2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Relationship between acorn masting and rodent population fluctuation
| Project/Area Number |
19H03005
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 40010:Forest science-related
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| Research Institution | Forest Research and Management Organization |
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Principal Investigator |
Shimada Takuya 国立研究開発法人森林研究・整備機構, 森林総合研究所, 主任研究員 等 (10353723)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
齊藤 隆 北海道大学, 北方生物圏フィールド科学センター, 名誉教授 (00183814)
佐藤 淳 福山大学, 生命工学部, 教授 (80399162)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | 野ネズミ / 堅果豊凶 / DNAメタバーコーディング / 個体数変動 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We analyzed the relationship between population fluctuations of the Japanese large wood mouse and acorn abundance in Hokkaido and Iwate, and found that the timing when the effects of acorn masting would emerge differed depending on whether their breeding season is before or after acorn falling. In addition, to elucidate the effect of acorn abundance on the growth of the wood mouse, we estimated the individual growth curve for Iwate population, and found that mice born in the next spring after acorn masting stopped growing earlier and reached sexual maturity at a lower body weight. We also conducted DNA metabarcoding using feces for three sympatric rodents in Hokkaido, and found that different responses to acorn masting among the three species were related with their different dependence on acorns as a food resource.
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| Free Research Field |
森林生態学、動物生態学
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
堅果の豊凶は森林生態系から人獣共通感染症の流行におよぶ広範な影響を引き起こすが、その鍵となるのは野ネズミとの関係である。そのため、堅果豊凶に対する野ネズミ個体群の反応を解明することは、森林への影響や人獣共通感染症のリスクを管理する上で重要な課題である。本研究によって、堅果豊凶に対する野ネズミ種間および個体群間での反応の違いが明らかになり、その違いをもたらすメカニズムの一端（堅果依存度の違い、繁殖期のタイミング、成長パターンの違いなど）が解明された。この成果は、堅果豊凶に対する野ネズミの個体数変動を予測する上で重要な貢献となる。
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