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The population dynamics of the voleClethrionomys rufocanus in Hokkaido, Japan

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Researches on Population Ecology

Abstract

Population dynamics of the gray sided-vole,Clethrionomys rufocanus, in Hokkaido, Japan were described on the basis of 225 time series (being from 12 to 31 years long); 194 of the time series have a length of 23 years or longer. The time series were classified into 11 groups according to geographic proximity and topographic characteristics of the island of Hokkaido. Mean abundance varied among populations from 1.07 to 21.07 individuals per 150 trap-nights. The index of variability for population fluctuation (s-index) ranged from 0.204 to 0.629. Another index for population variability (amplitude on log-10 scale) ranged from 0.811 to 2.743. Mean abundance and variability of populations were higher in the more northern and eastern regions of the island. Most populations, except for the southernmost populations, exhibited significant direct density-dependence in population growth. Detection rate for delayed density-dependence varied among groups from 0% to 22.6%. Both direct and delayed density-dependence tended to be stronger in the more northern and eastern populations. The proportion of cyclic populations was higher in the northern-eastern areas than that in the southern-western areas. There was a clear gradient from the asynchronous populations in southwest, to the highly synchronized populations in the northeast.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hokkaido Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 062-8516, Sapporo, Japan

    Takashi Saitoh

  2. Centre for Advanced Study, Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Drammensveien 78, N-0271, Oslo, Norway

    Takashi Saitoh & Nils Chr Stenseth

  3. Division of Zoology, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Blindern, P. O. Box 1050, N-0316, Oslo, Norway

    Nils Chr Stenseth & Ottar N. Bjørnstad

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  1. Takashi Saitoh
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  2. Nils Chr Stenseth
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  3. Ottar N. Bjørnstad
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Correspondence to Takashi Saitoh.

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Saitoh, T., Stenseth, N.C. & Bjørnstad, O.N. The population dynamics of the voleClethrionomys rufocanus in Hokkaido, Japan. Res Popul Ecol 40, 61–76 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765222

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