Spatial synchronization of vole population dynamics by predatory birds

Rolf A. Ims () and Harry P. Andreassen
Additional contact information
Rolf A. Ims: University of Oslo PO Box 1050 Blindern
Harry P. Andreassen: University of Oslo PO Box 1050 Blindern

Nature, 2000, vol. 408, issue 6809, 194-196

Abstract: Abstract Northern vole populations exhibit large-scale, spatially synchronous population dynamics1,2. Such cases of population synchrony provide excellent opportunities for distinguishing between local intrinsic and regional extrinsic mechanisms of population regulation3. Analyses of large-scale survey data and theoretical modelling4,5,6 have indicated several plausible synchronizing mechanisms. It is difficult, however, to determine the most important one without detailed data on local demographic processes3,7. Here we combine results from two field studies in southeastern Norway—one identifies local demographic mechanisms and landscape-level annual synchrony among 28 enclosed experimental populations and the other examines region-level multi-annual synchrony in open natural populations. Despite fences eliminating predatory mammals and vole dispersal, the growth rates of the experimental populations were synchronized and moreover, perfectly linked with vole abundance in the region. The fates of 481 radio-marked voles showed that bird predation was the synchronizing mechanism. A higher frequency of risky dispersal movements in slowly growing populations appeared to accelerate predation rate. Thus, dispersal may induce a feedback-loop between predation and population growth that enhances synchrony.

Date: 2000
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/35041562 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

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:nat:nature:v:408:y:2000:i:6809:d:10.1038_35041562

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/35041562

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().