根田鼠对不同亲属关系异性尿气味的识别

根为检验根田鼠对不同亲属关系异性成体尿气味的识别能力,通过一雄两雌配对实验建立实验种群,从而产生同胞、父系半同胞和陌生个体。在行为选择箱中记录了雌、雄根田鼠对亲属系数分别为0、0.25 和0.5 异性尿气味的行为响应模式。结果如下:雌性根田鼠对3 种不同亲属关系雄鼠气味的接近潜伏期的差异达到极显著水平(P < 0.01),嗅闻时间的差异也达到显著水平(P <0.05),而嗅闻频次和反标记的差异均未达到显著水平(P >0.05)。雄性根田鼠对3 种不同亲属关系雌鼠气味的接近潜伏期和嗅闻时间的差异都未达到显著水平(P >0.05)。对不同亲属关系的气味嗅闻频次和反标记的比较分析表明,三者间的差异也未达到显著水平(P >0.05)。因此,雌性根田鼠能够识别不同亲属关系异性气味并对不同气味表现出不同的行为响应模式;而雄鼠不能识别3 种气味并对其表现出类似的行为模式。     

局部实验增温对根田鼠栖息地内斑块利用的影响

为探讨局部实验增温所形成的斑块效应对根田鼠栖息地利用的可能影响,通过建立开顶式增温小室模拟全球变暖,采用标志重捕法分别调查了不同放牧强度样地上4种处理内根田鼠的捕获频次。这4种处理分别为实验增温组、剪草模拟放牧组、实验增温兼剪草模拟放牧组以及对照组。研究结果表明:⑴不同的放牧强度对根田鼠的捕获频次没有显著影响;在重度放牧样地上,不论是暖季还是冷季,4种处理内根田鼠的捕获频次间的差异均达到显著水平;在轻度放牧样地上,暖季,4种处理内根田鼠的捕获频次间没有显著差异,而在冷季,这种差异则可达到显著水平(P<0 05)。⑵增温小室的建立所形成的隐蔽效应对根田鼠的栖息地选择并没有显著影响,剪草处理对根田鼠的栖息地选择也没有影响,在暖季,局部实验增温对根田鼠的栖息地选择并无影响;在冷季,实验增温组与对照组间的差异显著(P<0 05),而实验增温兼剪草模拟放牧组与剪草模拟放牧组间无明显差异。结果表明,在暖季,局部实验增温对根田鼠的栖息地选择不存在明显影响,而在冷季,这种影响在实验增温组与对照组间达到显著水平,而实验增温兼剪草模拟放牧组与剪草模拟放牧组间则不明显。     

储草期增加食物对布氏田鼠越冬存活率的影响北大核心CSCD

布氏田鼠(Lasiopodomys brandtii)是内蒙古典型草原区主要鼠种之一。该鼠种在秋季将食物储存在储草仓内,以此来度过植被贫瘠的冬季。为探究储草期增加食物对布氏田鼠越冬存活率的影响,2004年10月,于内蒙古阿巴嘎旗白音图噶苏木的布氏田鼠鼠害草场随机选取两块100 m×200 m的样地,分别设为增食样地和对照样地。增食样地内给每个布氏田鼠洞群补充食物,每天补充500 g小麦,连续补充2 d共计1000 g。对照样地内则不做任何处理。2004年10月,采用标志重捕法调查两块样地内布氏田鼠种群数量,调查显示,增食样地和对照样地内,布氏田鼠数量分别为310只和318只,以该结果作为计算其越冬存活率的基数。2005年5月,返回样地再次进行标志重捕,分别计算两样地布氏田鼠的越冬存活率。卡方检验显示,储草期增加食物能显著提高布氏田鼠越冬存活率。增食样地布氏田鼠越冬存活率为41.3%,显著高于对照样地布氏田鼠越冬存活率(24.2%,P<0.01)。增食样地雌性和雄性布氏田鼠越冬存活率分别为45.4%和37.3%,均显著高于对照样地雌性和雄性布氏田鼠越冬存活率(25.8%和22.6%,P<0.01)。但样地内雌性和雄性越冬存活率均无明显差异(P>0.05)。本研究结果表明,补充食物可大幅度提升布氏田鼠冬季存活率,增加布氏田鼠越冬存活基数,对来年种群增长起重要作用。     

