Population dynamics and foraging of Sorex cinereus (masked shrew) in the boreal forest of eastern Canada
The ecology of shrews is better understood in the boreal forest of Eurasia than in similar regions of North America. In this study, the abundance, reproduction, population structure, and diet of Sorex cinereus (Masked shrew) were analyzed in jack pine plantations in the southern boreal forest of eas...
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2003
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| Acceso en línea: | https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_0003455X_v40_n1_p27_Bellocq http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_0003455X_v40_n1_p27_Bellocq |
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| Sumario: | The ecology of shrews is better understood in the boreal forest of Eurasia than in similar regions of North America. In this study, the abundance, reproduction, population structure, and diet of Sorex cinereus (Masked shrew) were analyzed in jack pine plantations in the southern boreal forest of eastern Canada over two years. Abundance of S. cinereus showed variations between years. The seasonal pattern of capture was unimodal with the peak occurring at the end of the summer. Breeding began in May or earlier with litter sizes averaging 6.7 ± 0.3 (mean ± SE) embryos per pregnant female. The breeding season was at least six months long (May-October). Two distinctive cohorts were identified. The spring cohort, primarily produced by overwintering shrews, had a higher reproductive value than the summer cohort because they may have reproduced in the year of birth. The summer cohort was produced by both overwintering individuals and shrews of the first generation in that year. Lepidopteran larvae (moth) were the primary food type in stomach contents of immature shrews, followed by coleopterans (beetles) and arachnida (spiders). The mean percentage volume of lepidopteran larvae in shrew stomach contents was similar between years, months, and sites. The patterns identified for S. cinereus are compared with those of the most common Eurasian shrew (Sorex araneus). |
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