Small rodent population synchrony in western Sweden. Effects of landscape structure

• Main Author: J. Loman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2008-04-01
• Series: Web Ecology
• Online Access: http://www.web-ecol.net/8/14/2008/we-8-14-2008.pdf

Small rodents were captured in two regions in western Sweden. One represents an agricultural landscape were captures were made in 19 small habitat islands and in two small forests. The other represents a forest region were captures were made in four sites in a continuous forest. The captures were made for seven years. There were no clear indications of cyclicity. Within both regions, wood mice captures were in synchrony among sites. For bank voles, this was only true in the forest region and for field voles in the agricultural region. Captures of field voles were too few for analysis in the forest region. Among species, captures were not synchronous in the agricultural region but captures of wood mice and bank voles were synchronous in the forest region. These results suggest a role of landscape structure for the population dynamics of these species, rather than differences in predator function.