Habitat loss and fragmentation greatly affect biological diversity. Actions to counteract their negative effects include increasing the quality, amount and connectivity of seminatural habitats at the landscape scale. However, much of the scientific evidence underpinning landscape restoration comes from studies of habitat loss and fragmentation, and it is unclear whether the ecological principles derived from habitat removal investigations are applicable to habitat creation. In addition, the relative importance of local- (e.g., improving habitat quality) vs. landscape-level (e.g., increasing habitat connectivity) actions to restore species is largely unknown, partly because studying species responses over sufficiently large spatial and temporal scales is challenging. We studied small mammal responses to large-scale woodland creation spanning 150 yr, and assessed the influence of local- and landscape-level characteristics on three small mammal species of varying woodland affinity. Woodland specialists, generalists, and grassland specialists were present in woodlands across a range of ages from 10 to 160 yr, demonstrating that these species can quickly colonize newly created woodlands. However, we found evidence that woodlands become gradually better over time for some species. The responses of individual species corresponded to their habitat specificity. A grassland specialist (Microtus agrestis) was influenced only by landscape attributes; a woodland generalist (Apodemus sylvaticus) and specialist (Myodes glareolus) were primarily influenced by local habitat attributes, and partially by landscape characteristics. At the local scale, high structural heterogeneity, large amounts of deadwood, and a relatively open understory positively influenced woodland species (both generalists and specialists); livestock grazing had strong negative effects on woodland species abundance. Actions to enhance habitat quality at the patch scale focusing on these attributes would benefit these species. Woodland creation in agricultural landscapes is also likely to benefit larger mammals and birds of prey feeding on small mammals and increase ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal.

中文翻译：

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小哺乳动物对长期大规模林地创造的反应：局部和景观属性的影响。

栖息地的丧失和破碎极大地影响了生物多样性。抵消其负面影响的措施包括在景观规模上提高半自然栖息地的质量，数量和连通性。但是，支持景观恢复的许多科学证据都来自对栖息地丧失和破碎的研究，目前尚不清楚源自栖息地去除研究的生态原理是否适用于栖息地的创建。此外，恢复物种的局部（例如，改善栖息地质量）与景观水平（例如，增加栖息地连通性）行动的相对重要性在很大程度上尚不清楚，部分原因是在足够大的时空尺度上研究物种的响应是一项挑战。 。我们研究了小型哺乳动物对跨越150年的大规模林地创建的反应，并评估了局部和景观特征对林地亲和力不同的三种小型哺乳动物物种的影响。林地专家，通才和草场专家在10至160年的年龄范围内的林地中均存在，这表明这些物种可以迅速在新建立的林地中定殖。但是，我们发现有证据表明某些物种的林地随着时间的推移逐渐变得更好。单个物种的反应与其生境特异性相对应。草原专家（田鼠（Microtus agrestis））仅受景观属性的影响。林地通才（Apodemus sylvaticus）和专长（Myodes glareolus）主要受当地栖息地属性的影响，部分受景观特征的影响。在当地范围内，结构异质性很高，大量的枯木，相对开放的林下林地受到积极影响的林地物种（包括通才和专家）；放牧对林地物种的丰富度具有强烈的负面影响。着眼于这些特性的以斑块规模提高栖息地质量的行动将使这些物种受益。在农业景观中创造林地还可能使大型哺乳动物和以小型哺乳动物为食的猛禽受益，并增加诸如种子传播等生态系统进程。