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Title: Responses of herbivorous rodents to habitat disturbance on the North Slope of Alaska: Final report, July 1984 to 31 December 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6531457

Herbivorous rodents were studied in the vicinity of Toolik Lake on the North Slope of Alaska. Results indicate that herbivorous microtine rodents (lemmings and voles) respond to disturbance of their habitats in predictable ways in relation to changes in the availability of high-quality food. The quality of natural foods was determined by feeding trials. Preferences of voles for different plants in the field matched their performance (measured by change in body mass) when fed the same plants in the laboratory. Stepwise multiple regression successfully predicted the relative densities of the two most common species of voles based upon the availability of preferred food items. Preliminary results from field experiments indicate that densities of voles increase in response to supplements of high-quality food in natural habitats. 13 refs., 8 figs., 8 tabs.

Research Organization:
Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA). Dept. of Ecology, Ethology and Evolution
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-84ER60243
OSTI ID:
6531457
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60243-1; ON: DE87010087
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English