Kumpula, J., Colpaert, A. & Anttonen, M. 2007: Does forest harvesting and linear infrastructure change the usability value of pastureland for semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)? — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 161–178.

During the harshest winter, preference of forest habitat by reindeer should be dependent on the availability of energy-rich lichens, while in summer and easy snow conditions on the availability of protein-richer food. Reindeer should also avoid linear infrastructure (roads, power lines) if it causes disturbance and energy loss. We tested seasonal home range and habitat selection by semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in a sub-arctic pine forest area, northern Finland by tracking 29 female reindeer with GPS collars from 1999–2002. As expected, reindeer preferred old-growth forest and avoided felled areas and linear infrastructure in the selection and use of their wintering areas. Old-growth forest had high preference especially in late winter. During summer and early winter, reindeer also used sapling stand areas, young cultivated forests, mires and high-elevation open land. The net energy balance hypothesis including the total energy profits and expenditures could primarily explain habitat selection by reindeer during winter in intensively grazed and logged forest areas. Maintaining a certain amount of old-growth forest and minimizing linear infrastructure in wintering areas considerably improves the suitability of these ranges for reindeer herding.

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Sulkava, R. T. & Liukko, U.-M. 2007: Use of snow-tracking methods to estimate the abundance of otter (Lutra lutra) in Finland with evaluation of one-visit census for monitoring purposes. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 179–188.

Special one-visit censuses (OVC) for monitoring and estimating of abundances of otters based on snow tracks was carried out in 1995–1998. The monitoring network included 16 areas, in total 37000 km². The number of investigated sites was 1213–1589 per year. Ages, sizes and directions of otter tracks were examined to estimate how many otters had visited each site, and the entire study areas. We found otter tracks in every study area during all winters. Otters were most abundant in the central part of the country, and the number of all otters in Finland was estimated at 2000–2550 individuals. This study showed that OVC-snow tracking method works well, and that it could be a useful tool for monitoring otter populations on the national scale in Finland.

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King, J. R. 2007: Patterns of co-occurrence and body size overlap among ants in Florida's upland ecosystems. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 189–201.

Within ant communities, competitive asymmetry is hypothesized to dictate, in part, the co-occurrence patterns of species. I intensively sampled ant communities from 5 upland ecosystem types in Florida, USA. I used null model analyses to test two general assembly rules and one specific to ant communities: (1) reduced co-occurrence of species among communities, (2) regular spacing of body sizes within communities, and (3) competition hierarchies. Species were segregated by habitat (species co-occurrence was reduced among ecosystems) but there was no evidence for competition hierarchies at local scales (species co-occurrence patterns were random within ecosystems). There was limited evidence that body size distributions are regularly spaced at both the regional and local scale. Thus, while competition between species may result in character displacement between similar species, it does not appear to form competition hierarchies at the local scale at which ants actually interact.

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Laakkonen, J., Kallio-Kokko, H., Vapalahti, O., Vaheri, A., Vyskocilová, M., Munclinger, P., Macholán, M. & Henttonen, H. 2007: The screening of parasites and viral pathogens of small mammals from a farm in southern Finland, and genetic identification of the Finnish house mouse, Mus musculus. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 202–208.

Seven species of small mammals (N = 160) caught on a cattle farm in southern Finland were screened for various parasites and viral pathogens. Antibodies to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus were detected in 3.6% of Mus musculus (N = 110) and in 7.7% of Apodemus flavicollis (N = 26). Two (33%) Myodes (Clethrionomys) glareolus (N = 6) had Puumala virus antibodies, and one (11%) Microtus agrestis (N = 9) tested positive for cowpox virus. Of fungal organisms, Pneumocystis sp. (7.3%) and Emmonsia parvum (0.9 %) were found in histological examination of lung tissue of the house mouse. No blood parasites were detected in thin blood smears but kidney forms of Trypanosoma musculi were visible in impression smears of two of 27 (7.4%) house mice examined for the kidney forms. Meront forms of Hepatozoon sp. were detected in lung tissue sections in one Myodes glareolus. Of possible vectors of blood parasites, six species of fleas were recovered from the small mammals. House mice from the cattle farm had the sex chromosomes of the M. m. musculus type whereas mtDNA was of the M. m. domesticus type. House mice from another population in western Finland had both the nuclear and mitochondrial genome of M. m. musculus.

