A Population Study of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) in Northeastern Kansas

The study documents the population ecology of the prairie vole in northeastern Kansas, combining systematic live‑trapping, habitat description, movement measures and demographic analyses. Methods examine trap spacing and area estimation; densities fluctuated widely (25.2–145.8 individuals per acre; 847–5,275 grams per acre). Results cover population structure, home range and seasonal reproduction, including litter size, growth rates and life span; autumn‑born individuals showed higher survival into the following year. Food habits, runway and nest construction, activity rhythms, predation pressures and associations with other mammals are described. The author links demographic patterns to habitat seasonality and concludes that vole abundance substantially affects grassland vegetation and local community dynamics.