The effects of agricultural management on the reproductive activity of female rodents in Argentina

CODA, JOSÉ A.; GOMEZ, MA. DANIELA; STEINMANN, ANDREA R.; PRIOTTO, JOSÉ W.

BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY

ELSEVIER GMBH, URBAN & FISCHER VERLAG

Lugar: ALEMANIA; Año: 2014 vol. 15 p. 407 - 415

1439-1791

The aim of this study was to test if female rodents in border habitats of organic farms have higher reproductive activity thanthose of conventional farms in south-east Córdoba province, Argentina. The study was conducted in field borders of organicand conventional farms in 2012 and 2013 during the summer months, the time of the year when reproductive activity is morelikely. We sampled field borders through a CMR trapping session and recorded vegetation cover, plant litter, vegetation volume,bare ground cover and land use of the field on both sides of the border (crop/crop or crop/pasture). We recorded the numberof reproductive females and the rate of postpartum estrus. Green vegetation cover was higher in organic borders whereas plantlitter was higher in borders of conventional farms. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) to determine the factorsthat influence the number of reproductive females in borders of organic and conventional farms. The number of reproductivefemales was mainly determined by agriculture management and field type. There were more reproductive females in organicthan in conventional borders, and borders associated with crop fields at both sides supported the highest number of reproductivefemales. The rate of postpartum estrus was higher in organic than in conventional borders. Our results showed that in borderhabitats of farms under organic management reproductive activity of female rodents was higher than in borders of conventionalfarms. Organic farm borders may provide high quality habitats that provide resources for reproduction and persistence of rodentpopulations.