Effects of food supplementation and helminth removal on space use and spatial overlap in wild rodent populations

Author:

Mistrick Janine1ORCID,Veitch Jasmine S. M.2,Kitchen Shannon M.3,Clague Samuel2,Newman Brent C.3,Hall Richard J.456,Budischak Sarah A.2,Forbes Kristian M.3ORCID,Craft Meggan E.1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA

2. W.M. Keck Science Department Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges Claremont California USA

3. Department of Biological Sciences University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas USA

4. Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA

5. Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA

6. Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA

Abstract

Abstract Animal space use and spatial overlap can have important consequences for population‐level processes such as social interactions and pathogen transmission. Identifying how environmental variability and inter‐individual variation affect spatial patterns and in turn influence interactions in animal populations is a priority for the study of animal behaviour and disease ecology. Environmental food availability and macroparasite infection are common drivers of variation, but there are few experimental studies investigating how they affect spatial patterns of wildlife. Bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) are a tractable study system to investigate spatial patterns of wildlife and are amenable to experimental manipulations. We conducted a replicated, factorial field experiment in which we provided supplementary food and removed helminths in vole populations in natural forest habitat and monitored vole space use and spatial overlap using capture–mark–recapture methods. Using network analysis, we quantified vole space use and spatial overlap. We compared the effects of food supplementation and helminth removal and investigated the impacts of season, sex and reproductive status on space use and spatial overlap. We found that food supplementation decreased vole space use while helminth removal increased space use. Space use also varied by sex, reproductive status and season. Spatial overlap was similar between treatments despite up to threefold differences in population size. By quantifying the spatial effects of food availability and macroparasite infection on wildlife populations, we demonstrate the potential for space use and population density to trade‐off and maintain consistent spatial overlap in wildlife populations. This has important implications for spatial processes in wildlife including pathogen transmission.

Funder

University of Minnesota

National Science Foundation

Publisher

Wiley

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