BIOLOGICAL LETT. 2012, 49(2): 115–133 Available online at: http:/www.versita.com/science/lifesciences/bl/ DOI: 10.2478/v10120-012-0013-4 Small-mammal assemblages inhabiting Sphagnum peat bogs in various regions of Poland MATEUSZ CIECHANOWSKI1, JAN CICHOCKI2, AGNIESZKA WAŻNA2 and BARBARA PIŁACIŃSKA3 1 Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, al. Legionów 9, 80‑441 Gdańsk, Poland 2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, ul. prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65‑516 Zielona Góra, Poland 3 Department of Systematic Zoology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61‑614 Poznań, Poland Corresponding author: Mateusz Ciechanowski,
[email protected] (Received on 19 May 2011; Accepted on 1 March 2012) Abstract: We studied species composition of assemblages of small mammals (rodents and shrews) inhab iting Polish 25 ombrotrophic mires and quaking bogs in several regions in order to reveal characteristic features of their quantitative structure and compare them between regions, internal zones of the bog habitats, and different levels of anthropogenic degradation. We reviewed also all published results of small-mammal trapping in such habitats. Mammals were captured in pitfalls, snap traps and live traps on 12 bogs of the Pomerania region, 4 bogs of the Orawa-Nowy Targ Basin (Kotlina Orawsko-Nowotarska), 3 bogs in the Świętokrzyskie Mts, and 6 bogs in Wielkopolska and the Lubusz Land. Additionally, we included materials collected from Barber traps (pitfalls) used during studies of epigeic invertebrates on 4 bogs. In total, 598 individuals of 12 species were collected. The number of pitfall captures per 100 trap- nights was very low (7.0–7.8), suggesting low population density.