The Centre for Sustainable Cropping - New Project Form
January 10, 2012
Main Contact:
Name: Amanda Wilson
Insititute: JHI/St Andrews University
Email address: manda_wilson@hotmail.co.uk
Secondary Contact:
Name: Graham Begg
Insititute: JHI
Email address: graham.begg@hutton.ac.uk
Project Title: Usage of arable habitat by small mammals
Funding body: JHI / NERC / NFU Mutual / GWCT
Start/end date: 2012-2014
Brief project description (abstract):
The impact small mammals have on lower trophic levels in arable systems is uncertain. Perhaps as a
result of this lack of information, the impact of agri-environment interventions on small mammals
has been under-researched. Semi-natural habitat within arable systems may provide enhanced
cover and food availability and may enable small mammals to leave natural habitat patches and
enter arable habitat more easily. Once established within the arable habitat, small mammals may
leave the semi-natural margins and enter cropped areas. The areas I am interested in include:
-
The influence of small mammals on lower trophic levels
The influence of small mammals on crop yield
Whether semi-natural habitat within the arable system functions as a corridor connecting
natural habitat to the arable system
The factors that may determine the extent to which small mammals make use of arable
systems
Hypotheses to be tested:
- Small mammals influence lower trophic levels
- Small mammals influence crop yield
- Semi-natural habitat may act as a corridor connecting natural habitat with the arable system
- Cover and food availability determines the extent to which small mammals make use of
arable systems
Expected outcomes/outputs:
- Address some of the above ideas
Project data requirements (list datasets from the CSC data you would like to make use of, see: about/facilities/centresustainable-cropping/datasets)
- possibly
make use of the data about insect and plant abundance and species richness
Field sampling methods:
Type of material to be sampled (soil, plant, insect, water, air)
Small mammals
Timing of sampling events (spring, summer, autumn)
Unsure
The Centre for Sustainable Cropping - New Project Form
January 10, 2012
Sampling frequency (weekly, monthly, annual)
Unsure
Sampling intensity (number of samples and distribution – per field, half field,
Unsure
strip etc – see field layout on /about/facilities/centre-sustainable-cropping/design)
Other comments (e.g. is equipment expected to be left out in the field, any
special conditions/requirements for sampling?)
Unsure
Photograph of wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) taken by Shona Jack (University of Dundee)