SMALL MAMMAL DYNAMICS IN ADJACENT LANDSCAPES WITH VARYING PREDATOR COMMUNITIES

Small mammal dynamics vary geographically, with differences in annual variations of total numbers, species composition, body weight and repr oduction. Such differences have previously been related to large-scale variations in predator numbers and species composition as dependent o n landscape composition. Landscape effects on locally equivalent habit at types were examined in this study for a distance as short as 50 km. Different landscape types were compared - first, taiga and agricultur al landscapes and second, agricultural landscapes with different preda tion pressures. Taiga landscapes supported typically cyclic small mamm al populations, agricultural landscapes more non-cyclic populations an d a predator-free area unusually large small mammal populations. Diffe rences in the relative numbers of small mammal species, seasonal dynam ics and demography were consistent with predictions of varying predato r impacts. Our study demonstrated that even short-distance differences in dynamics can be distinguished and interpreted in terms of communit y interactions.