Meadow Vole

A prominent wildlife species in the old field habitat is the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). There are several plant species found in the old field that meadow voles are highly dependent on. In the spring and summer months, voles eat ragweed, dandelion, (Sullivan, 1996) vetch, and various grasses such as red fescue (Bergeron et al, 1987). They prefer foods high in protein such as vetch and red fescue. They eat succulent stems and flowers primarily in the spring and summer months (Sullivan, 1996) and focus on roots, seeds, and lower succulent stems in the autumn and winter. The meadow vole depends on these species found in the field. In the summer months it cuts down the succulent parts of grasses into matchstick lengths (Sullivan, 1996). They also depend on grasses to construct their nests which they build burrowed into the soil, or next to natural features such as rocks and fallen trees, neither of which are common in the old field. In the winter months they especially depend on the poaceae family’s seeds, shoots and roots (Lindroth et al, 1984). This habitat provides an abundance of food opportunities for meadow voles.
Variation in environmental conditions through time such as drought and land management have many implications in the success of the meadow vole in old fields. If the old field continues to not be maintained, and the forbes and litter will decrease as they get crowded out by shrubs and early successional trees such as birch, aspen, dogwoods, and the autumn olive which are already present in this study site. Meadow voles prefer open, dense habitat to build nests, and cover from predators (Sullivan, 1996). The population will also diminish because the ecosystem will cease to provide the necessary resources to maintain the population. If there is a year with minimal precipitation, many of the herbaceous species in the field will struggle to grow, minimizing the food source, and cover for nesting in the spring to summer months. Into the fall and winter as well as the voles begin to depend on the seeds from many of these plants as well as the woody species who produce soft and hard mass. The population may decrease due to lack of food and easier predation.
Variation in environmental conditions spatially also has an effect on the meadow vole population. Similarly to the management issue, there is variation in the old field site in terms of cover. Some areas closer to the edge of the forest are farther along in succession due to not being mowed. These areas have more shrubs and less grass for the voles to nest in. They prefer open fields. Some areas of the field are wetter which is not conducive to nesting for the voles because the vegetation in this area is not dense enough for them and the soil is too wet for their nests. There are also areas of the field which are overtaken by bedstraw. This does not appear to be a primary food source of the voles and provides and different kind of ground cover than they prefer as it is more challenging to navigate through and is not optimal for nesting.