Importance of winter rape for small rodents

M. Heroldová, J. Zejda, M. Zapletal, D. Obdržálková, E. Jánová, J. Bryja and E. Tkadlec
Additional contact information
M. Heroldová: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic
J. Zejda: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic
M. Zapletal: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic
D. Obdržálková: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic
E. Jánová: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic
J. Bryja: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic
E. Tkadlec: Instituteof Vertebrate Biology, AS CR, Czech Republic

Plant, Soil and Environment, 2004, vol. 50, issue 4, 175-181

Abstract: Winter rape stands are important habitat for the common vole (Microtus arvalis) and the pygmy field mouse (Apodemus microps). In autumn, the common vole is dominant in this habitat (D = 75%) and reproduces in it (17% of population). This species also dominates the small mammal community of winter rape in early spring (D = 87%), and its reproduction begins in this habitat early; under suitable meteorological conditions 44% of the population of common vole reproduce in March. Analyses of the spring and autumn diet of M. arvalis in winter rape have shown that green leaves of this species form the dominant component of its diet. During the period when the rape crop is ripening, the population abundance of the common vole decreases as green food at ground level decreases. The pygmy field mouse (A. microps) has a contrasting response to winter rape, and it is almost absent from the rape crop from autumn to late spring. However, when winter rapeseeds begun to ripen, the pygmy field mouse concentration in this habitat is in large numbers (dominance D = 76%) and rapeseeds dominate its diet (v% = 72). After the harvest of winter rape, when shed seeds begin to grow, both small mammal species live for some weeks on rape plots.

Keywords: Brassica napus; Microtus arvalis; Apodemus microps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4079-PSE.html (text/html)
http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4079-PSE.pdf (application/pdf)
free of charge

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:50:y:2004:i:4:id:4079-pse

DOI: 10.17221/4079-PSE

Access Statistics for this article

Plant, Soil and Environment is currently edited by Kateřina Součková

More articles in Plant, Soil and Environment from Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Ivo Andrle ().