Spacing patterns of ermine, Mustela erminea L., in a Quebec agrosystem

Abstract

Spacing patterns in mammals are influenced by mating systems such as polygyny -promiscuity. Movement parameters were monitored over 3 years in an increasing population of ermine, Mustela erminea cicognanii, in southern Quebec (45"22'N, 71 "51 'W), and the effects of age, sex, breeding status, and annual densities on movements were examined. Residency times (range 24-443 d) were significantly higher in females than in males. Populations were composed of more visiting males than residents and more resident females than visiting females. Adult and juvenile males travelled significantly more than adult females and during the year of highest density than in other years. Males' travel distances significantly decreased and those of females increased during the postbreeding season. Males' home range sizes (range 1 .O-87.4 ha) were significantly larger than those of females during the postbreeding period and over the whole season. Home ranges overlapped only between the sexes. Our study showed little influence of annual variations in population density on spacing patterns. We conclude that (i) movements in Nearctic ermine populations are, at moderate to high population levels, influenced by intraspecific characteristics, and (ii) in view of the similar behavior of Palaearctic and Nearctic ermine, interdemic body size range has little influence on spacing patterns of ermine.RCsumC : La rkpartition spatiale des mammiferes est influencke par le systkme d'appariement, telle la polygynie-promiscuitk. Les dkplacements ont kt6 suivis durant 3 annkes au sein d'une population croissante d'Hermines, Mustela erminea cicognanii, du sud du Qukbec (45"22'N, 71 "51'0) et l'effet de l'iige, du sexe, du statut reproducteur et des densitks annuelles sur les mouvements a ktk examink. Les durkes de rksidence (kcart 24-443 jours) ktaient significativement plus klevkes chez les femelles que chez les miiles. Les populations ktaient composkes de plus de miiles nomades que de miiles rksidants et de plus de femelles rksidantes que de nomades. Les miiles adultes et juvkniles se sont dkplacks significativement plus que les femelles, et durant l'annke de plus forte densitk que durant les autres annkes. Les distances parcourues par les miiles ont diminuk significativement, et celles des femelles augmentk, aprks la saison de reproduction. Les dimensions des domaines vitaux (kcart 1,O-87,4 ha) ktaient significativement plus klevkes chez les miiles que chez les femelles aprks la saison de reproduction et au cours de la saison entikre. Les domaines vitaux n'ktaient superposks qu'entre les individus de sexe different. Notre ktude a montrk peu d'influence des variations annuelles de densitk de population sur les patrons de rkpartition. Nous concluons que (i) les mouvements au sein d'une population d'hermines nkarctiques sont, ii des niveaux de population moyens ii klevks, influencks par les caractkristiques intraspkcifiques et (ii) ktant donnk le comportement similaire des hermines palkarctiques et nkarctiques, l'kcart inter-dkmique de taille corporelle a p...

Knowledge Crash and Knowledge Management

“…Criticality analysis takes place systematically with the criticality grid and rating procedure described above (Ermine, Boughzala, & Tounkara, 2006).…”