Demographic processes in an urban population of the striped field mouse

Abstract

With 2 Tables & 1 Fig.] Studies on an urban population of Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771) were carried out in one of old cemeteries in Warsaw. Average density of these rodents was 54 individuals/ha. It was found that the cause of such high density of field mice in a city was, in addition to the absence of competitive species, the considerable isolation of the study population, making it difficult for individuals to migrate. The limited reproduction characteristic of isolated populations was observed. The natality index (per female) and survival up to the trappable period were very low, while at the same time mortality among the older, independent individuals of the urban population was smaller than in a suburban population.