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Masoero G, Gencheva KG, Ioset N, Bersier LF, Tettamanti F, Bize P. Shrinking Alpine chamois: higher spring temperatures over the last 27 years in Switzerland are linked to a 3 kg reduction in body mass of yearlings. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231295. [PMID: 38481987 PMCID: PMC10933532 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Although climate change is considered to be partly responsible for the size change observed in numerous species, the relevance of this hypothesis for ungulates remains debated. We used body mass measurements of 5635 yearlings (i.e. 1.5 years old) of Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) harvested in September in the Swiss Alps (Ticino canton) from 1992 to 2018. In our study area, during this period, yearlings shrank by ca 3 kg while temperatures between May and July rose by 1.7°C. We identified that warmer temperatures during birth and the early suckling period (9 May to 2 July in the year of birth) had the strongest impact on yearling mass. Further analyses of year-detrended mass and temperature data indicate that this result was not simply due to changes in both variables over years, but that increases in temperature during this particularly sensitive time window for development and growth are responsible for the decrease in body mass of yearling chamois. Altogether, our results suggest that rising temperatures in the Alpine regions could significantly affect the ecology and evolution of this wild ungulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Masoero
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach6204, Switzerland
| | | | - Noémie Ioset
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Louis-Félix Bersier
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Federico Tettamanti
- Studio alpino Tettamanti, La Campagna d Zora 15, Lodano6678, Switzerland
- Ufficio della Caccia e della Pesca del Cantone Ticino, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Bize
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach6204, Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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2
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Dong J, Anderson LJ. Predicted impacts of global change on bottom-up trophic interactions in the plant-ungulate-wolf food chain in boreal forests. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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3
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Johnson HE, Lenart EA, Gustine DD, Adams LG, Barboza PS. Survival and reproduction in Arctic caribou are associated with summer forage and insect harassment. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.899585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigators have speculated that the climate-driven “greening of the Arctic” may benefit barren-ground caribou populations, but paradoxically many populations have declined in recent years. This pattern has raised concerns about the influence of summer habitat conditions on caribou demographic rates, and how populations may be impacted in the future. The short Arctic summer provides caribou with important forage resources but is also the time they are exposed to intense harassment by insects, factors which are both being altered by longer, warmer growing seasons. To better understand the effects of summer forage and insect activity on Arctic caribou demographic rates, we investigated the influence of estimated forage biomass, digestible energy (DE), digestible nitrogen (DN), and mosquito activity on the reproductive success and survival of adult females in the Central Arctic Herd on the North Slope of Alaska. We tested the hypotheses that greater early summer DN would increase subsequent reproduction (parturition and late June calving success) while greater biomass and DE would increase adult survival (September–May), and that elevated mosquito activity would reduce both demographic rates. Because the period when abundant forage DN is limited and overlaps with the period of mosquito harassment, we also expected years with low DN and high harassment to synergistically reduce caribou reproductive success. Examining these relationships at the individual-level, using GPS-collared females, and at the population-level, using long-term monitoring data, we generally found support for our expectations. Greater early summer DN was associated with increased subsequent calving success, while greater summer biomass was associated with increased adult survival. Mosquito activity was associated with reductions in adult female parturition, late June calving success, and survival, and in years with low DN, had compounding effects on subsequent late June calving success. Our findings indicate that summer nutrition and mosquito activity collectively influence the demographic rates of Arctic caribou, and may impact the dynamics of populations in the future under changing environmental conditions.
