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Voles are often considered as harmful pests in agriculture and silviculture. Then, the knowledge of their abundance may be of considerable economical importance. Commonly used methods in the monitoring of vole abundances are relatively laborious, expensive, and spatially quite restricted. We demonstrate how the mean clutch size of the tawny owl Strix aluco may be cost-effectively used to predict relative densities of voles over large areas. Besides installing a number of suitable nest boxes, this vole monitoring system primarily includes only the inspection of the nest boxes and counting the number of tawny owl eggs found two times during a few weeks period in spring. Our results showed a considerable agreement between the fluctuations in the mean clutch size of tawny owls and the late spring abundance indices of small voles ( Myodes , Microtus ) in our study areas in southern Finland. The mean clutch size of the tawny owl reflected spring vole abundance over the spatial range examined, suggesting its suitability for general forecasting purposes. From the pest management point of view, an additional merit of the present method is that it may increase numbers of vole-eaters that provide biological control of vole populations.

Long-term studies of cyclic rodent populations have contributed fundamentally to the development of population ecology. Pioneering rodent studies have shown macroecological patterns of population dynamics in relation to latitude and have inspired similar studies in several other taxa. Nevertheless, such studies have not been able to disentangle the role of different environmental variables in shaping the macroecological patterns. We collected rodent time-series from 26 locations spanning 10 latitudinal degrees in the tundra biome of Fennoscandia and assessed how population dynamics characteristics of the most prevalent species varied with latitude and environmental variables. While we found no relationship between latitude and population cycle peak interval, other characteristics of population dynamics showed latitudinal patterns. The environmental predictor variables provided insight into causes of these patterns, as 1) increased proportion of optimal habitat in the landscape led to higher density amplitudes in all species and 2) mid-winter climate variability lowered the amplitude in Norwegian lemmings and grey-sided voles. These results indicate that biome-scale climate and landscape change can be expected to have profound impacts on rodent population cycles and that the macro-ecology of such functionally important tundra ecosystem characteristics is likely to be subjected to transient dynamics.

Tula orthohantavirus (TULV) is a rodent-borne hantavirus with broad geographical distribution in Europe. Its major reservoir is the common vole (Microtus arvalis), but TULV has also been detected in closely related vole species. Given the large distributional range and high amplitude population dynamics of common voles, this host–pathogen complex presents an ideal system to study the complex mechanisms of pathogen transmission in a wild rodent reservoir. We investigated the dynamics of TULV prevalence and the subsequent potential effects on the molecular evolution of TULV in common voles of the Central evolutionary lineage. Rodents were trapped for three years in four regions of Germany and samples were analyzed for the presence of TULV-reactive antibodies and TULV RNA with subsequent sequence determination. The results show that individual (sex) and population-level factors (abundance) of hosts were significant predictors of local TULV dynamics. At the large geographic scale, different phylogenetic TULV clades and an overall isolation-by-distance pattern in virus sequences were detected, while at the small scale (<4 km) this depended on the study area. In combination with an overall delayed density dependence, our results highlight that frequent, localized bottleneck events for the common vole and TULV do occur and can be offset by local recolonization dynamics.

Long‐term decline and depression of density in cyclic small rodents is a recent widespread phenomenon. These observed changes at the population level might have cascading effects at the ecosystem level. Here, we assessed relationships between changing boreal landscapes and biodiversity changes of small mammal communities. We also inferred potential effects of observed community changes for increased transmission risk of Puumala virus (PUUV) spread, causing the zoonotic disease nephropatica epidemica in humans. Analyses were based on long‐term (1971–2013) monitoring data of shrews and voles representing 58 time series in northern Sweden. We calculated richness, diversity, and evenness at alpha, beta, and gamma level, partitioned beta diversity into turnover (species replacement) and nestedness (species addition/removal), used similarity percentages (SIMPER) analysis to assess community structure, and calculated the cumulated number of PUUV‐infected bank voles and average PUUV prevalence (percentage of infected bank voles) per vole cycle. Alpha, beta, and gamma richness and diversity of voles, but not shrews, showed long‐term trends that varied spatially. The observed patterns were associated with an increase in community contribution of bank vole (Myodes glareolus), a decrease of gray‐sided vole (M. rufocanus) and field vole (Microtus agrestis) and a hump‐shaped variation in contribution of common shrew (Sorex araneus). Long‐term biodiversity changes were largely related to changes in forest landscape structure. Number of PUUV‐infected bank voles in spring was negatively related to beta and gamma diversity, and positively related to turnover of shrews (replaced by voles) and to community contribution of bank voles. The latter was also positively related to average PUUV prevalence in spring. We showed that long‐term changes in the boreal landscape contributed to explain the decrease in biodiversity and the change in structure of small mammal communities. In addition, our results suggest decrease in small mammal diversity to have knock‐on effects on dynamics of infectious diseases among small mammals with potential implications for disease transmission to humans. Long‐term decline and dampening of fluctuations in boreal small mammal populations significantly changed the structure of the small mammal community. Long‐term changes in the boreal landscape contributed to these changes. The observed decreases in richness and diversity of small mammals have important knock‐on effects on transmission risk of infectious diseases among small mammals via dilution effects.

