ON A COMMUNITY OF SMALL MAMMALS IN STACKS AT LOW POPULATION NUMBERS

A sample of rodents and insectivores snap trapped in straw ricks and t heir environs at low population densities (1.9% of trap-nights) was co mpared to an earlier sample collected in similar habitats under normal densities (8.0% of trap-nights). Although the same 10 species were re corded in stacks, the values of species dominance differed except in M . arvalis, which predominated in both cases. Highly significant differ ences were found in numbers of C. glareolus, A. sylvaticus, A. flavico llis and M. musculus. Possible reasons are discussed.