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4
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Timoney K. Letter to the editor on "Satellite observations document trends consistent with a boreal biome shift". GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5335-5336. [PMID: 35778872 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Timoney
- Treeline Ecological Research, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
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5
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Leffler AJ, Becker HA, Kelsey KC, Spalinger DA, Welker JM. Short‐term effects of summer warming on caribou forage quality are mitigated by long‐term warming. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Joshua Leffler
- Department of Natural Resource Management South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota USA
| | - Heidi A. Becker
- Department of Natural Resource Management South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota USA
| | - Katharine C. Kelsey
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science University of Colorado‐Denver Denver Colorado USA
| | - Donald A. Spalinger
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska‐Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alaska‐Anchorage Anchorage Alaska USA
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit and UArctic University of Oulu Oulu Finland
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6
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Denryter K, Fischer JK. Mitigating anthropogenic barriers to facilitate distributional shifts helps reduce vulnerability of a large herbivore to climate change. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Denryter
- Wildlife Branch California Department of Fish and Wildlife West Sacramento California USA
| | - J. K. Fischer
- Wildlife Branch California Department of Fish and Wildlife West Sacramento California USA
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7
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Joly K, Gunn A, Côté SD, Panzacchi M, Adamczewski J, Suitor MJ, Gurarie E. Caribou and reindeer migrations in the changing Arctic. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Caribou and reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, are the most numerous and socio-ecologically important terrestrial species in the Arctic. Their migrations are directly and indirectly affected by the seasonal nature of the northernmost regions, human development and population size; all of which are impacted by climate change. We review the most critical drivers of Rangifer migration and how a rapidly changing Arctic may affect them. In order to conserve large Rangifer populations, they must be allowed free passage along their migratory routes to reach seasonal ranges. We also provide some pragmatic ideas to help conserve Rangifer migrations into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Joly
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network, National Park Service , 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99709, USA
| | - Anne Gunn
- Salt Spring Island , British Columbia V8K 1V1 Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie, Caribou Ungava & Centre d’études nordiques , Université Laval , Québec (QC), G1V 0A6 , Canada
| | - Manuela Panzacchi
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) , Høgskoleringen 9, NO-7034 Trondheim , Norway
| | - Jan Adamczewski
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories , Yellowknife, Northwest Territories , Canada
| | - Michael J. Suitor
- Fish and Wildlife Branch, Environment Yukon, Yukon Government , Dawson City , Yukon , Canada
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology , University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA , and Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry , Syracuse , NY 13210
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Ehlers L, Coulombe G, Herriges J, Bentzen T, Suitor M, Joly K, Hebblewhite M. Critical summer foraging tradeoffs in a subarctic ungulate. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17835-17872. [PMID: 35003643 PMCID: PMC8717276 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Summer diets are crucial for large herbivores in the subarctic and are affected by weather, harassment from insects and a variety of environmental changes linked to climate. Yet, understanding foraging behavior and diet of large herbivores is challenging in the subarctic because of their remote ranges. We used GPS video-camera collars to observe behaviors and summer diets of the migratory Fortymile Caribou Herd (Rangifer tarandus granti) across Alaska, USA and the Yukon, Canada. First, we characterized caribou behavior. Second, we tested if videos could be used to quantify changes in the probability of eating events. Third, we estimated summer diets at the finest taxonomic resolution possible through videos. Finally, we compared summer diet estimates from video collars to microhistological analysis of fecal pellets. We classified 18,134 videos from 30 female caribou over two summers (2018 and 2019). Caribou behaviors included eating (mean = 43.5%), ruminating (25.6%), travelling (14.0%), stationary awake (11.3%) and napping (5.1%). Eating was restricted by insect harassment. We classified forage(s) consumed in 5,549 videos where diet composition (monthly) highlighted a strong tradeoff between lichens and shrubs; shrubs dominated diets in June and July when lichen use declined. We identified 63 species, 70 genus and 33 family groups of summer forages from videos. After adjusting for digestibility, monthly estimates of diet composition were strongly correlated at the scale of the forage functional type (i.e., forage groups composed of forbs, graminoids, mosses, shrubs and lichens; r = 0.79, p < .01). Using video collars, we identified (1) a pronounced tradeoff in summer foraging between lichens and shrubs and (2) the costs of insect harassment on eating. Understanding caribou foraging ecology is needed to plan for their long-term conservation across the circumpolar north, and video collars can provide a powerful approach across remote regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libby Ehlers
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - Gabrielle Coulombe
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | | | | | | | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Fairbanks Alaska USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
