Abstract
The fence effect consists of two related observations: (1) enclosed populations of small mammals grow to abnormally high densities; (2) they then overexploit resources, destroy their habitat, and decline precipitously. The fence effect is widely considered strong evidence for the critical role of emigration in regulating population size, and for ultimate limitation of populations of small-mammal herbivores by resource exhaustion. I reexamine published evidence for the fence effect and conclude that studies in small, artificial pens are unreliable in addressing the fence effect. Studies in large, natural enclosures are mixed in their support of the fence effect. Only two unreplicated studies show evidence for «abnormally» high densities of microtines inside enclosures, whereas several others do not
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