Linzey A V, Grant D M
Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania 15705.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1994 Nov;27(4):521-6. doi: 10.1007/BF00214844.
Demographic characteristics of a white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) population inhabiting a woodland containing a low level of PCBs contamination were compared to an uncontaminated reference site. Although population density was higher on the PCBs-contaminated grid, the population exhibited greater temporal variability among years and had a higher number of transient animals. These population trends are consistent with those observed in structurally suboptimal habitats, indicating that the PCBs-contaminated grid is functioning as a suboptimal habitat. However, the data are not compelling enough to firmly conclude that the differences are due to contamination rather than to undetected environmental variation between sites. If demographic differences due to contamination are slight, they will be difficult to detect against a background of demographic variation resulting from subtle environmental differences. We conclude that animals at this site experienced a level of contamination that was below threshold for unequivocal detection of demographic effects.
将居住在多氯联苯污染水平较低的林地中的白足鼠（白足鼠属）种群的人口统计学特征与未受污染的参考地点进行了比较。尽管在受多氯联苯污染的网格上种群密度较高，但该种群在年份之间表现出更大的时间变异性，并且有更多的 transient 动物。这些种群趋势与在结构次优栖息地中观察到的趋势一致，表明受多氯联苯污染的网格正作为一个次优栖息地发挥作用。然而，这些数据不足以令人信服地坚定得出差异是由于污染而非地点之间未检测到的环境变化的结论。如果由于污染导致的人口统计学差异很小，那么在由细微环境差异导致的人口统计学变化背景下将很难检测到它们。我们得出结论，该地点的动物所经历的污染水平低于明确检测到人口统计学效应的阈值。
