Effect of removing a dominant competitor, Akodon azarae (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) on community and population parameters of small rodent species in Central Argentina

We studied the effect of removing Akodon azarae (Muridae, Sigmodontinae) on community and demographic parameters of rodent species in crop field borders of Central Argentina. We applied three replicated treatments: enclosure and removal of A. azarae, enclosure without removal, and a control without removal or enclosure. We conducted 14 monthly capture-mark-recapture samplings between October 1988 and March 1990. During the study period we observed an increase in Mus domesticus (Muridae, Murinae) abundance in removal areas. Other species did not respond to A. azarae removal. When A. azarae was removed, M. domesticus appeared to be competitively dominant over the remaining species of the community, increasing its relative abundance. Reproductive parameters of M. domesticus were more sensitive to treatments than survival parameters.