Impact of climate change on population dynamics of forest voles (Myodes) in northern Pre-Urals: The role of landscape effects

Abstract

In recent years in northern Pre-Urals, the population dynamics of forest voles has undergone significant changes. In the foothill area, the abundance of the red-backed vole has decreased and that of the bank vole has increased significantly. As a result, the latter becomes the dominant species. In nearby lowland areas, the population of the bank vole has remained stable while the red-backed vole has increased. The main cause of these changes is the transformation of the environment under the influence of global climate change. This affects mainly foothill conifer forests and, to a lesser extent, lowland forests. As a consequence, responses of various vole species to these changes in different landscape areas are not identical.