Title: Long Term Dynamics of Kansas Rodents: Relating Theory and Data

Summary: This interdisciplinary research project employs competitive Lotka–Volterra (LV)
models and the available data to investigate long-term dynamics of grassland rodents in
northeastern Kansas. Particularly, we examine long-term (1973-2003) population dynamics
and possible competitive interactions between three species of small mammals: cotton rat
(Sigmodon hispidus), prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), and western harvest mouse
(Reithrodontomys megalotis).
Using LV competitive models, this project aims to (1) measure the annual strength of inter
and intraspecific competitions, (2) analyze the long-term variations, cycles and trends in the
competition strengths, (3) detect possible limit cycles, extinction, survival, founder-control,
and exclusion scenarios.
Background
a. Description of Species
Description of these species can be found in Wikipedia:
A) Sigmodon hispidus (cotton rat)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispid_cotton_rat
B) Microtus ochrogaster (prairie vole)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_vole
C) Reithrodontomys megalotis (western harvest mouse)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_harvest_mouse
You may also search other sources to obtain additional information regarding taxonomy,
distribution, habitat, food habits and timing of major life events of these species.
b. Competitive Lotka–Volterra models
The competitive Lotka–Volterra models represent the population dynamics of species
competing for some common resource. For n-species competing against each other the model
is given by
where xi(t), 1=i=n is the number or the density of species i at time t, ri is growth rate of
species i, and Ki is the carrying capacity of species , and is the
interacting effect of species on the population of species .
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