La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Population dynamics of the Field Vole Microtus agrestis in periodically flooded grassland: results from the Bremen basin.
Auteurs :	Gisela Kempf, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Vogelwelt (Die) (126(4) 2005)
Article en page(s) :	353-358
Résumé :	Within the scope of a research and development project of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) in the Borgfelder Wummewiesen nature reserve the vole dynamics 1 were studied. Background was the question, whether predators of wet grassland birds keep I away from the breeding sites when the population of voles is reduced due to winter flooding. The study aimed to find out how many voles survive the winter flooding, whether the remaining population size can reach the previous level and which role the voles play as a food resource for predators. From 1998 to 2000, vole densities were measured by a 'capture-recapture' method. I During the breeding season of grassland birds the population density of Field Vole Microtus agrestis was remarkably low, but intermediate and high densities in August/September provided I art attractive resource for predators. Considerable fluctuation occurred in the population size of Field Vole among years, and density varied among sampling sites. Flooding and mowing of the meadows contributed to the reduction of Field Vole numbers, but the temporary flooding of the Borgfelder Wummewiesen should not completely displace the predators.

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