Influence of edge effects on common vole population abundance in an agricultural landscape of eastern France

Vole demographics are often modified close to wooded environments. Population monitoring in such settings reveals substantial edge effects, although these have seldom been quantified. This study compares the abundance of common vole Microtus arvalis (Pallas, 1778) populations at various distances from three types of wooded environment (hedgerow, copse and forest) and in two types of habitat (temporary and permanent grassland). In temporary grassland, substantial edge effects were detected along the boundaries of forests and hedgerows. At 100 m from the forest edge, voles were twice more abundant than at 50 m, four times more than at 25 m and eight times more than at 5 m. In permanent grassland, the edge effect was such that voles were practically absent up to 100 m from the forest edge. For both types of grassland, the edge effect was more pronounced for forest habitat than for hedgerows, that is, for elements with a large surface area of wooded environment. Our results suggest that landscape context may greatly affect the local abundance of voles. Given the considerable damage done by M. arvalis , the presence of wooded patches in grassland areas leads to lower vole densities in adjacent areas and this might be an alternative method to control M. arvalis as a pest species.