增温对川西北亚高山高寒草甸植物群落碳、氮含量的影响

采用开顶式生长室（OTC）模拟增温实验,研究了川西北亚高山草甸植物群落碳、氮含量对温度升高的响应。由于OTC的增温作用,在整个生长季内,地温（15 cm）、地表温度和气温(30 cm)的平均值在OTC内比对照样地分别高0.28、0.46和1.4℃,OTC内土壤相对含水量也明显减少,低于对照样地5.49%。受增温及土壤含水量减少的影响,一年后,植物群落的生物量积累和碳、氮含量发生了明显的改变。除10月份OTC内地上鲜体生物量略高于对照样地外,OTC内地上鲜体生物量和根系生物量与对照样地相比,都出现了不同程度的减少;OTC内植物群落地上活体的碳浓度在整个生长季高于对照样地,而氮浓度低于对照样地;OTC内植物群落地下活根的碳浓度在整个生长季高于对照样地,并且在8月份统计检验显著,而氮浓度却低于对照样地;OTC内植物碳库在整个生长季较对照样地有不同程度的增加,增幅范围为0.90%～5.65%,而OTC内植物氮库较对照样地有不同程度的减少,减幅范围0.40%～1.28%。     

不同生境下福寿螺的可量性状特征、种群结构和密度效应

对广东省11个地区中4种不同生境下福寿螺(Pomacea canaliculata)种群的可量性状特征、年龄结构、性比和密度效应进行了对比研究。结果表明:福寿螺的可量性状特征在不同生境之间存在显著差异(P0.05),体重与壳高之间关系符合异速生长方程,且不同生境下有不同的异速指数;福寿螺种群在不同生境条件下有不同的年龄结构,稻田、沟渠中种群表现为增长型,废田、池塘中种群表现为稳定型;生境因素对福寿螺的性比没有显著影响(P0.05),但对性比与体重的关系影响显著(P0.05);福寿螺种群增长受密度制约,不同生境下的密度制约效应存在差异,沟渠中最小,池塘中最大,稻田和废田居中。本研究表明,生境条件对福寿螺的可量性状特征、种群结构均有显著的影响,不同生境下福寿螺种群的增长潜力也不同,需要制定有针对性的防控措施。     

鼠类种群动态:食物资源影响力的实验评估

本研究在美国伊利诺斯州中东部测定了中等食物质量(莓系属的牧草)和低食物质量(高杆草牧场)栖息地内橙腹田鼠(Microtusochrogaster)和草原田鼠(M.pennsylvanicus)种群对附加食物的响应。在中等食物质量栖息地内投放附加食物,橙腹田鼠种群的波动幅度高于对照样地,但同类型食物质量栖息地内,种群平均密度和波动模式无显著的差异。仅在低等食物质量的高杆草栖息地内,投放附加食物可导致草原田鼠的种群密度高于对照样地。附加食物不直接影响两种栖息地内橙腹田鼠的成活率或成熟率,在中等食物质量栖息地中投放附加食物,繁殖活跃的成熟雌性个体比例及雄性成体的体重高于对照。附加食物不影响莓系属牧草内草原田鼠,也不能影响该动物在高杆草环境中的存活率。然而,投放附加食物,可缩短低等食物质量栖息地内草原田鼠的成熟期,提高繁殖活跃雌性的比例和迁入个体比例,增加并引起雄性个体体重增加。据此,本研究证明食物资源在橙腹田鼠和草原田鼠种群动态中只起极小的作用。     

雪后海北高寒草甸地区根田鼠种群特征的变化

根田鼠 (Ｍｉｃｒｏｔｕｓｏｅｃｏｎｏｍｕｓ)是一种分布广泛的小型哺乳动物[1 ] ,在海北高寒草甸地区 ,根田鼠是优势小型啮齿动物之一 ,主要分布于植被较好的草甸和灌丛中 ,有关其自然以及实验状态下种群数量动态的研究相对较多[2～6] ,但是对该地区冬季恶劣自然条件下 ,其种群动态的研究尚未见报道。研究冬季根田鼠种群特征的变化有助于对其整个生活史过程的全面理解 ,也便于了解冬季恶劣气候条件对其越冬留存率的影响进而又是如何影响翌年的种群数量。为此 ,作者于 2 0 0 0年 1 0月和 1 2月在海北高寒草甸生态系统定位站地区对根田鼠种…     

