Testing for the relative contribution of patch neighborhood, patch internal structure, and presence of predators and competitor species in determining distribution patterns of rodents in a fragmented landscape

Factors affecting the distribution of species in fragmented landscapes, and their relative importance, are often unclear. Few studies have deliberately compared various hypotheses in relatively controlled conditions. Moreover, most studies to date have not incorporated false absences in their modeling. Following a multiple hypotheses testing framework, we tested the relative role of landscape structure, patch and neighborhood configuration, patch internal structure, presence or absence of predators, and presence or absence and abundance of potential competitor species on the occupancy patterns of three rodent species (Myodes glareolus (Schreber, 1780), Apodemus flavicollis (Melchior, 1834), Apodemus sylvaticus (L., 1758)) in a highly fragmented landscape in Tuscany, central Italy. Distribution patterns and occupancy dynamics of the three rodent species were affected by patch and patch neighborhood characteristics, as well as the vicinity of other patches occupied by the species. However, we found no relevant effect of the surrounding landscape structure, patch internal structure, predator patch use, and abundance or distribution of potential competitor species. The observed spatial correlation between populations and the evidence of colonization or extinction events suggest that a metapopulation approach could provide a good framework for understanding the long-term dynamics of these populations.