Population cycles in microtines: The senescence hypothesis

Boonstra, Rudy

doi:10.1007/bf01238250

Cited by 143 publications

(138 citation statements)

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“…A common line of differentiation is between intrinsic (for example age structure and maternal or juvenile environment: see [60][61][62][63]) and extrinsic factors (the environment, including predation: see [6,9]. However, recent transplant experiments have provided compelling evidence to support an important effect of the immediate environment on the life history traits of voles [64][65] (see however [63]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food resources and intestinal parasites as limiting factors for boreal vole populations during winter

Forbes

Stuart

Mappes

et al. 2014

Ecology

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Processes limiting the growth of cyclic vole populations have stimulated considerable research and debate over several decades. In Fennoscandia, the peak density of cyclic vole populations occurs in fall, and is followed by a severe winter decline. Food availability and intestinal parasites have been demonstrated to independently and synergistically limit wildlife populations. The purpose of this study was to directly compare competing food and parasite hypotheses on the limitation of overwintering high‐density vole populations. Moreover, we evaluated the ability of food limitation and nematode infection to interact and thereby intensify population declines. A two‐factor experiment with food supplementation and antihelminthic medication was conducted on replicated, enclosed field vole (Microtus agrestis) populations in central Finland over one full boreal winter. Population abundance, survival, and demographic attributes were monitored through live trapping. Vole feces were concurrently examined for the eggs of Heligmosomidae nemadotes and oocysts of eimerian coccidians. We found that vole density declined in all treatment groups throughout winter. However, food supplementation mitigated this decline through positive effects on reproduction, and voles in food‐supplemented populations were generally in better physiological condition than non‐supplemented voles. Food supplementation and antihelminthic treatment reduced the prevalence of Heligmosomidae nematodes, while neither food nor medication affected the prevalence of eimerians, or infection intensity of either parasite group. Although food supplementation and antihelminthic medication aided in the clearance of Heligmosomidae nematodes, their prevalence did not influence vole population growth, and this parasite group is therefore unlikely to contribute to the cyclic winter decline of boreal vole populations. Instead food resources acting alone were the primary factor limiting vole population growth.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food resources and intestinal parasites as limiting factors for boreal vole populations during winter

Forbes

Stuart

Mappes

et al. 2014

Ecology

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“…The most popular current hypothesis is that the cycles are caused by an interaction with specialist predators (3)(4)(5), but overgrazing (6) and various intrinsic factors (7,8) have also been suggested. The dynamics of cyclic voles usually are described well by simple second-order autoregressive models (9,10,47).…”

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confidence: 99%

Interspecific and intraspecific competition as causes of direct and delayed density dependence in a fluctuating vole population

Hansen

Stenseth

Henttonen

et al. 1999

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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A 3-to 5-year cycle of vole abundances is a characteristic phenomenon in the ecology of northern regions, and their explanation stands as a central theoretical challenge in population ecology. Although many species of voles usually coexist and are in severe competition for food and breeding space, the role of interspecific competition in vole cycles has never been evaluated statistically. After studying community effects on the population dynamics of the gray-sided vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus) in the subarctic birch forest at Kilpisjärvi, Finland, we report statistical results showing that both interspecific and intraspecific effects are important in the direct year-to-year density dependence. However, interspecific effects are not detectable in the 2-year delayed density dependence that is crucial for generating the characteristic cycles. Furthermore, we show that most of the competition takes place during the winter. The results are evaluated against two models of community dynamics. One assumes that the delayed effects are caused by an interaction with a specialist predator, and the other assumes that they are caused by overgrazing food plants. These statistical results show that vole cycles may be generated by a species-specific trophic interaction. The results also suggest that the graysided vole may be the focal species in the birch-forest community, as field voles may be in the taiga and as lemmings may be on the tundra.Ever since the 3-to 5-year vole cycles were first described by Elton (1), their mechanism has been hotly debated (2). The most popular current hypothesis is that the cycles are caused by an interaction with specialist predators (3-5), but overgrazing (6) and various intrinsic factors (7, 8) have also been suggested. The dynamics of cyclic voles usually are described well by simple second-order autoregressive models (9,10,47). In these models, density dependence is distributed about equally between a direct effect acting within 1 year and a 2-year delayed effect. Current research aimed at understanding the vole cycle has focused on developing models that can explain this pattern of density dependence or other associated aspects of the second-order autoregressive dynamics (10)(11)(12)47). Almost all of this work has focused on predation by weasels as the mechanism generating the delayed density dependence. This focus is not surprising, because predator-prey interaction is a simple and ecologically plausible mechanism that generates cyclic dynamics, which tend to show up as second-order autoregressive dynamics in time-series analyses (13).

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“…Ground-dwelling rodents are generally classic subjects for research on population dynamics and population ecology (e.g., BOONSTRA 1994, FRANCESCHINI-ZINK and MILLESI 2008, SINCLAIR 1989, in particular while facing habitat alterations (e.g., ANDRZEJEWSKI et al 1978, BABIÑSKA-WERKA et al 1979, BABIÑSKA-WERKA and MALINOWSKA 2008, KUCHERUK 1988, SUROV and BOGOMOLOV 2013. In the common hamster, the degree of interaction with human environments goes beyond that previously described for other endangered rodents (BANASZEK and ZIOMEK 2010, ÈANÁDY 2013, HOFFMANN 2011, SUROV and TOVPINETZ 2008, TELITSINA et al 1994.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The common hamster as a synurbist: a history of settlement in european cities

Feoktistova¹,

Surov²,

Tovpinetz³

et al. 2013

Zoologica Poloniae

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Following the expansion of agriculture in the Neolithic period, the common hamster has spread throughout Europe, and occurred abundantly until the recent past. However, in the last 45 years, populations declined markedly, partly attributable to urbanization and to major changes in agricultural practices. As a result, the species has been considered endangered at international levels as well as in most European countries. At the same time, the species has established populations in large Central and Eastern-European cities such as Vienna (Austria), Simferopol (Ukraine) and Nalchik (Russia), where it inhabits green spaces such as parks, gardens, embankments and buffer strips. In an attempt to reveal factors enabling hamsters to cope with urban environments, we reviewed historical data and habitat conditions of several urban hamster populations. We suggest that supplemental food resources and reduced predation pressure were the main factors promoting urban occurrence of common hamsters in the last 30 years. Its notable adaptability may be associated with higher stress resilience, ecological opportunism, polyphagy and higher fertility compared to species Unauthenticated Download Date | 5/13/18 9:19 AM 114 NATALIA -YU. relying on non-urban habitats. The phenomenon of synurbization implies coexistence of wildlife and our urban civilization, but at the same time conflicting interests in conservation and urban development. Thus, the common hamster might serve as a model species for efficient mitigation and compensation concepts in urbanism and spatial planning.

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Population cycles in microtines: The senescence hypothesis

Cited by 143 publications

References 128 publications

Food resources and intestinal parasites as limiting factors for boreal vole populations during winter

Food resources and intestinal parasites as limiting factors for boreal vole populations during winter

Interspecific and intraspecific competition as causes of direct and delayed density dependence in a fluctuating vole population

The common hamster as a synurbist: a history of settlement in european cities

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