Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk
The densities of microtine rodents and their main predators, small mustelids, fluctuate synchronously in 3–5-year cycles in central and northern Fennoscandia. Predation by small mustelids has been suggested as one of the driving forces in microtine cyclicity, causing deep synchronous declines of sev...
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Oxford University Press
1995
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fthighwire:oai:open-archive.highwire.org:beheco:6/3/311 2023-05-15T16:12:05+02:00 Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk Koskela, Esa YlÖnen, Hannu 1995-01-01 00:00:00.0 text/html http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/6/3/311 https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/6.3.311 en eng Oxford University Press http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/6/3/311 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/6.3.311 Copyright (C) 1995, International Society for Behavioral Ecology Articles TEXT 1995 fthighwire https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/6.3.311 2007-06-24T05:19:17Z The densities of microtine rodents and their main predators, small mustelids, fluctuate synchronously in 3–5-year cycles in central and northern Fennoscandia. Predation by small mustelids has been suggested as one of the driving forces in microtine cyclicity, causing deep synchronous declines of several vole species. We studied experimentally the effects of small mustelids on mating behavior, foraging, and breeding in nonwintered field voles ( Microtus agrestis ) originating from a cyclic population. By using mustelid odors, we simulated a crash phase environment with high predation risk for breeding pairs of voles. In our experiments, 87% of the female field voles suppressed breeding when exposed to mustelid odors. Both female and male behavior changed, and no mating behaviors were observed under the simulated predation risk. Weights of both sexes decreased when exposed to mustelid odor, probably due to decreased foraging; weights of the control females increased due to pregnancy; and no weight changes occurred in control males. Decreased breeding and foraging possibilities under high predation pressure may form the basis for the ultimate explanation for breeding suppression. There are at least two different mechanisms for breeding suppression: either mating does not take place or malnutrition in females does not' allow breeding to occur. Delayed breeding under high risk of predation, for whatever reason, could increase the probability of individuals, especially that of the females, to survive over the crash to the next, safer breeding season when their young would have better possibilities to survive. Text Fennoscandia HighWire Press (Stanford University) Behavioral Ecology 6 3 311 315 |
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English |
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Articles |
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Articles Koskela, Esa YlÖnen, Hannu Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
topic_facet |
Articles |
description |
The densities of microtine rodents and their main predators, small mustelids, fluctuate synchronously in 3–5-year cycles in central and northern Fennoscandia. Predation by small mustelids has been suggested as one of the driving forces in microtine cyclicity, causing deep synchronous declines of several vole species. We studied experimentally the effects of small mustelids on mating behavior, foraging, and breeding in nonwintered field voles ( Microtus agrestis ) originating from a cyclic population. By using mustelid odors, we simulated a crash phase environment with high predation risk for breeding pairs of voles. In our experiments, 87% of the female field voles suppressed breeding when exposed to mustelid odors. Both female and male behavior changed, and no mating behaviors were observed under the simulated predation risk. Weights of both sexes decreased when exposed to mustelid odor, probably due to decreased foraging; weights of the control females increased due to pregnancy; and no weight changes occurred in control males. Decreased breeding and foraging possibilities under high predation pressure may form the basis for the ultimate explanation for breeding suppression. There are at least two different mechanisms for breeding suppression: either mating does not take place or malnutrition in females does not' allow breeding to occur. Delayed breeding under high risk of predation, for whatever reason, could increase the probability of individuals, especially that of the females, to survive over the crash to the next, safer breeding season when their young would have better possibilities to survive. |
format |
Text |
author |
Koskela, Esa YlÖnen, Hannu |
author_facet |
Koskela, Esa YlÖnen, Hannu |
author_sort |
Koskela, Esa |
title |
Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
title_short |
Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
title_full |
Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
title_fullStr |
Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
title_full_unstemmed |
Suppressed breeding in the field vole (Microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
title_sort |
suppressed breeding in the field vole (microtus agrestis): an adaptation to cyclically fluctuating predation risk |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
1995 |
url |
http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/6/3/311 https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/6.3.311 |
genre |
Fennoscandia |
genre_facet |
Fennoscandia |
op_relation |
http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/6/3/311 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/6.3.311 |
op_rights |
Copyright (C) 1995, International Society for Behavioral Ecology |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/6.3.311 |
container_title |
Behavioral Ecology |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
311 |
op_container_end_page |
315 |
_version_ |
1765997315514957824 |