Effects of competition and season on survival and maturation of young bank vole females

Abstract

In territorial microtines intra-specific density dependent processes can limit the maturation of individuals during the summer of their birth. This may have demographic consequences by affecting the number and the age distribution of breeding individuals in the population. Little is known about this process on a community level, though populations of many northern microtine species fluctuate in synchrony and are known to interfere socially with each other. We experimentally studied the influence of the field vole Microtus agrestis on maturation, breeding, space use and survival of weanling bank voles, Clethrionomys glareolus. Two additive competition experiments on bank vole populations were conducted in large outdoor enclosures, half of them additionally housing a field vole population. In a mid-summer experiment low population density and absence of older breeding females minimised intra-specific competition. Survival was not affected by the presence of field voles. Season had a significant effect on both the probability of maturation and breeding of the weanlings. Competition with field voles significantly delayed breeding, and coupled with seasonal effects decreased the probability of breeding. In a late-summer experiment breeding and survival of bank vole weanlings were studied for three weeks as part of a high density breeding bank vole population. Weanlings did not mature at all nor were their space use and survival affected by the presence of field voles. Our results show that competition with other species can also have an impact on breeding of immatures. In an extreme seasonal environment, even a short delay of breeding may decrease survival chances of offspring. Seasonal and competition effects together may thus limit the contribution of year born females to reproductive output of the population. Other studies have shown that adult breeding bank voles suffer lower survival in the presence of field voles, but this study showed no survival effects on the weanlings. Thus it might be beneficial for weanlings to stay immature especially in the end of the breeding season and postpone reproduction to the next breeding season if densities of competing species are high.