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9
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McLaren JR, Buckeridge KM. Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso Texas 79968 USA
| | - Kate M. Buckeridge
- Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) 41 Rue du Brill 4422 Belvaux Luxembourg
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10
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Johnson HE, Golden TS, Adams LG, Gustine DD, Lenart EA, Barboza PS. Dynamic selection for forage quality and quantity in response to phenology and insects in an Arctic ungulate. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11664-11688. [PMID: 34522332 PMCID: PMC8427565 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatiotemporal variation in forage is a primary driver of ungulate behavior, yet little is known about the nutritional components they select, and how selection varies across the growing season with changes in forage quality and quantity. We addressed these uncertainties in barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), which experience their most important foraging opportunities during the short Arctic summer. Recent declines in Arctic caribou populations have raised concerns about the influence of climate change on summer foraging opportunities, given shifting vegetation conditions and insect harassment, and their potential effects on caribou body condition and demography. We examined Arctic caribou selection of summer forage by pairing locations from females in the Central Arctic Herd of Alaska with spatiotemporal predictions of biomass, digestible nitrogen (DN), and digestible energy (DE). We then assessed selection for these nutritional components across the growing season at landscape and patch scales, and determined whether foraging opportunities were constrained by insect harassment. During early summer, at the landscape scale, caribou selected for intermediate biomass and high DN and DE, following expectations of the forage maturation hypothesis. At the patch scale, however, caribou selected for high values of all forage components, particularly DN, suggesting that protein may be limiting. During late summer, after DN declined below the threshold for protein gain, caribou exhibited a switch at both spatial scales, selecting for higher biomass, likely enabling mass and fat deposition. Mosquito activity strongly altered caribou selection of forage and increased their movement rates, while oestrid fly activity had little influence. Our results demonstrate that early and late summer periods afford Arctic caribou distinct foraging opportunities, as they prioritize quality earlier in the summer and quantity later. Climate change may further constrain caribou access to DN as earlier, warmer Arctic summers may be associated with reduced DN and increased mosquito harassment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trevor S. Golden
- Alaska Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAnchorageAlaska
- Present address:
Axiom Data Science1016 West 6th AvenueAnchorageAlaska99501
| | - Layne G. Adams
- Alaska Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyAnchorageAlaska
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11
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Dabros A, Higgins KL, Pinzon J. Seismic line edge effects on plants, lichens and their environmental conditions in boreal peatlands of Northwest Alberta (Canada). Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Dabros
- Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service 580 Booth Street Ottawa Ontario K1A 0E4 Canada
| | - Kellina L. Higgins
- Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service 580 Booth Street Ottawa Ontario K1A 0E4 Canada
| | - Jaime Pinzon
- Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Center 5320 – 122 Street Edmonton Alberta T6H 3S5 Canada
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12
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Snowier winters extend autumn availability of high‐quality forage for caribou in Arctic Alaska. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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13
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Rapid Ecosystem Change at the Southern Limit of the Canadian Arctic, Torngat Mountains National Park. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13112085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Northern protected areas guard against habitat and species loss but are themselves highly vulnerable to environmental change due to their fixed spatial boundaries. In the low Arctic, Torngat Mountains National Park (TMNP) of Canada, widespread greening has recently occurred alongside warming temperatures and regional declines in caribou. Little is known, however, about how biophysical controls mediate plant responses to climate warming, and available observational data are limited in temporal and spatial scope. In this study, we investigated the drivers of land cover change for the 9700 km2 extent of the park using satellite remote sensing and geostatistical modelling. Random forest classification was used to hindcast and simulate land cover change for four different land cover types from 1985 to 2019 with topographic and surface reflectance imagery (Landsat archive). The resulting land cover maps, in addition to topographic and biotic variables, were then used to predict where future shrub expansion is likely to occur using a binomial regression framework. Land cover hindcasts showed a 235% increase in shrub and a 105% increase in wet vegetation cover from 1985/89 to 2015/19. Shrub cover was highly persistent and displaced wet vegetation in southern, low-elevation areas, whereas wet vegetation expanded to formerly dry, mid-elevations. The predictive model identified both biotic (initial cover class, number of surrounding shrub neighbors), and topographic variables (elevation, latitude, and distance to the coast) as strong predictors of future shrub expansion. A further 51% increase in shrub cover is expected by 2039/43 relative to 2014 reference data. Establishing long-term monitoring plots within TMNP in areas where rapid vegetation change is predicted to occur will help to validate remote sensing observations and will improve our understanding of the consequences of change for biotic and abiotic components of the tundra ecosystem, including important cultural keystone species.