洞庭湖区东方田鼠迁移的研究

洞庭湖区东方田鼠以湖滩上的芦苇＋荻或薹草沼泽为最适栖息地,枯水季节,多在其上生长、繁殖。汛期,随着湖水上涨,湖滩面积缩小,东方田鼠在拥挤的的压力下或直接被洪水所迫,越过防洪堤迁入垸内。东方田鼠在湖滩及农田间的迁移主要取决于湖水水位及种群密度,无固定的迁移时间。迁入垸内的东方田鼠主要分布于靠近防洪堤一带,其捕获率随着与防洪堤距离的增加而递减。个体较大的东方田鼠迁移距离较远。在迁移期,迁入垸内的东方田鼠的性比在不同的距离上无显著差异。湖水回落时,东方田鼠随湖滩出露而迁回沼泽草地。回迁时,个体较大的雄性首先回迁的比例较高。迁入垸内的东方田鼠,栖息在荒坡地的种群密度大于在农田中的种群密度;东方田鼠不在农田越冬,小部分可在岗地荒坡中越冬,但少有增殖。按迁移动因看,此种迁移乃洪水逼迫所至,而由逼迫外迁和自动回迁构成循环,保证了种群对湖区特殊环境的适应。     

增温对青藏高原高寒沼泽草甸不同时期土壤酶活性的影响

为研究青藏高原多年冻土区土壤酶活性对气候变暖的响应特征,选择北麓河地区高寒沼泽草甸为研究对象,利用开顶式生长室(OTC)进行模拟增温试验,在7月份、12月份分别对增温和对照样地土壤进行分层取样,并对不同深度土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶和磷酸酶的活性进行分析测定。结果表明:在夏季7月份,增温作用下近地表月平均气温升高4.55℃,不同深度的土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶和磷酸酶活性均有降低趋势,但未达到显著水平(P>0.05)。土壤蔗糖酶活性与土壤水分和根系生物量呈显著相关关系;在冬季12月份,增温作用下近地表月平均温度升高6.64℃,不同深度的土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶和磷酸酶活性均有所提高,且在20—50 cm深度的土壤蔗糖酶和磷酸酶活性和40—50cm深度的土壤脲酶和过氧化氢酶活性变化均达到显著水平(P<0.05)。四种土壤酶活性与土壤温度和水分均呈显著相关关系。在深度变化上,夏季增温样地四种土壤酶活性总体随土层深度增加而降低,而冬季随土层深度增加而显著升高(P<0.05)。增温处理下,不同土层深度冬季四种土壤酶的活性总体均大于夏季,且在40—50 cm深度上差异显...     

布氏田鼠肝毛细线虫感染率与其体重的关系

2005年5月和8月,在内蒙古锡林郭勒北部典型草原调查了肝毛细线虫对布氏田鼠种群的感染特征,分析肝毛细线虫对布氏田鼠的感染率与其性别、年龄、体重及种群密度的关系。结果表明:肝毛细线虫对布氏田鼠感染率没有性别差异,雄鼠与雌鼠的感染率相当;但是与布氏田鼠体重/年龄密切相关:幼鼠的感染率较低,成鼠感染率较高,感染率和平均感染度均随着个体年龄的增长而增高。布氏田鼠达到一定的年龄(或体重)后才可感染肝毛细线虫病,其最低感染体重为24.3 g。布氏田鼠的种群密度对肝毛细线虫的感染率和平均感染度没有明显的影响,但同一样地不同季节感染率不同,本次调查显示,2005年5月份感染率高于8月份群体感染率,同一样地的春季感染率与秋季感染率之间呈现出显著的正相关。     