Biological pest control is gaining greater acceptance as an important part of integrated pest management for sustainable agriculture. However, knowledge regarding biological control of rodent pests is limited, and its effectiveness in temperate areas has not been quantified. In traditional Japanese apple orchards, the Ural owl Strix uralensis breeds in tree hollows and preys on the Japanese field vole Microtus montebelli, a native pest species that can harm fruit production. In this study, we hypothesised that the Ural owl, a generalist predator, can act as a biological control agent by reducing vole densities in temperate orchards. To quantify the pest control effects of breeding Ural owls, we first analysed the diet of individual owls nesting in apple tree hollows. Second, we installed nest boxes in orchards to attract breeding owl pairs and collected data on vole population changes around owl nests to compare with control areas. The population changes were analysed using a generalised linear mixed model to assess the effect of breeding owls within their breeding territory. The model considered seasonal fluctuations in vole population size as well as surrounding land‐use. We also examined vole populations around the owl nests in April, and the distance between nests and forested areas, to determine if these variables influenced nest site selection. Voles were the primary prey of Ural owls breeding in orchards and the owls reduced vole populations within their estimated breeding territories by 63% (±SE: 53%–70%) compared with the predicted density without owls. Owls preferred to nest in orchards with higher vole population densities in April. Our findings also indicate that higher occupancy rates are possible by distributing nest boxes based on Ural owl breeding territory size (306 m radius circle in our study). Synthesis and applications. As breeding Ural owls provide significant pest control effects within their breeding territories, the reintroduction of breeding Ural owl pairs within orchards would contribute to rodent pest control. Promoting the reproduction of native raptors in agricultural areas can be an option for developing integrated pest management while simultaneously maintaining regional biodiversity. Foreign Language 天敵を利用して,農作物を加害する有害生物を抑制する生物的防除手法は,総合的有害生物管理 (IPM; Integrated Pest Management) の主要な柱の一つとして注目を集めつつある.しかしダニや昆虫等を対象にした生物的防除の研究は幅広く行われている一方,同じく主要な加害動物である小型哺乳類の生物的防除の研究は種や地域に限定的で,温帯地域における小型哺乳類の生物的防除の研究は少ない.そこで本研究では,近年まで日本の伝統的なリンゴ園で繁殖していたフクロウStrix uralensisに注目した.フクロウは小型哺乳類の個体数を抑制するとされるジェネラリスト型捕食者である.繁殖期にはリンゴの樹洞に営巣し,害獣であるハタネズミMicrotus montebelliを餌として捕食するが,近年は栽培方法の変化に伴い果樹園内の樹洞が減少し,フクロウの営巣も減少している.本研究では,リンゴ園で繁殖するフクロウがハタネズミの個体数に与える効果を定量的に把握し,フクロウによる生物的防除の可能性を検証することとした. フクロウの効果を定量化するため,まずリンゴの樹洞で繁殖するフクロウが雛に給餌する餌生物を調査した.次にリンゴ園に巣箱を設置してフクロウの繁殖を誘致し,営巣地と営巣地以外のリンゴ園間で,ハタネズミ個体数の季節変化を比較した.個体数解析には一般化線形混合モデルを用い,個体数の基本的な季節変動や周辺の土地利用の影響を考慮したうえで,フクロウの繁殖がハタネズミ個体数に与えた影響を抽出した.またフクロウの営巣場所の選好性を見るため,巣箱周辺の4月のハタネズミ生息密度と,巣箱から森林までの距離を調査し,営巣した巣箱と営巣しなかった巣箱間で比較した. 調査の結果,リンゴ園で繁殖するフクロウが育雛期に巣に運び込んだ餌生物の8割以上がハタネズミであった.またフクロウの繁殖によって,巣周辺のハタネズミ密度は,フクロウの繁殖がなかった場合と比較して63% (± SE: 53%–70%) 減少していた.さらに,フクロウは,4月時点でのハタネズミ生息密度が高い園地を選択的に繁殖に利用していた.また調査期間中の繁殖結果より,フクロウの繁殖期のなわばり面積 (本研究対象地では半径306 mの円) を考慮して巣箱架設を行うことで,巣箱利用率を高められることも示唆された. Synthesis and applications. リンゴ園で繁殖するフクロウは,営巣地周辺のハタネズミ個体数を有意に低減していることが明らかになった.減少しているフクロウの繁殖を巣箱によって再誘致することは,リンゴ園における害獣管理に有効であると考えられる.農地における在来の猛禽類の繁殖支援は,総合的有害生物管理の有効な手段になりうると同時に,地域の生物多様性保全にも貢献できるだろう. As breeding Ural owls provide significant pest control effects within their breeding territories, the reintroduction of breeding Ural owl pairs within orchards would contribute to rodent pest control. Promoting the reproduction of native raptors in agricultural areas can be an option for developing integrated pest management while simultaneously maintaining regional biodiversity.

