Plagues of the common vole in Castilla y León

On December 11^th, IE School of Biology students attended a conference which was held in Villalar de los Comuneros (Valladolid). It was about controlling the plague of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) in agricultural areas of Castilla y León.  During this meeting, the results obtained from several investigations to identify the factors that encourage the occurrence of common vole outbreaks were reviewed. Also some cases about the biological control of these rodent populations by natural predators, such as the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and barn owl (Tyto alba), were presented. These initiatives are being launched in Villalar de los Comuneros, San Martin de Valderaduey (Zamora) and Boada de Campos (Palencia).

This event was organized by several institutions: Ayuntamiento de Villalar de los Comuneros, Fundación Biodiversidad, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y el Hábitat (GREFA) and Universidad de Valladolid (UVA). Farmers and other groups who are affected by the plague were invited to this workshop so they could participate in the discussion also.

This visit was coordinated by professors Pedro P. Olea and Pablo Tejedo. The activity was framed in the subject Populations and Ecosystems (Bachelor in Biology).