Variations of Density and Spatial Occupation in 3 Rodent Species in a Semi-Arid Area of Morocco

WOS:A1987M279100039International audienceA pluriannual study of Meriones shawi, Gerbillus campestris and Lemniscomys barbarus in a semi-arid environment (Marrakech) revealed important synchronous annual variations in numbers (a peak in May-June, a low from August to October) due to : 1) reproduction resuming in the autumn (rains arriving, vegetation starting to grow again), and 2) numbers declining in summer (drought, degraded vegetation, a pause in reproduction, disappearance of youngs and subadults). This trophic relationship is indicated by : 1) lower Meriones densities on fallow land than on cultivated land, 2) the lighter the annual rain fall, the less rodents there are. Modifications in the use of space by Meriones accompagny these density variations. The numbers of these subdesert rodents depend on food availability. These data raise the problem of spacing behaviour modifications in relation to density