Author Spotlight: Impact of Physical Barriers on Rodent Populations in Farmland Areas

Rodent damage poses a significant threat to crops, human life, and the earth. Our study introduced one physical method, the rodent-proof wall, which is suitable to prevent rodents with migratory habits, such as Microtus fortis, in Dongting Lake area. They were migrates from the lake beach to farmland and that causes harm.

Rodents are beneficial towards the ecosystem inside the lake beach, but they are harmful when they migrate towards the farmland. It is hard to find a way to control rodents in a central area without causing harm to other areas. The rodent-proof wall might be a good idea in Dongting Lake area.

Building a rodent-proof wall can provide long-term protection. This means keeps the rodents contained with a certain area instead of killing them directly. This is friendly to the ecosystem and environment.

In Dongting Lake area, the rodent-proof wall was transformed from the original wave-retaining wall, so the cost was low.