Identification of conservation measures for the European hamster across different spatial scales using new remote sensing technologies

The European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) is an endangered species whose decline is mainly due to the intensification of agriculture and the loss and fragmentation of its habitats. Saxony-Anhalt has the largest field hamster population in Germany in terms of area. Nevertheless, little is known about the factors influencing the field hamster population on a local and landscape scale in structurally poor agricultural landscapes such as those in Saxony-Anhalt. Furthermore, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive to determine the occurrence of European hamsters on arable land and to monitor known European hamster populations, as this requires mapping European hamster burrows. It is therefore necessary to develop new, more efficient recording methods.

Project priorities

The project “Derivation of field hamster protection measures on different spatial scales using new remote sensing technologies,” funded by the Ministry of Environment and Water Management of Saxony-Anhalt, is investigating in various areas whether imaging remote sensing (in this case, gyrocopter and satellite images) can be used to clearly identify field hamster burrows using thermal data and other remote sensing indices. In addition, parameters that may influence the occurrence and density of field hamsters on a local and landscape scale are being analyzed and determined. Local parameters within a field include, for example, vegetation cover and the density of the small mammal population (especially field mice). At the landscape level, parameters describing the landscape configuration and composition are examined in relation to the occurrence of field hamsters. For this purpose, the landscape within a radius of 500 m around the test areas is to be mapped and classified using aerial photographs. The results will be used to derive field hamster protection measures.

Project region

Saxony-Anhalt