The heligmonellid nematode Carolinensis minutus (Dujardin, 1845) Travassos, 1937 is recorded for the first time in Microtus agrestis (Linnaeus, 1761) in the United Kingdom. Small heligmosomoid specimens were recovered from a M. agrestis vole inhabiting mole ( Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758) tunnels in mid Wales. The identity of these specimens was confirmed as C. minutus by >99% nucleotide identity with internally transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and ITS 2 sequences in French C. minutus .

This study investigated the impact of small rodents on young trees during three growing seasons (2018–2020) in the Czech Republic. Tree damage by small rodents, the quantity and quality of herbaceous plant biomass and the species composition of small mammals were monitored at two sites in European beech forest plantations. The number of trees damaged during three growing seasons correlated positively with fibre content and negatively with nitrogen content in herbaceous plant biomass. The importance of winter precipitation is reflected in the positive correlation with nitrogen content in herbaceous plant biomass. The observed tree-gnawing damage correlated positively with the abundance of one rodent species only—the bank vole. The highest damage occurred after the concurrence of a dry winter and a higher number of voles. Given current climate variability, this situation could become more common in the future. Gnawing may be a limiting factor for the successful restoration of trees with thin bark—in our case, European beech. In addition, the proportion of this woody species should be increased to achieve a more stable and closer composition in the Czech Republic.

Vole-associated hantaviruses occur in the Old and New World. Tula orthohantavirus (TULV) is widely distributed throughout the European continent in its reservoir, the common vole (Microtus arvalis), but the virus was also frequently detected in field voles (Microtus agrestis) and other vole species. TULV and common voles are absent from Great Britain. However, field voles there harbor Tatenale and Kielder hantaviruses. Here we screened 126 field voles and 13 common voles from Brandenburg, Germany, for hantavirus infections. One common vole and four field voles were anti-TULV antibody and/or TULV RNA positive. In one additional, seropositive field vole a novel hantavirus sequence was detected. The partial S and L segment nucleotide sequences were only 61.1% and 75.6% identical to sympatrically occurring TULV sequences, but showed highest similarity of approximately 80% to British Tatenale and Kielder hantaviruses. Subsequent determination of the entire nucleocapsid (N), glycoprotein (GPC), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase encoding sequences and determination of the pairwise evolutionary distance (PED) value for the concatenated N and GPC amino acid sequences confirmed a novel orthohantavirus species, tentatively named Traemmersee orthohantavirus. The identification of this novel hantavirus in a field vole from eastern Germany underlines the necessity of a large-scale, broad geographical hantavirus screening of voles to understand evolutionary processes of virus–host associations and host switches.

Orthohantaviruses are globally distributed viruses, associated with rodents and other small mammals. However, data on the circulation of orthohantaviruses within the UK, particularly the UK-endemic Tatenale virus, is sparse. In this study, 531 animals from five rodent species were collected from two locations in northern and central England and screened using a degenerate, pan- orthohantavirus RT-PCR assay. Tatenale virus was detected in a single field vole (Microtus agrestis) from central England and twelve field voles from northern England. Unbiased high-throughput sequencing of the central English strain resulted in the recovery of the complete coding sequence of a novel strain of Tatenale virus, whilst PCR-primer walking of the northern English strain recovered almost complete coding sequence of a previously identified strain. These findings represented the detection of a third lineage of Tatenale virus in the United Kingdom and extended the known geographic distribution of these viruses from northern to central England. Furthermore, the recovery of the complete coding sequence revealed that Tatenale virus was sufficiently related to the recently identified Traemersee virus, to meet the accepted criteria for classification as a single species of orthohantavirus.

Research on the interactions between the field voles (Microtus agrestis) of Kielder Forest and their natural parasites dates back to the 1930s. These early studies were primarily concerned with understanding how parasites shape the characteristic cyclic population dynamics of their hosts. However, since the early 2000s, research on the Kielder field voles has expanded considerably and the system has now been utilized for the study of host–parasite biology across many levels, including genetics, evolutionary ecology, immunology and epidemiology. The Kielder field voles therefore represent one of the most intensely and broadly studied natural host–parasite systems, bridging theoretical and empirical approaches to better understand the biology of infectious disease in the real world. This article synthesizes the body of work published on this system and summarizes some important insights and general messages provided by the integrated and multidisciplinary study of host–parasite interactions in the natural environment.