Phase dependence in winter physiological condition of cyclic voles

Lack of food resources has been suggested as a factor which limits the growth of cyclic vole populations. During peak phases of the cycle, vole population growth typically ceases during late autumn or early winter, and is followed by a decrease in density over the winter. To investigate whether this decrease is due to increased mortality induced by a depletion of food resources, we studied overwinter food consumption and physiological condition of field voles ( Microtus agrestis ) in western Finland in both an increase and a decrease phase of a three-year population cycle. The growth rate of vole populations was negatively related both to prevailing vole densities and to densities six months earlier. The condition index of voles, as well as their blood levels of haematocrit, proteins, free fatty acids and immunoglobulin G, were positively related to population growth rate when populations were declining. When populations were increasing, these parameters tended to be negatively related to population growth rate. The overall physiological condition of voles was lower in the winter of the decrease phase as compared to the increase phase. The return rate of voles, a proxy of survival, was also lower in the decrease than in the increase phase of the cycle and positively related to haematocrit levels. Almost 90% of all green vegetation shoots were consumed by voles during the winter of the decrease phase while only two thirds were eaten in the increase phase. Our results suggest that the winter decrease phase of cyclic vole populations is associated with both a deterioration in the physiological condition of voles and a significant depletion of winter food resources. This implies that malnutrition induces poor physiological condition in voles, which in turn may increase mortality either directly through starvation or indirectly through increased susceptibility to predators and pathogens.     

Population limitation of the northern red-backed vole in the boreal forests of northern Canada

1. Across the vast boreal forests of North America, no population cycles in Clethrionomys species occur. In Eurasia, by contrast, some Clethrionomys populations of the same species undergo regular 3-5-year cycles. We examined the effects of nutrients, food, competitors, predators and climate on population limitation in the northern red-backed vole (Clethrionomys rutilus Pallas) in the south-western Yukon to determine why this difference occurs. 2. From 1986 to 1996 we added food, reduced large mammal predators and excluded snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus Erxleben) from large plots and found that none of these manipulations affected red-backed vole abundance. Adding nutrients as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilizer had a slight negative effect, probably acting through a reduction in dwarf shrub productivity caused by competition from grasses. 3. We monitored weasel populations directly through trapping and indirectly through snow tracking. Predation by these vole specialists was irrelevant as a limiting factor most of the time because voles in this area do not reach the densities needed to sustain weasel populations. Other boreal forest mammal and bird predators did not focus on red-backed voles. However, when red-backed vole populations increased in the forest and Microtus voles also increased in the meadows, weasel populations increased and may have temporarily depressed red-backed voles in winter. 4. We monitored one major potential food, white spruce seeds, but seed fall was not related to population changes in red-backed voles, even after mast years. 5. We assessed the impact of weather variables, and the average depth of the snow pack during winter (October-March) was correlated directly with vole demography, having both direct effects in that year and delayed effects in the following year. 6. Our long-term trapping data (1973-96) indicate that Clethrionomys populations fluctuated, with peaks following hare peaks by 2-3 years. 7. We propose that the key variable limiting these vole populations is overwinter survival, and this is a function of overwinter food from berries produced during the previous summer by dwarf shrubs. These shrubs may be stimulated by abundant moisture from winter snows or by periodic fertilization from large quantities of pellets produced at snowshoe hare peaks.     

Are silica defences in grasses driving vole population cycles?

Understanding the factors that drive species population dynamics is fundamental to biology. Cyclic populations of microtine rodents have been the most intensively studied to date, yet there remains great uncertainty over the mechanisms determining the dynamics of most of these populations. For one such population, we present preliminary evidence for a novel mechanism by which herbivore-induced reductions in plant quality alter herbivore life-history parameters and subsequent population growth. We tested the effect of high silica levels on the population growth and individual performance of voles (Microtus agrestis) reared on their winter food plant (Deschampsia caespitosa). In sites where the vole population density was high, silica levels in D. caespitosa leaves collected several months later were also high and vole populations subsequently declined; in sites where the vole densities were low, levels of silica were low and population density increased. High silica levels in their food reduced vole body mass by 0.5% a day. We argue that silica-based defences in grasses may play a key role in driving vole population cycles.     

Experimental tests of predation and food hypotheses for population cycles of voles

Pronounced population cycles are characteristic of many herbivorous small mammals in northern latitudes. Although delayed density-dependent effects of predation and food shortage are often proposed as factors driving population cycles, firm evidence for causality is rare because sufficiently replicated, large-scale field experiments are lacking. We conducted two experiments on Microtus voles in four large predator-proof enclosures and four unfenced control areas in western Finland. Predator exclusion induced rapid population growth and increased the peak abundance of voles over 20-fold until the enclosed populations crashed during the second winter due to food shortage. Thereafter, voles introduced to enclosures which had suffered heavy grazing increased to higher densities than voles in previously ungrazed control areas which were exposed to predators. We concluded that predation inhibits an increase in vole populations until predation pressure declines, thus maintaining the low phase of the cycle, but also that population cycles in voles are not primarily driven by plant-herbivore interactions.     

