scholarly journals LOCOMOTORS ACTIVITY OF THE BANK VOLE (CLETHRIONOMYS GLAREOLUS) AND PYGMY WOOD MOUSE (APODEMUS URALENSIS) IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF POPULATION DYNAMICS

Author(s):  
N.V. Kiseleva
Parasitology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
pp. 661-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. TELFER ◽  
K. J. BOWN ◽  
R. SEKULES ◽  
M. BEGON ◽  
T. HAYDEN ◽  
...  

The potential of biological invasions to threaten native ecosystems is well recognized. Here we describe how an introduced species impacts on native host-parasite dynamics by acting as an alternative host. By sampling sites across an invasion front in Ireland, we quantified the influence of the introduced bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) on the epidemiology of infections caused by flea-transmitted haemoparasites of the genusBartonellain native wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus).Bartonellainfections were detected on either side of the front but occurred exclusively in wood mice, despite being highly prevalent in both rodent species elsewhere in Europe. Bank vole introduction has, however, affected the wood mouse-Bartonellainteraction, with the infection prevalence of bothBartonella birtlesiiandBartonella tayloriideclining significantly with increasing bank vole density. Whilst flea prevalence in wood mice increases with wood mouse density in areas without bank voles, no such relationship is detected in invaded areas. The results are consistent with the dilution effect hypothesis. This predicts that for vector-transmitted parasites, the presence of less competent host species may reduce infection prevalence in the principal host. In addition we found a negative relationship betweenB. birtlesiiandB. tayloriiprevalences, indicating that these two microparasites may compete within hosts.


Author(s):  
N. V. Kiseleva

In the birch-pine forests of the Ilmeny Reserve the bank vole is predominated by numbers, the pygmy wood mice being in the second place. The results of our monitoring of the numbers of these rodents for 27 years (1991–2018) are presented. 1,610 rodents were caught,of which the bank vole accounted for 52.6%, the pygmy wood mouse for 32%, and other species for 15.4%. The autumn abundance of the bank vole was 4.6±1.8 and 18.9±2.6 ind./100 trap-days for 1991–1999 and 2000 – 2018, respectively; that of the pygmy wood mouse was 2.1±1.9 and 18.9±2.6 ind./100 trap-days, respectively. Since 2000, the peak amplitude of the bank vole number has increased by 1.1– 2.5 times, that of the pygmy wood mouse has increased by 2.5–4.2 times. Since 2006, the number peaks of these rodents began to repeat after 2–3 years. Over eighteen years (2000–2018), the autumn abundance of the bank vole twice (2008 and 2017) reached its peak values, at which the reproduction of voles ceased in July or early August. The correlation coefficient of the autumn abundance of the bank vole and pygmy wood mouse for 1996–2018 was 0.64±0.1. The spring abundance of the pygmy wood mouse has begun to more often exceed the spring abundance of the bank vole. Changes in the population cycles of the bank vole and pygmy wood mouse were obviously associated with some climatic features of the recent decades.


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