Rodents, plants, and precipitation: spatial and temporal dynamics of consumers and resources

Abstract

Resource/consumer dynamics are potentially mediated by both limiting resources and biotic interactions. We examined temporal correlations between precipitation, plant cover, and rodent density, with varying time lags using long‐term data from two sites in the Chihuahuan desert of North America: the Sevilleta Long‐term Ecological Research site (LTER), New Mexico, USA and a site near Portal, Arizona, USA. We also calculated the spatial correlations in precipitation, plant cover, and rodent dynamics among six sites, five at Sevilleta and one at Portal. At Sevilleta, all three variables were temporally correlated, with plant cover responding to precipitation during the same growing season and rodent populations lagging at least one season behind. At Portal, plant stem count was also correlated with precipitation during the same growing season, but there was no significant correlation between rodents and either precipitation or plant growth. Spatial correlations in plant cover and rodent populations between sites reflected the localized nature of summer rainfall, so that sites with highly correlated summer precipitation exhibited higher correlations in plant cover and rodent populations. In general, our results indicate that limiting resources influence consumer dynamics, but these dynamics also depend crucially on the biotic interactions in the system.

Association between Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Epidemic and Climate Factors in Heilongjiang Province, China

“…A possible underlying mechanism for this finding is that temperature may affect the population density and hantavirus infection rate of rodents. 9,14,34 Some studies reported that environmental variables, including temperature, may affect population dynamics of the deer mouse. 14 Lower temperature in the winter may reduce the growth of rodents and the reproduction of hantavirus, and higher temperature may enable reservoirs to survive more easily in winters.…”

“…[6][7][8] However, the role of climate factors in the transmission of HFRS differs in different regions. 4,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] For example, increased grass seed production followed by heavy precipitation, as a result of the El Niñ o Southern Oscillation (ENSO), was found to be associated with higher Peromyscus maniculatus rodent density in southwestern United States and provides reservoirs for Sin Nombre virus. 13,[15][16][17] However, this result was not duplicated in other areas in the United States.…”

“…5,6 Although the infection rate and population dynamics of rodents are believed to be influenced by climatic factors, [7][8][9][10][11][12][13] the association between climate and host populations is complex in most places. 14 Studies in different areas have suggested that climate factors, such as temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity, may influence the incidence of HFRS.…”

Modeling relationships between climate and the frequency of human plague cases in the southwestern United States, 1960-1997.

“…1 Many factors can affect rodent population dynamics, including food availability, disease, and climatic variables, such as precipitation and temperature. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of certain flea species also have been reported to be correlated with precipitation and temperature changes. [13][14][15][16][17] Additionally, the ability of fleas to transmit Y. pestis has been demonstrated to be temperature-dependent, with high temperatures (Ն 81.5ЊF, Ն 27.5ЊC) resulting in reduced rates of transmission.…”

Animal water balance drives top-down effects in a riparian forest—implications for terrestrial trophic cascades

“…The evolution of terrestrial life has been driven by the challenge of maintaining water balance with scarce freshwater resources, but effects of animal water limitation on terrestrial food webs have received little attention, in contrast to plant-mediated bottom-up effects [1,[2][3][4][5]. This is a significant gap in our understanding of ecological dynamics, because over 40% of the earth's land surface is classified as drylands [6] and precipitation limits diversity of plants and animals at all but the highest latitudes globally, even outside of drylands [7].…”