Tawny owl prey remains indicate differences in the dynamics of coastal and inland vole populations in southern Finland

Some studies suggest that mild winters decrease overwinter survival of small mammals or coincide with decreased cyclicity in vole numbers, whereas other studies suggest non-significant or positive relationships between mild winter conditions and vole population dynamics. We expect for the number of voles to be higher in the rich and low-lying habitats of the coastal areas than in the less fertile areas inland. We assume that this geographical difference in vole abundances is diminished by mild winters especially in low-lying habitats. We examine these relationships by generalized linear mixed models using prey remains of breeding tawny owls Strix aluco as a proxy for the abundance of voles. The higher number of small voles in the coastal area than in the inland area suggest that vole populations were denser in the coastal area. Vole populations of both areas were affected by winter weather conditions particularly in March, but these relationships differed between areas. The mild ends of winter with frequent fluctuations of the ambient temperature around the freezing point (“frost seesaw”) constrained significantly the coastal vole populations, while deep snow cover, in general after hard winters, was followed by significantly lowered number of voles only in the inland populations. Our results suggest that coastal vole populations are more vulnerable to mild winters than inland ones. We also show that tawny owl prey remains can be used in a meaningful way to study vole population dynamics.     

Changes in population structure and reproduction during a 3-yr population cycle of voles

Cyclic changes in population growth rate are caused by changes in survival and/or reproductive rate. To find out whether cyclic changes in reproduction are an important part of the mechanism causing cyclic fluctuations in small mammal populations, we studied changes in the population structure and reproduction of field voles ( Microtus agrestis ), sibling voles ( M. rossiaemeridionalis ), bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus ), and common shrews ( Sorex araneus ) in western Finland during 1984–1992, in an area with 3-yr vole cycles. We also modelled the population growth of voles using parameter values from this study. The animals studied were collected by snap trapping in April, May, June, August, September, and, during 1986–1990, also in October. We found several phase-related differences in the population structure (age structure, sex ratio, proportion of mature individuals) and reproduction (litter size, length of the breeding season) of voles. In non-cyclic common shrews, the only significant phase-related difference was a lower proportion of overwintered individuals in the increase phase. According to the analyses and the vole model, phase-related changes in litter size had only a minor impact on population growth rate. The same was true for winter breeding in the increase phase. The length and intensity of the summer breeding season had an effect on yearly population growth but this impact was relatively weak compared to the effect of cyclic changes in survival. The population increase rates of Microtus were delayed dependent on density (8–12-month time lag). Our results indicate that cyclic changes in reproduction are not an important part of the mechanism driving cyclic fluctuations in vole populations. Low survival of young individuals appeared to play an important role in the shift from the peak to the decline phase in late summer and early autumn.     

Competition, predation and interspecific synchrony in cyclic small mammal communities

Although competition and predation are considered to be among the most important biotic processes influencing the distribution and abundance of species in space and time, the relative and interactive roles of these processes in communities comprised of cyclically fluctuating populations of small mammals are not well known. We examined these processes in and among populations of field voles, sibling voles, bank voles and common shrews in western Finland, using spatially replicated trapping data collected four times a year during two vole cycles (1987–1990 and 1997–1999). Populations of the four species exhibited relatively strong interspecific temporal synchrony in their multiannual fluctuations. During peak phases, we observed slight deviations from close temporal synchrony: field vole densities peaked at least two months earlier than those of either sibling voles or bank voles, while densities of common shrews peaked even earlier. The growth rates of all four coexisting small mammal species were best explained by their own current densities. The growth rate of bank vole populations was negatively related to increasing densities of field voles in the increase phase of the vole cycle. Apart from this, no negative effects of interspecific density, direct or delayed, were observed among the vole species. The growth rates of common shrew populations were negatively related to increasing total rodent (including water voles and harvest mice) densities in the peak phase of the vole cycle. Sibling voles appeared not to be competitively superior to field voles on a population level, as neither of these Microtus voles increased disproportionately in abundance as total rodent density increased. We suggest that interspecific competition among the vole species may occur, but only briefly, during the autumn of peak years, when the total available amount of rodent habitat becomes markedly reduced following agricultural practices. Our results nonetheless indicate that interspecific competition is not a strong determinant of the structure of communities comprised of species exhibiting cyclic dynamics. We suggest that external factors, namely predation and shortage of food, limit densities of vole populations below levels where interspecific competition occurs. Common shrews, however, appear to suffer from asymmetric space competition with rodents at peak densities of voles; this may be viewed as a synchronizing effect.     

