Red-backed voles were introduced to Ireland from central Europe in 1920 and have been spreading across the island ever since. Animal behavior was studied at several study sites (black dots). Animals in the dispersal zone (orange) are more cautious and less active than animals in the established zone (green), but they also explore more extensively.
Invasive animal and plant species are affecting biodiversity worldwide. To better understand the specific dispersal processes during a biological invasion, researchers from the University of Potsdam and Trinity College Dublin studied an acute invasion. More than 100 years ago, red-backed voles, a Eurasian vole species, were accidentally introduced to the west coast of Ireland and have been spreading continuously ever since. Fringe populations emerge during the dispersal phase, with particular characteristics of individuals that differ from the long-established core populations. The results have now appeared in the Proceedings of the Royal Society and in the journal Current Zoology. ...
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