Impact of Forest Plant Communities and Stand Age on Small Mammal Diversity

Forests are among the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems, in which small mammals play an important ecological role. Their presence is influenced by various habitat parameters, including vegetation structure, microclimate, food resources, and human-driven forest management practices. The aim of our study was to assess rodent diversity across different forests, with a particular focus on forest stand age and forest plant communities. For this purpose, we analyzed 17 years of forest rodent monitoring data across five forest plant communities. This study represents the first long-term monitoring results of small mammals in managed forests of continental Croatia. Trapping was conducted as part of routine rodent monitoring in state-owned forests, incorporating data collected from various research projects. The results showed that lowland forests, particularly floodplain oak forests, exhibited higher biodiversity compared to other forest plant communities. In addition, younger stands exhibited higher species richness than older stands. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that Microtus species were associated with lowland forests and younger stands. Overall, the findings demonstrate that both forest plant communities and stand age play important roles in shaping rodent diversity in continental Croatian forests. The obtained data provide a basis for optimizing forest management practices in continental forests.