Habitat preferences of small rodents in deciduous forests of north-eastern South Korea.

Abstract

The habitat preferences of small rodents was investigated in natural deciduous forests of Pyongchang, Kwangwon Province, South Korea from May to November 1996. Three sites (one hectare each) were selected as cutting, thinning, and control. A total of 142 small rodents were captured using live traps in the three sites: 64 (45.1%) Korean field mice Apodemus peninsulae and 78 (54.9%) Korean large-toothed red backed voles Eothenomys regulus. The number of small rodents captured was highest in the control site and lowest in the cutting site. Differences in habitat preferences were found between the two species. Apodemus peninsulae was captured only in the cutting and the control site, while E. regulus was found only in the thinning and the control site. Apodemus peninsulae were mainly captured near woody debris and piles of stones in the cutting and control sites. In the thinning site, however, there was little woody debris and few piles of stones were available, and these two may be critical factors affecting the distribution of A. peninsulae. In contrast, tree density, tree species diversity, and the depth of the litter layer are the major factors affecting the distribution of E. regulus.