Variations in home range and core area of red-backed voles (Myodes regulus) in response to various ecological factors

Abstract

The characteristics of animal distribution are determined by interactions between the resource requirements of animals and ecological factors. This study sought to evaluate the effects of diverse ecological factors on the home range and core area of red-backed voles (Myodes regulus) in a natural deciduous forest located on Mt. Gariwang, Pyeongchang and Jeongseon, South Korea. Our study focused on four types of ecological factors: topography, climate, cover, and demography. A total of 29 voles were radio-tracked from August to September 2021. Home range (95% utilization distribution; UD) and core area (50% UD) were calculated using the kernel density estimator (KDE). The home range (1659.49 m2) and core area (317.08 m2) were negatively affected by altitude. The lunar phase and temperature negatively and positively influenced the home range and core area, respectively. The home range was positively affected by understory vegetation, whereas the core area was not. The core area increased within microhabitats with a high density of conspecific individuals, with males having a larger home range (2006.19 m2) and core area (375.40 m2) than females (1043.13 m2 and 213.39 m2, respectively). These findings provide a deeper understanding of the diverse ecological factors affecting the distributions of animals, especially small rodents.