Regulatory Mechanisms in House‐Mouse Populations: The Effect of Limited Food Supply on a Confined Population

Strecker, Robert L.; Emlen, John T.

doi:10.2307/1930903

Cited by 45 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The fact that a sigmoid growth form requires the operation of such a "density-dependent damping factor" supports this conclusion, whereas external limiting factors, unless they operate through the density-dependent damping mechanism, will characteristically truncate a growth curve. Truncation is seldom seen, but the best example of such a curve for mammals that we have seen is that given by Strecker and Emlen (95).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Endocrines, Behavior, and Population

Christian¹,

Davis²

1964

Science

293

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For several decades the spectacular increase and decrease of certain arctic mammals has stimulated research on populations. The crashes of rabbits were dramatized by Seton (1), and the suicidal movements of lemmings were publicized by many authors. However, as is so often the case, the conspicuous features turn out to be merlCy an cxtreme case of a very general phenomenon--namely, the fluctuations of a population. Investigators first sought an explanation for the "crash," but now most of them search for a description and understanding of the interaction and relative importance of the many factors that influence the ups and downs of populations.In this article we describe the current status of our understanding of population fluctuations, emphasizing the regulatory features that prevent populations from destroying the habitat. The research discussed is limited to work with mammals, since the mechanisms are best known for that class. It is assumed that the reader has knowledge of ecological principles such as density dependence and limiting factors.For many years it was assumed that epizootics, famine, and climatic factors terminated the explosive rises in population size and precipitated the often spectacular crashes (2). However, by the early 1940's it had become apparent that none of these mechanisms explained some of the observed declines in population, and it was suggested that factors intrinsic to the population were involved in its regulation Dr. Christian is affiliated with the Research Laboratories of the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pa.; Dr. Davis is professor of zoology at Pennsylvania State University, University Park. (3). The skepticism toward earlier explanations was reflected further in a review by Clarke in 1949 (4), as well as in Elton's classic earlier work (5).Probably the greatest shift in emphasis has occurred since 1949; there has been an upsurge of investigations in which density-dependent changes in the animals themselves have been explored, and of theories in which the observed phenomena of population growth and decline (6-9) are explained in terms of biological mechanisms intrinsic in the populations and not only as results of the action of external factors. It is clear that food, climatic factors, and disease may cause population change. Indeed, it would be foolish to state that these factors do not, under certain circumstances, limit population growth or produce spectacular decline. The early investigations of Emlen, Davis, and their co-workers (8) on populations of Norway rats demonstrated clearly that environmental factors can reduce a population. For example, a drought followed by excessive rain resulted in a notable decline in rats in Baltimore (8). However, as early as 1946 spectacular declines in rat populations were found to be coincident with social disturbances rather than with environmental changes.The suspicion that social phenomena were involved prompted a search for mechanisms that could regulate the growth of populations in a densitydependent manner. No lo...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Endocrines, Behavior, and Population

Christian¹,

Davis²

1964

Science

293

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“…The other concept, w hich gave rise to the greatest num ber o f current ideas, goes back to the theory o f intra-population regulation (Strecker & Emlen, 1953;Clarke, 1955;Southwick, 1955;Christian, 1956;, Christian et al, 1965. A ccording to this view , the population is a self regulating system, able to m od ify the direction of its change after exceding some threshold densities.…”

Section: Do Population Cycles Exist In the Bank Vole?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluctuations in an island bank vole population in the light of the study on its organization

Bujalska¹

1985

Acta Theriol.

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A lon g-term study on the dem ography of an island population of the bank vole, C lethrionom ys glareolus (Schreber, 1780), provided a deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying num ber fluctuations, also reproduction rate and survival of different components of the pop ulation structure. Am ong these processes only reproduction was regulated, which stabilized population num bers during the breeding season. Survival, being subject to random factors (except for par ticularly low population densities), w as a destabilizing process leading to num ber fluctuations. Based on the described relationships between reproduction and survival, on the one hand, and population num bers, on the other, a stepwise sim ulation w as run for 55 years. The results of this empirical model were compared w ith field results. It has been pointed out that random changes in temperature and food conditions in spring generate a 2.6-year cycle, w hile 11-year cycle in these con ditions generates an 11-year cycle of the bank vole num bers. The results are discussed against the background of recent concepts con cerning population demography. It has been shown that num ber fluctuations should not always be identified w ith num ber regulation of the entire population, and that they need not be subject to densitydependent processes.[Institute of Ecology P A S , Dziekanów . 05-092 Łom ianki, Poland]

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“…There is little evidence to suggest that the presence of food or the lack of it can either cause or directly enhance aggressive behavior, except when some form of "frustration" is involved (various species: review by Gottier, 1972;mice: Clark and Schein, 1966;Strecker and Emlen, 1953;rabbits: Mykytowycz, 1961;buntings: Andrew, 1957;chaffinches: Marler, 1956a;blue-tits: Blurton-Jones, 1968). Andrew (1957) did, however, find that aggressive encounters became more frequent after food had been removed in bunting flocks, but this was attributable to the resulting increased activity rather than to the effects of hunger per se.…”

Section: Other Situational Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Organization of Aggression and Fear In Vertebrates

Archer

1976

Perspectives in Ethology

107

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I. ABSTRACTThis chapter considers what factors influence the occurrence of attack and fear behavior (e.g., immobility, flight, distress signals). It is argued that, with the exception of conditioned attack and fear behavior, the same types of basic situations are capable of evoking either type of response.These situations are as follows: (l) Pain. (2) A moving object coming too close to an animal (individual distance intrusion). (3) A novel object or animal entering another's familiar area: this includes not only the typical territorial situation, but also a wide range of other situations. (4) Entrance into an unfamiliar area: most commonly, fear behavior occurs, but attack can occur if there is a suitable target. (5) A familiar object in an unfamiliar place. (6) Frustrative nonreward. (7) Thwarting (a physical object preventing completion of a learned response). (8) Low reinforcement schedules, which involve delayed reward. (9) Morphine withdrawal, which is similar to frustrative nonreward.It is suggested that all these situations can summate with one another, up to a certain limit, to increase the likelihood and intensity of attack, but that above this limit fear behavior occurs.It is then suggested that all the situations involve the common property of a discrepancy between observed and expected stimulation. Different types of "neuronal models" may represent the different types of expect a-

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Regulatory Mechanisms in House‐Mouse Populations: The Effect of Limited Food Supply on a Confined Population

Cited by 45 publications

References 8 publications

Endocrines, Behavior, and Population

Endocrines, Behavior, and Population

Fluctuations in an island bank vole population in the light of the study on its organization

The Organization of Aggression and Fear In Vertebrates

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