The suitability of habitat in Kent for reintroduction of Pine Marten (Martes martes)

Abstract

This study used a combination of literature review and meta-analysis to analyse a variety of resources covering the Pine Marten’s (Martes martes) habit needs and preferences and whether they were considered a habitat specialist or generalist. The literature was found using set phrases such as ‘Pine Marten reintroduction’ and ‘habitat requirements Martes martes’. The literature review found the majority of researchers agreed that the Pine Marten is a habitat generalist and an opportunistic carnivore, altering their diet to fit the availability of food in the differing seasons. Furthermore, the literature review found that the Pine Marten's original decline in the UK was caused by persecution from gamekeepers and the impacts of human activity such as deforestation, agriculture, and urbanisation. However, many studies demonstrated that they found Pine Martens have become adaptive to habitat fragmentation and urban settings.

The literature review was followed by an ad hoc selection of forests from Wales, Scotland, and England, and specifically focusing on Kent, with and without Pine Marten populations to compare the habitat features of each forest. In total 34 forests were selected, and habitat data was mined from a selection of scientific journals, organisation produced documents, government publications and communicating with specialists in the field. The data was then used to create a multivariate model. This model further supported the findings of the literature review. It was found that Pine Marten are a habitat generalist with no preference towards a specific forest type. They did not require ancient woodland for survival. Additionally, it was found that woodlands in Kent did possess the habitat requirements for a reintroduction programme. This supports the need for further research into the field to establish a programme for reintroduction into Kent forests.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	English