JANOVA, E., Josef BRYJA, D. CIZMAR, L. CEPELKA and M. HEROLDOVA. A new method for assessing food quality in common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations. European Journal of Wildlife Research. Springer, 2015, vol. 61, No 1, p. 57-62. ISSN 1612-4642. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-014-0873-5.
Other formats:   BibTeX LaTeX RIS
Basic information
Original name A new method for assessing food quality in common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations
Authors JANOVA, E. (203 Czech Republic), Josef BRYJA (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), D. CIZMAR (203 Czech Republic), L. CEPELKA (203 Czech Republic) and M. HEROLDOVA (203 Czech Republic).
Edition European Journal of Wildlife Research, Springer, 2015, 1612-4642.
Other information
Original language English
Type of outcome Article in a journal
Field of Study 10600 1.6 Biological sciences
Country of publisher United States of America
Confidentiality degree is not subject to a state or trade secret
Impact factor Impact factor: 1.403
RIV identification code RIV/00216224:14310/15:00093618
Organization unit Faculty of Science
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-014-0873-5
UT WoS 000348219700006
Keywords in English NIRS; Nitrogen; Rodent; Food quality; Food supply
Tags AKR, rivok
Tags International impact, Reviewed
Changed by Changed by: Mgr. Lucie Jarošová, DiS., učo 205746. Changed: 7/3/2018 16:21.
Abstract
Food quality is an important factor influencing the demography of small rodents. While there have been numerous studies on food supply during small mammal population cycles, studies on quality of food consumed are rare due to technical difficulties in estimating nitrogen in small samples, such as stomachs or faeces. In this study, we use a new method, near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), for estimating nitrogenous compounds (NC) in stomachs of common voles (Microtus arvalis). Samples were taken from two populations over two 3-year periods. Vegetation cover (managed alfalfa/set-aside field), and thus also food supply, differed significantly between the two periods. In analysing the effects of food supply and individual attributes (i.e. sex, body size, reproduction) on NC in stomachs, we were able to show that nitrogen varied uniformly and that sex, body size and season had no effect. No significant difference in NC intake was observed between the two study periods, despite individuals being smaller and the population less abundant during the second period. During the peak densities, however, reproducing females consumed food with a significantly higher level of nitrogen than all other individuals. Our results indicate that changes in food supply do not affect the overall quality of food consumed but that maintenance of nutritional quality may require higher energetic release, which may affect body condition. We confirm that NIRS represents a useful new tool opening new possibilities in small-mammal ecology studies.
PrintDisplayed: 26/4/2024 03:41