A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Size of internal organs and forage quality of herbivores: are there differences between cycle phases in Microtus voles?
Authors: Klemola T, Koivula M, Korpimaki E, Norrdahl K
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL
Publication year: 1997
Journal: Oikos
Journal name in source: OIKOS
Journal acronym: OIKOS
Volume: 80
Issue: 1
First page : 61
Last page: 66
Number of pages: 6
ISSN: 0030-1299
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3546516
Abstract
We studied the possible role of food quality in cyclic vole populations by using the size of internal organs as an indicator of forage quality. We trapped field (Microtus agrestis) and sibling (M. rossiaemeridionalis) voles during two increase and two decline phases of the 3-yr population cycle in western Finland, recorded total body mass and weighed their pancreas and liver. There were no obvious differences in the relative size of organs related to phase of the cycle, which suggests voles from declining populations do not exhibit pancreatic hypertrophy. These results do not support the hypothesis that proteinase inhibitors in food plants that have adverse effects on metabolic processes of herbivores, and which are induced by grazing, cause regular cycles in small rodent populations.
We studied the possible role of food quality in cyclic vole populations by using the size of internal organs as an indicator of forage quality. We trapped field (Microtus agrestis) and sibling (M. rossiaemeridionalis) voles during two increase and two decline phases of the 3-yr population cycle in western Finland, recorded total body mass and weighed their pancreas and liver. There were no obvious differences in the relative size of organs related to phase of the cycle, which suggests voles from declining populations do not exhibit pancreatic hypertrophy. These results do not support the hypothesis that proteinase inhibitors in food plants that have adverse effects on metabolic processes of herbivores, and which are induced by grazing, cause regular cycles in small rodent populations.
UTU Research Portal