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Wiebe, K. L., Koenig, W. D. & Martin, K. 2007: Costs and benefits of nest reuse versus excavation in cavity-nesting birds. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 209–217.

Cavity nesters may either reuse an old cavity or excavate a new one. Nest reuse among cavity nesting birds has been considered traditionally to be a characteristic of weak excavators that lack nest sites and to be a strong force in the evolution of life history traits such as clutch size. We develop a simple model to examine factors that may favour one or the other nesting strategy, assuming a trade off between investment in excavation of a new hole and investment in offspring. Consistent with time and energy costs of excavation, male northern flickers Colaptes auratus that excavated were in better body condition than those that reused cavities, and a greater proportion of second nests were in reused holes. Data for other facultative excavators including woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees revealed a general pattern of earlier laying dates and larger clutches in reused compared to freshly excavated holes. We suggest that nest reuse is motivated by multiple causes, but may often be adaptive by offering time and energy savings.

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Mäkinen, H. S., Välimäki, K. & Merilä, J. 2007: Cross-species amplification of microsatellite loci for nine-spined stickleback Pungitius pungitius. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 218–224.

Microsatellite loci of nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) were optimized using primers originally designed for the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Of the 57 three-spined stickleback loci tested, only 18 loci (32%) amplified a specific PCR product in the nine-spined stickleback. Further analysis for two Fennoscandian populations revealed 11 polymorphic and six monomorphic loci. The eleven polymorphic markers were optimized into two ready-to-go genotyping panels to facilitate genotyping applications, and these markers should prove useful for population genetic studies in the nine-spined stickleback. Comparison of polymorphism in the 11 loci between three- and nine-spined sticklebacks collected from the same two (lake or sea) localities revealed significantly lower polymorphism in the nine- than in the three-spined sticklebacks, and in the lake than in the sea populations of both species. Moreover, loss of polymorphism in the lake population was especially pronounced for the nine-spined stickleback (target species) as compared to the three-spined stickleback (source species). This suggests that the success of cross-species amplification may, in addition to well-known effects of e.g. species evolutionary divergence, depend on population history.

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Theuerkauf, J., Gula, R., Pirga, B., Tsunoda, H., Eggermann, J., Brzezowska, B., Rouys, S. & Radler, S. 2007: Human impact on wolf activity in the Bieszczady Mountains, SE Poland. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 225–231.

Human activity is sometimes seen as the reason for nocturnal activity of wolves (Canis lupus). We tested this assumption in the Bieszczady Mountains (southeastern Poland), a region with a human density of 44 inhabitants km^–2, and where wolves were hunted until recently. The radio tracked wolves of three packs moved throughout the day with one major peak around dawn. Wolves avoided the area around main public roads more at night (up to a distance of 1.5 km) than in the day (up to 0.5 km). Wolves avoided a 0.5-km area around secondary public roads and paved forest roads both at night and in the day but did not avoid the surroundings of settlements. As compared with other studies, wolves in this study were the least nocturnal although human density was the highest. We conclude that human activity is unlikely to be the reason for nocturnal activity in wolves.

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Vukov, T. D., Ivanovic, A., Tomasevic, N., Dzukic, G. & Kalezic, M. L. 2007: Braincase–body size relations in European newts (Triturus spp., Salamandridae, Caudata): does size matter? — Ann. Zool. Fennici 44: 232–239.

A significant positive correlation between braincase size (used as a proxy for brain size) and body size was found in six European newt species, with considerable variation among the species. The observed variation in braincase size, however, could not be solely explained by variation in body size. In spite of female-biased sexual dimorphism in body size, which was especially pronounced in Triturus alpestris, the sexes did not differ in braincase size. We also found that T. dobrogicus had a much smaller braincase than would be expected considering its body size. This in addition to its different morphology and ecology sets it apart from related species of the crested newt group.

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