Chapter 24
Population Dynamics of Voles
The true Voles. . .number about fifty known species.
(Cassell’s Natural History, 1880)
24.1 Basic Model
Microtine rodent populations, such as voles and lemmings, have been the subject of
intense interest in population biology for over 50 years. Much of this interest stems
from the dramatic fluctuations in density observed in many populations. These
fluctuations are often cyclic in nature, with large-scale irruptions occurring every
2–4 years. Voles and other small rodents are also of great economic importance due
to their potential as agricultural pests and as vectors of disease. Voles may cause
substantial damage to a wide variety of crops and cause severe damage to fruit
orchards by girdling trees. Renewed attention is also being given to the population
dynamics of small rodents due to their prospective role in outbreaks of Lyme
disease and the Hanta virus. Understanding the factors that regulate their population
densities is the first step to controlling future outbreaks.
The periodic oscillations these animals experience, often referred to as vole
cycles, have generated a tremendous number of experimental studies. Both field
and laboratory approaches have been utilized to determine how voles respond to
environmental changes. Although no consensus has been reached concerning
the causes of vole cycles, it is clear that no single extrinsic factor, such as weather
or food availability, can be directly responsible for this phenomenon. Could
intrinsic factors be invoked to explain the occurrence of cyclical population
changes in voles?
A save-disabled version of STELLA and the computer models of this book are available at
www.iseesystems.com/modelingdynamicbiologicalsystems.
B. Hannon and M. Ruth, Modeling Dynamic Biological Systems,
Modeling Dynamic Systems, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-05615-9_24,
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
197
Population Dynamics of Voles
The true Voles. . .number about fifty known species.
(Cassell’s Natural History, 1880)
24.1 Basic Model
Microtine rodent populations, such as voles and lemmings, have been the subject of
intense interest in population biology for over 50 years. Much of this interest stems
from the dramatic fluctuations in density observed in many populations. These
fluctuations are often cyclic in nature, with large-scale irruptions occurring every
2–4 years. Voles and other small rodents are also of great economic importance due
to their potential as agricultural pests and as vectors of disease. Voles may cause
substantial damage to a wide variety of crops and cause severe damage to fruit
orchards by girdling trees. Renewed attention is also being given to the population
dynamics of small rodents due to their prospective role in outbreaks of Lyme
disease and the Hanta virus. Understanding the factors that regulate their population
densities is the first step to controlling future outbreaks.
The periodic oscillations these animals experience, often referred to as vole
cycles, have generated a tremendous number of experimental studies. Both field
and laboratory approaches have been utilized to determine how voles respond to
environmental changes. Although no consensus has been reached concerning
the causes of vole cycles, it is clear that no single extrinsic factor, such as weather
or food availability, can be directly responsible for this phenomenon. Could
intrinsic factors be invoked to explain the occurrence of cyclical population
changes in voles?
A save-disabled version of STELLA and the computer models of this book are available at
www.iseesystems.com/modelingdynamicbiologicalsystems.
B. Hannon and M. Ruth, Modeling Dynamic Biological Systems,
Modeling Dynamic Systems, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-05615-9_24,
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
197