Selective Predation of Tawny Owls (Strix aluco) on Yellow-Necked Mice (Apodemus flavicollis) and Bank Voles (Myodes glareolus)

Sunde, Peter; Forsom, Heidi Malene; Al‐Sabi, Mohammad Nafi Solaiman; Overskaug, Kristian

doi:10.5735/086.049.0505

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The three species are all common prey for the same set of predators (e.g. Sidorovich et al 2010;Sunde et al 2012), which makes our study system particularly suited to our scope, as it allows us to focus on competitive effects reducing the confounding effect of Landscape Ecol predation. We emphasise that our model system includes all the species that compose the community of forest-and ground-dwelling rodents.…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empirical evaluation of the strength of interspecific competition in shaping small mammal communities in fragmented landscapes

Sozio

Mortelliti

2015

Landscape Ecol

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Context Theory predicts that habitat loss and fragmentation may have drastic consequences on species' interactions. To date, however, little empirical evidence exists on the strength of interspecific competition in shaping animal communities in fragmented landscapes. Objectives Our aim was to measure the degree of ongoing competitive interference between species in fragmented landscapes. Our model system was the community of ground-dwelling rodents in deciduous woodlands in central Italy, composed of a habitat generalist species (Apodemus sylvaticus) and two forest specialists (Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus). Our objectives were to test whether species were segregated among forest patches and whether spatial segregation was determined by interspecific competition or habitat and resource availability. Methods We surveyed the populations inhabiting 29 woodland patches in a highly fragmented landscape using a capture-mark-recapture protocol, capturing [4500 individuals. First we modelled species' distribution as a function of habitat, resource availability and landscape variables. The second stage of our analyses involved measuring the response of vital rate parameters (body mass, reproduction, survival, recruitment, population density) to competitor density.Results The relative distribution of species reflected a spatial segregation of habitat generalists and specialists according to habitat quality, cover and connectivity. Interspecific competition mainly affected individual level vital rates, whereas we found no substantial effects at the population level.Conclusions Competitive exclusion of specialist species by generalist species was occurring. However, when compared to other factors such as habitat connectivity and resource availability, interspecific competition played a relatively minor role in shaping the studied community.Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

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Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empirical evaluation of the strength of interspecific competition in shaping small mammal communities in fragmented landscapes

Sozio

Mortelliti

2015

Landscape Ecol

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“…Females in the high fat treatment revealed a more distinct response to the predation risk than males. Considering that larger animals are more susceptible to predation (Sunde et al ., 2012), these observations suggest treatment enhanced the protective effect against predation risk by controlling weight gain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Effects of predation risk on the body mass regulation of growing wood mice

2020

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Body mass in wild animals has been suggested to be regulated by the opposing fitness consequences of variation in body size (and fat storage) for starvation and predation risk. Many studies of adult mammals and birds have broadly confirmed the predictions of this model. However, relatively few studies have addressed the potential role of such trade-offs during early phases of development when animals are growing. Similarly, studies of the impact of high-fat diets on wild small mammals generally show a resistance to weight gain. But whether growing animals are similarly resistant is unclear. In this study, weaned wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) were exposed to a high risk of predation, simulated by the broadcasting of owl calls, for 66 days during which body mass and energy intake were monitored. We hypothesized that if the risk of predation plays a role in regulating body mass during this phase then animals growing under predation risk would grow less. We found female (but not male) mice exposed to the predation risk treatment had lower growth rates and ended the experiment lighter; however, variations in energy intake and resting metabolic rate did not explain the observed differences. Feeding on high-fat diet resulted in individuals with higher body mass. Females reached their adult size earlier than males and were more responsive to the predation risk treatment when feeding on high-fat diet. Our data suggest males body mass to have fitness consequences on social dominance and reproductive success not accounted for in the simple starvation-predation trade-off model.

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“…Annual predation rates could account for nearly all mortality, as found by Erlinge et al (1983). (c) Adult and male voles were overrepresented in the diet of the eagle owl, but the hypothesis that those eaten were of lower mass and hence most likely in poorer condition as found by Melis et al (2011), was not supported (sensu Sunde et al 2012). The lower proportion of males among adults than among juveniles may have resulted from higher mortality rates among males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Population dynamics of an island population of water voles Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) with one major predator, the eagle owl Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758), in northern Norway

Frafjord

2021

Polar Biol

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Predator–prey relationships are of great significance to ecosystems, and their effects on the population dynamics of voles and lemmings (Microtinae) in Boreal and Arctic environments have long been of particular interest. A simple ecosystem with one major prey and one major predator could be an ideal setting for a study of their interactions. This is the situation on several small islands on the coast of northern Norway just below the Arctic Circle, with populations of water voles Arvicola amphibius preyed upon by the eagle owl Bubo bubo. The population dynamics of the water vole was studied by trapping and tagging in 2003–2018, eagle owl pellets were collected for analyses, eagle owl breeding attempts were recorded, and some weather variables collected from official recordings. After having been introduced well into the study period, the number of sheep Ovis aries was also recorded. Water voles were the main prey of the eagle owl, with 89% occurrence in pellets, with an overrepresentation of adults and males. Both predation, sheep grazing and extreme weather events influenced the vole population. Predator exclusion, as happened in three summers due to an intensive radio tracking study, especially increased the number of surviving young (in particular from the early cohorts) and the mass of adults. Extreme weather events, such as flooding in summer and deeply frozen ground in winter, most significantly reduced vole populations. Sheep grazing may exacerbate the effects of predation. A similar multitude of factors may affect populations of other rodent species as well.

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Selective Predation of Tawny Owls (Strix aluco) on Yellow-Necked Mice (Apodemus flavicollis) and Bank Voles (Myodes glareolus)

Cited by 6 publications

References 37 publications

Empirical evaluation of the strength of interspecific competition in shaping small mammal communities in fragmented landscapes

Empirical evaluation of the strength of interspecific competition in shaping small mammal communities in fragmented landscapes

Effects of predation risk on the body mass regulation of growing wood mice

Population dynamics of an island population of water voles Arvicola amphibius (Linnaeus, 1758) with one major predator, the eagle owl Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758), in northern Norway

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