Dampening of population cycles in voles affects small mammal community structure, decreases diversity, and increases prevalence of a zoonotic disease.

摘要: 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 ecosystem level. Here, we assessed relationships between changing boreal landscapes biodiversity mammal communities. We also inferred potential community for increased transmission risk Puumala virus (PUUV) spread, causing zoonotic disease nephropatica epidemica humans. Analyses were based on long-term (1971–2013) monitoring data shrews voles representing 58 time series northern Sweden. calculated richness, diversity, evenness alpha, beta, gamma level, partitioned beta diversity into turnover (species replacement) nestedness addition/removal), used similarity percentages (SIMPER) analysis to assess structure, cumulated number PUUV-infected bank average PUUV prevalence (percentage infected voles) per vole cycle. Alpha, richness voles, but not shrews, showed trends that varied spatially. The patterns associated with an increase contribution (Myodes glareolus), decrease gray-sided (M. rufocanus) field (Microtus agrestis) hump-shaped variation common shrew (Sorex araneus). largely related forest landscape structure. Number spring was negatively positively (replaced by voles. latter spring. contributed explain change structure In addition, our results suggest knock-on dynamics infectious diseases among mammals implications