Influence of human intervention on rodent population dynamics in Southwest China.

Rodents are major reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens, presenting substantial public health threats in plague-endemic regions. Although chemical rodenticides have been widely used to control populations to reduce the risk of infectious diseases and epidemics, their long-term effectiveness and ecological impacts under diverse environmental conditions remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a longitudinal field study across eight sites in Jianchuan and Yulong counties (Yunnan Province, China) from April 2023 to April 2024, to evaluate control effects and strategies by comparing rodent population dynamics in intervention and non-intervention areas. Our results showed that rodenticide effectively reduced rodent density in the short term, but population recovery exhibited strong spatial variation, driven by ecological conditions and intervention strategies. Statistical modelling further identified leaf area index (LAI) of low vegetation, soil temperature, and soil moisture content as key predictors of rodent population resurgence. These results emphasize the spatially heterogeneities effectiveness of rodenticides and highlight the influence of environmental conditions on post-intervention population recovery. Our study advocates for ecologically adaptive rodent management strategies to enhance the sustainability and precision of zoonotic disease control in endemic regions.