Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 36/1. (2016)
Zoology
ROLE OF ECOTONE ZONE IN SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES MUS SPICILEGIIS PETÉNYI 1882 (MURIDAE, RODENTIA) Alina LARION, Victoria NISTREANU, Veaceslav SÍTNIC, Vlad POSTOLACHI Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova Academiei str., no 1, 2028-MD Chijinäu, Republic of Moldova, vicnistreanu@gmail.com Abstract: One of the most widespread rodent species in Moldova is the mound-building mouse Mus spicilegus Petenyi, 1882. The studies have been performed during 2010—2015 in autumn-spring period in various types of agrocenoses, fallow ground, abandoned land and ecotone zone from the central part of R. Moldova. In the cold period of the year M. spicilegus lives in mounds with food reserves. The mound construction begin in mid-July - early September. In autumn the most numerous mounds were registered on fallow ground (20.18%), in unharvested maize and in sunflower (14.91%), at ecotone fallow ground —wheat (14.04%) and fallow ground - maize (12.27%), and the lowest number (7.02%) of mounds- in alfalfa and wheat stubble. At the ecotone fallow-agrocoenoses the mounds are the largest, because only in this area there are many seed of both crops and spontaneous plants. In spring the largest mounds were at the ecotone between agrocoenoses, on corn stubble, on fallow ground and at the ecotone fallowcorn stubble, while the smallest mounds were on alfalfa field. The longest period the mounds preserve on fallow, on strip between agrocenoses, on lands with perennial plants and in the area of ecotone, because these lands are not subject so often to agro-technical activities. Abandoned land, fallow ground and ecotone zone plays an important role in the survival of the species. In these biotopes the highest number of mounds was found, they were the largest and the period of preservation was the longest. Keywords: Mus spicilegus, mound, size, preservation, agrocoenosis, ecotone Introduction One of the most widespread rodent species in Moldova is the mound-building mouse Mus spicilegus Petenyi, 1882. The species has a patchy distribution on the republic territory, populating only open type habitat, especially the agrocenoses. The varied composition of trophic base allows mice to populate the lands cultivated with various agricultural and fodder plants, as well as abandoned land, fallow ground etc., switching easily from one type of food to another. The highest density is recorded on cultivated land, mostly in the cereals, maize, sunflower, fodder plants and fallow ground. Species density in various types of agrocoenoses reaches at the end of reproductive period 150-200 individuals per hectare and the ecological significance of the species varies between 15% and 25% [5, 6]. The mound-building mouse can be also found in ecotone zone (forest shelter belt — agrocoenoses, fallow ground — abandoned orchard, fallow ground — vineyard, fallow ground — agrocenoses, strips grown with spontaneous vegetation between cultivated land), on roadsides. This species has several adaptive peculiarities (building of mounds with food reserves for winter period, a complex network of underground galleries, location of common nests at M A R I S I A, XXXVI, p. 99-108
