O. Lofgren, NICHE EXPANSION AND INCREASED MATURATION RATE OF CLETHRIONOMYS-GLAREOLUS IN THE ABSENCE OF COMPETITORS, Journal of mammalogy, 76(4), 1995, pp. 1100-1112
Habitat-niche relationships and space use of locally sympatric Clethri
onomys glareolus, Clethrionomys rufocanus, and Microtus agrestis were
studied in a coniferous forest in northern Sweden. Individual voles we
re live-trapped during a 5-year period covering two cyclic density pea
ks. During the first peak, the voles lived sympatrically, but, during
the second peak, only C. glareolus was present. Allopatric C. glareolu
s in the second peak reached twice as high densities as sympatric ones
in the first peak. The number of young female C. glareolus attaining
maturity was negatively correlated with the number of adult female C.
rufocanus and M. agrestis. Generally, C. rufocanus occurred most frequ
ently in areas rich in dwarf shrubs, whereas M. agrestis occurred most
frequently in areas rich in grass. During sympatry, C. glareolus freq
uently were found in areas with intermediate shrub cover, whereas, dur
ing allopatry, their habitat niche was wider and most habitats were us
ed. For all three species, breadth of the habitat niche increased with
increasing density. The habitat niches of both C. rufocanus and M. ag
restis overlapped much with that of C. glareolus, but they overlapped
little with each other. The overlap in habitat between C. glareolus an
d C. rufocanus decreased with increasing density. In contrast, the hab
itat overlap between C. glareolus and M. agrestis and that between C.
rufocanus and M. agrestis tended to increase with density. Interspecif
ic spacing occurred between adult females of C. glareolus and C. rufoc
anus and between C. rufocanus and M. agrestis at high densities. In co
ntrast, the adult males of all three species were randomly distributed
with respect to use of space. Data supported the general theory for i
nterference competition between C. rufocanus and C. glareolus and betw
een C. rufocanus and M. agrestis, but not between C. glareolus and M.
agrestis.