Short-term post-fire adaptations in arboreality, temporal activity and moonlight avoidance of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) in a fire-prone mediterranean ecosystem

Fires may exert dramatic impacts particularly on small species with relatively small ranges and arboreal habits, but thanks to behavioural plasticity, some of these species may cope with dramatic habitat changes. We aimed to assess the vertical and temporal habitat use of the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus ), in a Mediterranean ecosystem, focusing on the short-term effects of a fire. The study area was located in a mountain-hilly forested system of Monte Pisano (Tuscany, Italy) partially affected in September 2018 by a mixed-severity fire. During late spring-summer 2021, sampling was carried in 50 randomly selected sites, stratified according to forest type and to burnt status, and in each site the occurrence of the garden dormouse along the vertical layers was sampled using both camera traps and hair-tubes checked weekly. The arboreality of the garden dormouse resulted influenced only by habitat category: in the high-severely burnt pine forests the garden dormice were mainly ground-dwelling, whereas in unburnt forests they displayed semi-arboreal habitat use. There were no differences in locomotory activity patterns between burnt and unburnt pine forests, although dormice showed greater use of burnt pine forest during the bright nights, compared to the unburnt pine forest. These findings provide insights into the behavioural plasticity of this glirid, highlighting its adaptability to the post-fire habitats. Understanding these dynamics is essential for conservation strategies targeting arboreal small mammals in fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystems.