Ecological Preferences of Forest Voles

T. A. Andreeva and N. M. Okulova

Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences,

Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071 Russia;

e-mail: atandreeva@mail.ru

Received September 19, 2007

Abstract—Basic climatic parameters (annual average air temperature and annual amount of precipitation) over
12–25 years have been analyzed with regard to their values corresponding to different levels of abundance in
three species of forest voles: Clethrionomys glareolus (in 11 areas of the species range), Cl. rutilus, and
Cl.rufocanus (in three areas each). The results show that the abundance of all these species correlates signifi-
cantly with fluctuations of annual average temperature, with the correlation being negative in Cl. glareolus and
Cl. rufocanus but positive in Cl. rutilus. In addition, the abundance of Cl. rufocanus shows a significant corre-
lation with annual precipitation. Voles inhabiting different geographic regions may reach high abundance under
different conditions. As for the species range as a whole, however, Cl. glareolus is more ecologically flexible
than the other two voles. This species is also more warmth- and moisture-loving, while Cl. rufocanus is more
cold-loving and xerophilous, with Cl. rutilus occupying an intermediate position between them. Clethrionomys
rutilus is most temperature-dependent and stenothermic among them, whereas Cl. glareolus is indifferent to the
factors studied.

DOI: 10.1134/S1067413609020106

Key words:: forest voles, temperature, precipitation, climatic field, ecological plasticity.

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