Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway
This study examined habitat use and diet composition of Norwegian lemmings ( Lemmus lemmus ) and field voles ( Microtus agrestis ), which occur together and potentially compete for resources in alpine areas of central Norway. Both species preferred habitats rich in herbaceous monocots and dicots and...
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2009
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fthighwire:oai:open-archive.highwire.org:jmammal:90/1/183 2023-05-15T17:07:27+02:00 Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway Saetnan, Eli R. Gjershaug, Jan Ove Batzli, George O. 2009-02-18 00:00:00.0 text/html http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/90/1/183 https://doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-259.1 en eng Oxford University Press http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/90/1/183 http://dx.doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-259.1 Copyright (C) 2009, Oxford University Press Feature Articles TEXT 2009 fthighwire https://doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-259.1 2015-02-28T17:45:01Z This study examined habitat use and diet composition of Norwegian lemmings ( Lemmus lemmus ) and field voles ( Microtus agrestis ), which occur together and potentially compete for resources in alpine areas of central Norway. Both species preferred habitats rich in herbaceous monocots and dicots and willow (meadows and willow meadows). However, lemmings spread into other habitats, particularly lichen heath, when populations were high. Lemmings showed a clear preference for monocots in their diet, eating mostly sedges ( Carex and Eriophorum ), whereas voles had a much more diverse diet that included equal amounts of, and more species of, monocots and dicots. Because relatively little overlap occurred either in habitat use (33–57%, increasing overlap with lower densities of lemmings) or in diet (30–51%), and because lemming populations were usually low, exploitative competition between the 2 species seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, aggressive interspecific interactions during occasional years with high lemming densities could still negatively influence populations of field voles. Text Lemmus lemmus HighWire Press (Stanford University) Norway Journal of Mammalogy 90 1 183 188 |
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English |
topic |
Feature Articles |
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Feature Articles Saetnan, Eli R. Gjershaug, Jan Ove Batzli, George O. Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway |
topic_facet |
Feature Articles |
description |
This study examined habitat use and diet composition of Norwegian lemmings ( Lemmus lemmus ) and field voles ( Microtus agrestis ), which occur together and potentially compete for resources in alpine areas of central Norway. Both species preferred habitats rich in herbaceous monocots and dicots and willow (meadows and willow meadows). However, lemmings spread into other habitats, particularly lichen heath, when populations were high. Lemmings showed a clear preference for monocots in their diet, eating mostly sedges ( Carex and Eriophorum ), whereas voles had a much more diverse diet that included equal amounts of, and more species of, monocots and dicots. Because relatively little overlap occurred either in habitat use (33–57%, increasing overlap with lower densities of lemmings) or in diet (30–51%), and because lemming populations were usually low, exploitative competition between the 2 species seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, aggressive interspecific interactions during occasional years with high lemming densities could still negatively influence populations of field voles. |
format |
Text |
author |
Saetnan, Eli R. Gjershaug, Jan Ove Batzli, George O. |
author_facet |
Saetnan, Eli R. Gjershaug, Jan Ove Batzli, George O. |
author_sort |
Saetnan, Eli R. |
title |
Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway |
title_short |
Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway |
title_full |
Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway |
title_fullStr |
Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway |
title_full_unstemmed |
Habitat Use and Diet Composition of Norwegian Lemmings and Field Voles in Central Norway |
title_sort |
habitat use and diet composition of norwegian lemmings and field voles in central norway |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/90/1/183 https://doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-259.1 |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
Lemmus lemmus |
genre_facet |
Lemmus lemmus |
op_relation |
http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/90/1/183 http://dx.doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-259.1 |
op_rights |
Copyright (C) 2009, Oxford University Press |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-259.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Mammalogy |
container_volume |
90 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
183 |
op_container_end_page |
188 |
_version_ |
1766062869945778176 |