Use of NIRS in Wild Rodents' Research: A Review of Timid Beginnings (original) (raw)
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The dynamics of nitrogenous substances in rodent diet in a forest environment
mammalia, 2000
We examined the changes in the amount of nitrogenous substances in 1497 stomachs of four small forest rodent species [yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), and common vole (Microtus arvalis)] using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). The amount of nitrogenous substances varied from 9.31% to 65.39% of dry matter. Significant differences were observed between species, with both Apodemus species displaying higher variability and higher mean nitrogenous substance content in the diet compared with M. arvalis. Results for C. glareolus were intermediate for both variability and mean value. In general, concentrations of nitrogenous substances were higher in the diet of juveniles. Differences in diet composition (or ratio of nitrogenous substance) in different biotopes were only demonstrated for C. glareolus. Moreover, C. glareolus diet varied within the same biotope over different years. Clethrionomys glareolus was the only species to display differences in diet between males and females, with males having higher nitrogen concentrations. These findings are in agreement with the C. glareolus broad dietary niche. This study confirmed the suitability of NIRS for determining nitrogenous substance content in the diet of small rodent species.
A new method for assessing food quality in common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2014
Food quality is an important factor influencing the demography of small rodents. While there have been numerous studies on food supply during small mammal population cycles, studies on quality of food consumed are rare due to technical difficulties in estimating nitrogen in small samples, such as stomachs or faeces. In this study, we use a new method, near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), for estimating nitrogenous compounds (NC) in stomachs of common voles (Microtus arvalis). Samples were taken from two populations over two 3-year periods. Vegetation cover (managed alfalfa/set-aside field), and thus also food supply, differed significantly between the two periods. In analysing the effects of food supply and individual attributes (i.e. sex, body size, reproduction) on NC in stomachs, we were able to show that nitrogen varied uniformly and that sex, body size and season had no effect. No significant difference in NC intake was observed between the two study periods, despite individuals being smaller and the population less abundant during the second period. During the peak densities, however, reproducing females consumed food with a significantly higher level of nitrogen than all other individuals. Our results indicate that changes in food supply do not affect the overall quality of food consumed but that maintenance of nutritional quality may require higher energetic release, which may affect body condition. We confirm that NIRS represents a useful new tool opening new possibilities in small-mammal ecology studies.
PloS one, 2015
Measuring the quality of the nutritional resources available to wild herbivores is critical to understanding trophic regulation processes. However, the direct assessment of dietary nutritional characteristics is usually difficult, which hampers monitoring nutritional constraints in natural populations. The feeding ecology of ruminant herbivores has been often assessed by analyzing fecal nitrogen (FN) concentrations, although this method has been less evaluated in other taxa. This study analyzed the suitability of FN as an indicator of ingesta quality in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which is a keystone lagomorph species in Mediterranean ecosystems and of great conservation interest. Firstly, domestic O. cuniculus were used to evaluate under experimental conditions the accuracy of total FN and the metabolic FN as diet quality indicators of forages with characteristics similar to those available under natural conditions. Secondly, the accuracy of Near-Infrared Spectrosc...
Rodent stomach sample preparation for nitrogen NIRS analysis
Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 2017
Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy is a highly promising method for estimating food quality in small mammals. The method used to prepare rodent stomach content samples, however, may influence nitrogenous substance results. In this study, we focus on comparing methods of preparation of samples and finding the optimal preparation method, which means saving time and costs as well as maintenance of reliability and precision of estimation. We examined 1497 stomachs of the following species: Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, Clethrionomys glareolus and Microtus arvalis. We used two preparation methods (grinding and abrasion). Where possible, cardiac and pyloric stomach sections were also examined separately. We found no significant difference between these data, hence only financial, time and equipment factors need determine the processing method in future studies.
Surveillance Strategies of Rodents in Agroecosystems, Forestry and Urban Environments
Sustainability
Rodents belong to the group of occasionally economically significant to very significant pests. Some species, especially synanthropic species, cause material damage in various ways. Successful and sustainable management of rodent control strategies requires different procedures such as prevention and rodent control measures. The present study gives an overview of the most common rodent species and methods for estimating the rodent population to assess the risk of economic damage that may occur due to rodents feeding in field crops, gardens, orchards, and young forest plantations, as well as contamination of stored food. As a prerequisite for effective integrated control of mice and voles, it is necessary to implement an adequate long-term monitoring system of these species, as they are primary pests. The integrated approach improves the treatment efficacy and reduces the treatment costs but also is considered ecologically friendlier compared to conventional measures. An integrated a...
Crop Protection, 2010
Prediction of impact by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis of rodent diet preferences was evaluated in four dominant field rodents in Moravia farmland (Czech Republic). These include the common vole (Microtus arvalis), pygmy field mouse (Apodemus uralensis), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), and black-striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). Using fecal samples, this method predicts the proportions of food components consumed, based on a calibration equation developed through feeding tests in the laboratory. We used the wood mouse as a model species for NIRS device calibration. The two types of monofood feces collected from mice that were fed with either barley or wheat grain were mixed to form a series of increasing proportions of wheat feces subsequently measured by NIRS. Because of a good fit, the calibration equation was then applied to other mice, whereas a separate calibration equation had to be developed for the common vole. The percentage diet preferences were determined by comparing feces from preference choice tests with the calibration equation. Whereas all mice preferred wheat to barley, the common vole showed no preference for either crop. Thus proportion of wheat preference by all Apodemus sp. predict stronger impact of these in wheat fields in ripe stage than in barley one.
An Ecological Study on Rodents of Natural Vegetation
2016
ABSTRACT: An ecological study on species composition, distribution, relative abundance and habitat association of rodents was conducted in Siltie natural vegetation and nearby farmlands during July 2008- March 2009. Five habitat types, three from natural and two from agricultural fields were randomly selected based on representation of the main vegetation zones. In each habitat type, one representative grid was selected for live trapping. In addition, rodents were also snap-trapped from these habitats. A total of 562 captures was made in 2940 live-trap nights and 87 in 1200 snap-trap nights. Species of small mammals trapped were Mastomys natalensis (33.3%), Arvicanthis dembeensis (23.0%), Mastomys erythroleucus (12.1%), Stenocephalemys albipes (8.4%), Desmomys harringtoni (6.0%), Mus mahomet (5.9%), Tatera robusta (5.1%), Lophuromys flavopunctatus (2.8%), Rattus rattus (2.5%) and Arvicanthis niloticus (0.9%). The trap success varied significantly from habitat to habitat. Population...