Plant–animal interactions play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, especially through seed dispersal mechanisms. Understanding how small mammal populations respond to seed availability is essential for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation, especially in the context of habitat loss and climate change. We conducted a 10-year study in mixed Mediterranean oak–beech forests to investigate the population dynamics of common small mammal species in response to seed availability. Our findings revealed distinct responses among species, influenced by life history traits, foraging behaviour, and diet. Wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) showed a rapid population increase with seed availability both in the same year of seed fall and the following year, suggesting a flexible foraging strategy and a dependence on arboreal seed producers. Yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) revealed immediate population increases in response to seed availability in the autumn, probably because of their arboreal habits and preference for exploiting seeds prior to maturation. Bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) showed responses with population peaks in years following high seed availability, indicating a slower demographic response to resource abundance. Surprisingly, the greater white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula) responded indirectly to seed availability in Mediterranean forests, suggesting complex interactions with seed-associated invertebrates or dependence on other variables not considered. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding how changes in seed availability influence the population ecology of small mammals, with significant implications for the conservation and management of Mediterranean forest ecosystems in the context of climate change and recurrent droughts. These results emphasise the need to consider species interactions, resource availability, and climate change in the conservation and management of evolving ecosystems.

The garden dormouse ( Eliomys quercinus ), a native European rodent species, has disappeared from large parts of central and eastern Europe and is considered extinct in some countries. We reviewed national red lists and the available information on the occurrence and distribution of the species in all countries where it was previously reported. The garden dormouse is considered regionally extinct in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine, and is classified as endangered or critically endangered in the Czech Republic, Flanders (Belgium), Germany, and the Netherlands. Even in Western Europe, an area considered a stronghold for the species, the garden dormouse is Near Threatened in Portugal and Italy, and there are reports of local declines or extinctions in Spain, France, and Switzerland. The current understanding cannot account for the significant reduction in the garden dormouse’s range in central and eastern Europe. This decline is probably due to the interplay of various factors, such as the considerable decline of insect biomass (a main food resource for the species), exposure to rodenticides used in pest control operations, and the bioaccumulation of pesticides and other pollutants. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an Action Plan for the species at the European level and swiftly implement conservation interventions.

Populations at the edge of a species' distribution often encounter more challenging environmental conditions than those at the core, requiring unique adaptations and strategies. However, the demographic processes driving these populations remain poorly understood. This study aims to understand these processes and the population stability of the hibernating edible dormouse under challenging environmental conditions in two Iberian edge populations: Montseny and Montnegre. Despite their geographic proximity, Montnegre is demographically isolated and faces a harsher environment characterized by a drier climate and forests with lower deciduous tree diversity, whereas Montseny remains connected to other populations. Using long‐term capture–recapture data, we analyzed the effects of density‐dependence and seed availability on population growth, survival, and recruitment of dormice. Results indicated that both populations experienced large fluctuations in population growth rate, with a slight mean decline. Survival fluctuated less and was higher in Montseny than in Montnegre, likely reflecting the harsher conditions of the latter. We found a negative relationship between population size and both growth rate and survival in both populations especially in Montnegre, suggesting significant density‐dependent effects that varied with stochastic annual seed abundance. This was likely influenced by the pulsed annual acorn production in Montnegre. Contrarily, high asynchrony between beechnut and acorn abundance in Montseny dampened the pulsed dynamics of seed availability. Interestingly, demographic contribution to population growth was dominated by survival in Montseny and by recruitment in Montnegre. When comparing survival rates with Central European core populations, we found that survival decreased with increasing climatic aridity, but was unrelated to proximity to the core, underscoring the role of spatial heterogeneity in habitat suitability, independent of range position. Our findings emphasize the complex interplay between ecological processes and evolutionary mechanisms at the edge of a species' range, highlighting the critical role of local adaptations and resource availability in shaping population dynamics.