forests Association, the Danish Nature Conservancy Society besides scientific dormouse experts. 20

4 Litteratur Aaris-Sørensen, K Danmarks forhistoriske dyreverden (3. udgave). Gyldendal. Ahlén, I. & Tjernberg, M (red.) Rödlistade ryggradsdjur i Sverige - Artfakta ArtDatabanken. Berg, L Spatial distribution and habitat selection of the hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius in Sweden. Phd.-afhandling, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sep. Of Conservation Biology. Bright, P. & Morris, P A pratical guide to dormice conservation (2 nd ed.). The mammal Socity. Bright, P.W. & Morris, P.A b. Habitat requirements of Dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) in relation to woodland management in Southwest England. Biological Conservation. 54: Bright, P.W. & Morris, P.A Ranging and Nesting Behaviour of the Dormice Muscardinus avellanarius, in diverse low-growing woodland. Journal of Zoology, London, 224: Bright, P.W. & Morris, P.A Ranging and Nesting Behaviour of the Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) i Coppice-with-standards Woodland. Journal of Zoology, London, 226: Bright, P.W. & Morris, P.A Foraging behaviour of dormice Muscardinus avellanarius in two contrasting habitats. J. Zool., Lond. 230: Bright, P.W., Mitchell, P. & Morris, P.A Dormouse distribution: survey techniques, insular ecology and selection of sites for conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 31: Bright, P.W. & Morris, P.A Why are Dormice rare? A case study in conservation biology. Mammal Society. Mammal Review 26: Bright, P.W., Morris, P.A. & Mitchell-Jones, T The Dormouse Conservation Handbook. English Nature. Bright, P. W Behaviour of species in habitat corridors: arboreal dormice avoid corridor gaps. Animal behaviour 56: Ford, M.J The Changing Climate: Responses of the natural fauna and flora. Allen and Unwin, London. Miljø- og Energiministeriet Natur og Miljø Påvirkninger og tilstand. Faglig rapport fra DMU nr Mitshell-Jones, A.J., Amori, G., Bogdanowicz, W., Krystufek, B., Reijnders, P.J.H., Spitzenberger, F., Stubbe, M., Thissen, J.B.M., Vohralík, V. & Zima, J The Atlas of European Mammals. Academic Press. Pihl, S., Ejrnæs, R., Søgaard, B., Aude, E., Nielsen K.E., Dahl, K. & Laursen, J.S., 2000: Naturtyper og arter omfattet af EF-Habitatdirektivet. Indledende kortlægning og foreløbelige vurderinger af bevaringsstatus. Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser. 219 s. Faglig rapport fra DMU, nr Vilhelmsen, H Bevar hasselmusen. En håndbog i bevarelse af hasselmusen og dens levesteder. Foreningen til Dyrenes Beskyttelse i Danmark, Skov og Naturstyrelsen, Miljøministeriet. Vilhelmsen, H Notat om hasselmusens levevilkår. Set i relation til konsekvensvurderinger ved anlæg af motorvej rute 9 nord for Svendborg samt forslag til kompensationstiltag. Internetadresser: English Nature, hjemmeside. Devon County Council, hjemmeside. 21

5 Handlingsplan for bevaring af den truede art hasselmusen, Muscardinus avellanarius Miljø- og Energiministeriet 2000 Redaktion: Mette Homann Keseler og Sten Asbirk, Skov- og Naturstyrelsen Hasselmus-arbejdsgruppe: I forbindelse med udarbejdelsen af denne rapport blev der nedsat en faglig arbejdsgruppe, der primært havde til formål at give faglig respons på tidligere udkast af handlingsplanen. Der rettes en tak til de personer der har deltaget i dette arbejde. Personerne der har deltaget i arbejdet er: Hans Baagøe (Zoologisk Museum, København), Hans Henrik Erhardi (Odsherred Statsskovdistrikt), Bo Håkansson (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening), Michael Krüger Jakobsen (Randbøl Statsskovdistrikt), Peder Nygaard Nielsen (Vejle Amt), Jens Kristian Poulsen (Dansk Skovforening), Nick Rasmussen (Storstrøms Amt), Jacob Salvig (Zoologisk Museum, Svendborg), Karin Skovhus (Fyns Amt), Søren Kirk Strandgaard (Fyns Statsskovdistrikt), Helle Vilhelmsen (Zoologisk Museum, Svendborg), Morten Vincent (Roskilde Amt), Jan Woollhead (Storstrøms Amt), Erich Wederkinch (Vestsjællands Amt). Forsidefoto: Jan Vestergård Jensen/Biofoto 22