Changes in agricultural systems from 1956 to 2010 and shifts in patterns of Arvicola terrestris outbreaks: comparing trends in Burgundy, Franche-Comte, and the Alps

Since the mid-20th century, farming and livestock systems have undergone a series of modifications, which have led to changes in how farmlands are used and in landscape composition. This study examined whether a link exists between these long-term changes and the occurrence of water vole outbreaks in certain regions of France. A comparison of the patterns observed in 7 different regions was carried out using town-level data obtained during the French Census of Agriculture; these regions are located in eastern France (Burgundy, the Jura, and the Alps) and are associated with different mountain ranges. Although the baseline values of land use descriptors (e.g., ratio of land under permanent grass to usable farm area, ratio of land under permanent grass to total land under grass, and stocking rate) were found to vary across regions, the occurrence of water vole outbreaks was always associated with grasslands being stocked at moderate rates. Land use and landscape composition patterns were similar for study regions in the Doubs and Burgundy that experience water vole outbreaks; they differed for natural reserves in the Alps.