Invasion of a One-Year Abandoned Field by Peromyscus Polionotus and Mus Musculus

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Abstract
Populations of Peromyscus polionotus and Mus musculus following invasion of a 9-acre cornfield abandoned for one year were inversely related. This inverse relationship, plus differences in habitat utilization, suggested interaction between the two species of rodents. Results showed that the interaction between populations of P. polionotus and M. musculus, observed by Caldwell (1964) and Caldwell and Gentry (1965) in fenced enclosures, may also occur in a natural situation where emigration and immigration are present. The P. polionotus population reached a peak in September 1963 and gradually declined to an unusually low level by February 1964. It is speculated that the quantity and quality of available food may have been a significant influence on the old-field mouse population and that M. musculus reacted opportunistically when the P. polionotus population declined. Whether this interaction was competition for food or space, aggressive competition between individuals or a more subtle relationship could not be determined.