Small mammals on one-year set-aside

Published source details Tattersall F.H., Macdonald D.W., Manley W.J., Gates S., Ferber R. & Hart B.J. (1997) Small mammals on one-year set-aside. Acta Theriologica, 47, 329-334.
Share Tweet Email

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Provide or retain set-aside areas on farmland Action Link
	Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland Action Link

Provide or retain set-aside areas on farmland

A replicated, controlled study in 1995 of set-aside on two farms in Gloucestershire, UK (Tattersall et al. 1997) found that establishing one-year set-aside areas on cropland did not increase small mammal abundance. Trapping success was lower in set-aside (0.6% of traps activated) than in the adjoining unharvested cereal crop (13% of traps activated) and hedgerow (30% of traps activated). Long-tailed field mouse Apodemus sylvaticus was the only species caught in set-aside. Sampling at two sites on each farm covered a hedgerow, a 20-m-wide strip of set-aside with adjacent cereal crop on one side of the hedge and a block of either set-aside (two sites) or cereal crop (two sites) on the other side. Set-aside was sown with a mix of wheat Triticum aestivum and oilseed rape Brassica napus (three sites) or left to regenerate naturally (one site). Fifty Longworth live traps were operated at each site for five nights/month in June–August 1995.

(Summarised by: Nick Littlewood)
Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland

A replicated, controlled study of set-aside at four sites on two Royal Agricultural College farms, Gloucestershire, UK (Tattersall et al. 1997) found that small mammals showed no preference for first-year set-aside over crops. Trapping success was significantly lower in set-aside (0.6%) than the adjoining unharvested cereal crop (13%) and hedgerow (30%). Wood mice were the only species caught in set-aside. There was no significant difference in trap success between set-aside in blocks (0.6%) or strips (0.6%) or between sown (0.4%) or naturally regenerated (1.0 %) set-aside, although sample sizes were very low (six captures). Following harvest, trap success in the crop decreased (4.5% to 0.5%) and significantly increased in set-aside (0.1 to 2.5%). Set-aside was either sown with a mix of wheat and rape (three sites) or left to regenerate naturally. A grid of 50 Longworth live-traps was set at each site covering a hedgerow, a 20 m strip of set-aside and a block of either set-aside or cereal crop. Trapping was undertaken for five nights/month from June-August 1995.