Interactions between gray-sided voles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clethrionomys rufucanus</Emphasis>) and bilberry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vaccinium myrtillus</Emphasis>), their main winter food plant |
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Authors: | Jonas Dahlgren Lauri Oksanen Maria Sjödin Johan Olofsson |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Ecology and Environmental Science,Ume? University,Ume?,Sweden;2.Section of Ecology, Department of Biology,University of Turku,Turku,Finland |
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Abstract: | We compared the abundance, population structure and palatability of bilberry ramets on vole-free islands, islands with voles
but no predators (predator-free islands) and mainland sites with both voles and predators. As expected, bilberry biomass was
strongly correlated with the herbivory pressure exerted by the voles, since it was significantly lower on the mainland, and
much (>80%) lower on the predator-free islands, than on the vole-free islands. However, another finding, which conflicts with
hypotheses postulating that herbivory generally induces plant defenses, was that voles preferred ramets from predator-free
islands. Bilberry plants were fairly tolerant to grazing since they compensated for some of the lost tissue by producing more
new ramets. This response should promote stability in the plant–herbivore interaction by reducing the impact of past grazing
on current food production and thus minimizing time delays in the interactions that could potentially generate population
cycles. |
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Keywords: | Voles Bilberry Plant defense |
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