First, I’d like to thank my supervisor Uno Wennergren who has been a great source of inspiration. He has provided me with a lot of encouragement, good advices and feedback during the year of my master thesis work. I would also like to thank PhD student Frida Lögdberg for inspiration and support and the Department of Theoretical Biology at IFM on Linköping University for lending me an office and computers.

Everyday life in the university has been filled with laughter, encouragement and priceless good company from professors, PhD students, and master students. I especially would like to thank my office friends Torbjörn Säterberg and Xuefei Yao for their priceless friendships and encouragement during the year.

All persons mentioned have really helped me to believe in myself and my project during the whole process from start to finished final Master’s thesis.

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Vasseur D A & Fox J W (2007) Environmental fluctuations can stabilize food web dynamics by increasing synchrony. Ecology Letters 10; 1066–1074.

Red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) : Peter Beneyfield

Bank vole (Myodes glareolus) : Wikipedia

Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) : Anders Helseth

Spruce (Picea abies) : Slöjdiskogen