The role of chemical information in shaping the spatial activity of bank voles in a free-living population

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out in two types of forest environment — a relatively homogenous mixed coniferous forest with low plant species diversity and a reach and spatially differentiated alder wood. Spatial variation in activity of voles was sampled by placing ink pads and paper inside PVC waterpipes laid in a line on the forest floor. In the first stage of the experiment, use of space by bank volesClethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780) was analysed without any bait in track collection tubes. In the second stage, we used an attractant in the form of scent collected from alien bank vole individuals of different sex (males, females), age (juveniles, adults) and physiological state (sexually active and not active). In the coniferous forest the distribution of number of visits in tracking tubes was of aggregated character both before and after providing odour of alien individuals. In the alder wood the aggregation level that had been initially lower than in the coniferous forest increased after providing scent. As a consequence, placing scent of alien individuals resulted in decreasing differences in animal distribution in both habitats. The results allow also to the supposition that the reaction to scent depends on sex, age, and the physiological state of the donor.