The interplay between seasonality and density: consequences for female breeding decisions in a small cyclic herbivore

Pinot, Adrien; Gauffre, Bertrand; Bretagnolle, Vincent

doi:10.1186/1472-6785-14-17

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(119 reference statements)

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“…Several assumptions related to this hypothesis have never been tested. In particular, only a handful of studies have linked increased availability of presumed high‐quality food items to actual ingestion of those foods (Janova, Heroldova & Cepelka, 2016) and consequently increased reproduction rates (but see Sullivan & Sullivan, 2014; Pinot, Gauffre & Bretagnolle, 2014). While there is no question that food quality does affect a range of aspects of herbivore health (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small rodent population cycles and plants – after 70 years, where do we go?

Soininen,

Neby

2023

Biological Reviews

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Small rodent population cycles characterise northern ecosystems, and the cause of these cycles has been a long‐lasting central topic in ecology, with trophic interactions currently considered the most plausible cause. While some researchers have rejected plant–herbivore interactions as a cause of rodent cycles, others have continued to research their potential roles. Here, we present an overview of whether plants can cause rodent population cycles, dividing this idea into four different hypotheses with different pathways of plant impacts and related assumptions. Our systematic review of the existing literature identified 238 studies from 150 publications. This evidence base covered studies from the temperate biome to the tundra, but the studies were scattered across study systems and only a few specific topics were addressed in a replicated manner. Quantitative effects of rodents on vegetation was the best studied topic, and our evidence base suggests such that such effects may be most pronounced in winter. However, the regrowth of vegetation appears to take place too rapidly to maintain low rodent population densities over several years. The lack of studies prevented assessment of time lags in the qualitative responses of vegetation to rodent herbivory. We conclude that the literature is currently insufficient to discard with confidence any of the four potential hypotheses for plant–rodent cycles discussed herein. While new methods allow analyses of plant quality across more herbivore‐relevant spatial scales than previously possible, we argue that the best way forward to rejecting any of the rodent–plant hypotheses is testing specific predictions of dietary variation. Indeed, all identified hypotheses make explicit assumptions on how rodent diet taxonomic composition and quality will change across the cycle. Passing this bottleneck could help pinpoint where, when, and how plant–herbivore interactions have – or do not have – plausible effects on rodent population dynamics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small rodent population cycles and plants – after 70 years, where do we go?

Soininen,

Neby

2023

Biological Reviews

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“…In common voles and meadow voles, it has been shown that density has a direct impact on reproduction [17,18]. Indeed, during phases of high density, reproduction decreases in these voles leading to stabilization of the population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population density does not affect seasonal regulation of reproductive physiology in male water voles

et al. 2023

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Most small rodent species display cyclic fluctuations in their population density. The mechanisms behind these cyclical variations are not yet clearly understood. Density-dependent effects on reproductive function could affect these population variations. The fossorial water vole ecotype, Arvicola terrestris , exhibits multi-year cyclical dynamics with outbreak peaks. Here, we monitored different water vole populations over 3 years, in spring and autumn, to evaluate whether population density is related to male reproductive physiology. Our results show an effect of season and inter-annual factors on testis mass, plasmatic testosterone level, and androgen-dependent seminal vesicle mass. By contrast, population density does not affect any of these parameters, suggesting a lack of modulation of population dynamics by population density.

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“…Population cycle is commonly observed in the regions with the stable climate and overpopulation is assumed as a limiting factor for a population growth. In this case, peak abundance is accompanied by low breeding success [5][6][7][8]. Developmental stability, which can be estimated by fluctuating asymmetry of morphological characters, is another population parameter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluctuating Asymmetry and Population Dynamics of the Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, in Central Siberia under Climate Change Conditions

2020

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We examine possible temporal variation in a measure of developmental stability, providing insight into the degree of fluctuating asymmetry of several characters of skull morphology, of the common shrew, Sorex araneus L., 1758, in Central Siberia. The level of fluctuating asymmetry during the study period in the beginning of this century (2002–2013) is not correlated with population abundance, while at the end of the last century it was correlated with population abundance, suggesting that high density was the important negative factor affecting breeding females. The absence of an adverse effect of high abundance on developmental stability in the current situation can be related to both an impact of oscillations in environmental conditions and an increase in habitat carrying capacity due to the climate change. Positive correlation of population abundance with the number of adults born last summer and young specimens born this summer indicates the influence of winter and summer conditions on population size. If in the last century developmental stability was correlated with breeding success, indicating that both parameters were affected by the physiological condition of breeding females, in this century these two parameters vary independently, suggesting that breeding success may be affected by other population and habitat factors. Thus, the situation in the population under study is more similar to the noncyclic dynamics than to the four-year cycles, which were revealed for the population in the last century. The results indicate an importance of monitoring possible changes in developmental stability measure, as another population parameter, under climate change.

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The interplay between seasonality and density: consequences for female breeding decisions in a small cyclic herbivore

Cited by 16 publications

References 65 publications

Small rodent population cycles and plants – after 70 years, where do we go?

Small rodent population cycles and plants – after 70 years, where do we go?

Population density does not affect seasonal regulation of reproductive physiology in male water voles

Fluctuating Asymmetry and Population Dynamics of the Common Shrew, Sorex araneus, in Central Siberia under Climate Change Conditions

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