Recovery of small rodents from open-pit marble mining:effects on communities,populations,and individuals  

作　　者：Nan WU Yao WANG Jie WANG Yaqian ZHANG Baoshuang HU Jinyu GUO Zhenfei ZHENG Youbing ZHOU 

机构地区：[1]Engineering Research Center of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region,Ministry of Education,China Three Gorges University,Yichang,China

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2024年第4期728-742,共15页整合动物学(英文版)

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.32201545 and 3197130741);the Innovative Postdoctoral Research Project of Hubei Province,China(No.291200).

摘　　要：Mining can significantly alter landscapes,impacting wildlife and ecosystem functionality.Natural recovery in open-pit mines is vital for habitat restoration and ecosystem re-establishment,although few empirical studies have examined this process.Here,we assessed temporal and spatial responses of small rodents at the community,population,and individual levels during natural mine recovery.We examined the abundance,reproductive potential,and individual health of small rodents at active mines and at former mine sites left to recover naturally for approx.10 and 20 years.We also assessed the effects of disturbance on rodent recovery processes at three distances from the mine boundary.Rodent numbers peaked after 10–13 years of recovery and exhibited the strongest male bias in the sex ratio.The Chinese white-bellied rat(Niviventer confucianus)was the most abundant species,achieving its highest population abundance at sites abandoned for 10–13 years and thriving at locations closer to the mine boundary.Only Chevrier’s field mouse exhibited morphological responses to the mine recovery category.Ectoparasite load was unaffected by mine or distance-disturbance categories.Both Chevrier’s field mouse(Apodemus chevrieri)and the South China field mouse(Apodemus draco)were affected significantly by vegetation layer cover during recovery succession.Our study highlights the complexities of ecological succession,with a peak in abundance as pioneer communities transition toward a climax seral stage.Careful prior planning and active site management are necessary to optimize abandoned mine recovery.Efforts to accelerate mine recovery through technical restoration should promote conditions that initiate and perpetuate the establishment and succession of wildlife assemblages.

关 键 词：disturbance distance natural recovery succession open-pit mine small rodents 

分 类 号：TD8[矿业工程—矿山开采]