Spatial synchrony in vole population fluctuations – a field experiment

Three mechanisms have been proposed to induce spatial synchrony in fluctuations of small mammal populations: climate‐related environmental effects, predation and dispersal. We conducted a field experiment in western Finland to evaluate the relative roles of these mechanisms in inducing spatial synchrony among cyclic populations of field voles Microtus agrestis. The study was conducted during the increase and peak phases of a vole population cycle on four agricultural field sites situated 1.5–7.0 km apart. Each field contained two 0.5‐ha fenced enclosures and one 1‐ha unfenced control area. One enclosure per field allowed access by small mustelid predators and the other by avian predators; all enclosures prevented the dispersal of voles. The unfenced control areas allowed access by all predators as well as dispersal by voles. Enclosed vole populations were in a treatment‐wise asynchronous phase before the predator access treatments were applied. The growth rates of all enclosed populations were tightly synchronized during the course of the experiment. Conversely, synchrony both among the unfenced populations and between the fenced and unfenced populations was practically non‐existent. During winter, in the increase phase of the cycle, vole populations in all treatments declined to low densities due to a seasonal effect of winter food depletion. During summer, in the peak year of the vole cycle, all populations fluctuated in synchrony. At this time, both small mustelids and birds of prey appeared to be abundant enough to induce synchrony. Dispersal was identified as a potential contributor to synchronization, but the magnitude of its effects could not be reliably discerned. Our results indicate that no single mechanism can account for the observed patterns of spatial synchrony among cyclic northern vole populations. Rather, spatial synchronization is induced by different mechanisms, namely seasonality and predation, acting successively during different seasons and phases of the vole cycle.     

Voles on small islands: effects of food limitation and alien predation

Ecosystems of three trophic levels may be bottom-up (by food-plant availability) and/or top-down (by predators) limited. Top-down control might be of greater consequence when the predation impact comes from an alien predator. We conducted a replicated two-factor experiment with field voles (Microtus agrestis) during 2004-2005 on small islands of the outer archipelago of the Baltic Sea, south-west Finland, manipulating both predation impact by introduced American mink (Mustela vison) and winter food supply. In autumn 2004, we live-trapped voles on five islands from which mink had been consistently removed, and on four islands where mink were present, and provided half of these islands with 1.8 kg oats per vole. Body mass of female voles increased as a response to supplementary food, whereas both food supplementation and mink removal increased the body mass of male voles in subsequent spring. During winter, there was a positive effect of supplementary food, but in the subsequent summer, possible positive long-term impacts of food supplementation on field voles were not detected. Mink removal appeared not to affect density estimates of field voles during the winter and summer immediately after food addition. Trapping data from 2004 to 2005 and 2007 suggested, however, that in two out of three summers densities of voles were significantly higher in the absence than in the presence of mink. We conclude that vole populations on small islands in the archipelago of the Baltic Sea are mainly bottom-up limited during winter (outside the growing season of food plants), when food availability is low, and limited by mink predation during summer which slows population growth during the reproductive season of voles.     

Fading out of vole and predator cycles?

Northern voles and lemmings are famous for their spectacular multiannual population cycles with high amplitudes. Such cyclic vole populations in Scandinavia have shown an unexpected and marked long-term decline in density since the early 1970s, particularly with a marked shift to lower spring densities in the early 1980s. The vole decline, mainly characterized by a strongly decreased rate of change in numbers over winter, is associated with an increased occurrence of mild and wet winters brought about by a recent change in the North Atlantic Oscillation. This has led to a decrease in winter stability and has shortened the period with protective snow cover, the latter considered as an important prerequisite for the occurrence of multiannual, high-amplitude cycles in vole populations. Although the vole decline is predicted to be negative for predators' reproduction and abundance, empirical data showing this are rare. Here we show that the dynamics of a predator-prey system (Tengmalm's owl, Aegolius funereus, and voles), have in recent years gradually changed from 3-4 yr, high-amplitude cycles towards more or less annual fluctuations only.