Lightweight den boxes enhance habitat for pine martens Martes martes in a conifer plantation in south-west Scotland.
Abstract
The European pine marten Martes martes typically occupies woodland and preferentially rests and breeds in arboreal, insulated den sites, which are particularly critical for breeding females. An absence of elevated cavities may force pine martens to use suboptimal den sites, and consequently limit population distribution, abundance, and breeding success. Artificial den boxes have been designed and installed in recent years and occupied by both non-breeding and breeding pine martens. However, the large size and weight of these boxes makes them too heavy to use in young forestry plantations. We tested two smaller, lighter box designs (the Galloway Lite Mk1 ('GLMk1') and Galloway Lite Mk2 ('GLMk2')) that could be more easily deployed in commercial conifer plantations. Fifty boxes of each design were installed in Galloway Forest, south-west Scotland, and monitored for evidence of pine marten occupation and breeding. Overall, GLMk2 boxes were occupied more frequently than the GLMk1 boxes, including for breeding. The Galloway Lite boxes provide a lightweight, economical and practical option for increasing the availability of elevated den sites for pine martens and can be deployed as a conservation tool to enhance habitat conditions.