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14
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Andruko R, Danby R, Grogan P. Recent Growth and Expansion of Birch Shrubs Across a Low Arctic Landscape in Continental Canada: Are These Responses More a Consequence of the Severely Declining Caribou Herd than of Climate Warming? Ecosystems 2020; 23:1362-1379. [PMID: 33214772 PMCID: PMC7666286 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-019-00474-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The recent widespread expansion of deciduous shrubs across much of the Arctic has been largely attributed to climate warming. This study investigated decadal growth rates of dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa) across a low Arctic landscape in the continental interior of Canada. Detailed birch cover (100 m2 replicate plots) and individual shrub stature measurement datasets for five representative habitat-types were compared between 2006 and 2016, and evaluated in relation to environmental characteristics. Furthermore, dendrochronologically-based annual growth rates were assessed in relation to the 20-year climate record. Birch height, lateral dimensions, and patch groundcover all increased 20–25% relative to 2006 values, but these increases were similar among the habitat-types. Together, the limited evidence of recent warming at this site, the absence of significant habitat-type growth rate differences, and the lack of correlation between annual climate and stem secondary growth strongly suggest that climate change was not the principal cause. Instead, we propose that release from caribou impacts following the recent severe herd decline may explain the net shrub growth. Individual shrub growth rates were correlated with soil nutrient availability, but the latter was highly variable, suggesting that growth rates are primarily determined by fine-scale rather than habitat-scale spatial heterogeneity in nutrient supply. Together, our results demonstrate that birch growth has been enhanced across a variety of habitat-types in the Daring Lake landscape over the decade since 2006, and suggest that the recent severe caribou herd declines may be at least as significant as climate warming in driving birch shrub expansion in the Canadian central low Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhett Andruko
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Ryan Danby
- School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Paul Grogan
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 Canada
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15
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Gurarie E, Hebblewhite M, Joly K, Kelly AP, Adamczewski J, Davidson SC, Davison T, Gunn A, Suitor MJ, Fagan WF, Boelman N. Tactical departures and strategic arrivals: Divergent effects of climate and weather on caribou spring migrations. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
| | - Allicia P. Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Fort Smith Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Jan Adamczewski
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Yellowknife Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Sarah C. Davidson
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Am Obstberg 1 Radolfzell 78315 Germany
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
| | - Tracy Davison
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Inuvik Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Anne Gunn
- Circumarctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network (CARMA) Salt Spring Island British Columbia V8K 1V1 Canada
| | - Michael J. Suitor
- Fish and Wildlife Branch Environment Yukon, Yukon Government Dawson City Yukon Canada
| | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Natalie Boelman
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University Palisades New York 10964 USA
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16
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Saucier V, Champagne E, Côté SD, Tremblay JP. Combined effects of simulated browsing, warming and nutrient addition on forage availability for migratory caribou in Nunavik, Canada. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02543-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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17
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Beard KH, Choi RT, Leffler AJ, Carlson LG, Kelsey KC, Schmutz JA, Welker JM. Migratory goose arrival time plays a larger role in influencing forage quality than advancing springs in an Arctic coastal wetland. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213037. [PMID: 30865725 PMCID: PMC6415786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With warmer springs, herbivores migrating to Arctic breeding grounds may experience phenological mismatches between their energy demands and the availability of high quality forage. Yet, how the timing of the start of the season and herbivore arrival influences forage quality is often unknown. In coastal western Alaska, approximately one million migratory geese arrive each spring to breed, where foliar %N and C:N ratios are linked to gosling survival and population growth. We conducted a three-year experiment where we manipulated the start of the growing season using warming chambers and grazing times using captive Pacific black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) to examine how the timing of these events influences the quality of an important forage species. Our results suggest that grazing timing plays a much greater role than an advanced growing season in determining forage quality. All top models included grazing timing, and suggested that compared to typical grazing timing, early grazing significantly reduced foliar %C by 6% and C:N ratios by 16%, while late goose grazing significantly reduced foliar %N by 15% and increased foliar C:N ratios by 21%. While second-ranking top models included the effect of season, the advanced growing season effect was not significant and only reduced %N by 4%, increased %C by <1%, and increased C:N ratios by 5% compared to an ambient growing season. In summary, in years where geese arrive early, they will consume higher quality forage when they arrive and throughout the season, while in years that geese arrive late they will consume lower quality forage when they arrive and for the remainder of the season. When the growing season starts has only a minor influence on this pattern. Our findings suggest that cues determining migration and arrival times to breeding areas are important factors influencing forage quality for geese in western Alaska.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen H. Beard
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University and the Ecology Center, Logan, UT, United States of America
| | - Ryan T. Choi
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University and the Ecology Center, Logan, UT, United States of America
| | - A. Joshua Leffler
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, United States of America
| | - Lindsay G. Carlson
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University and the Ecology Center, Logan, UT, United States of America
| | - Katharine C. Kelsey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, United States of America
| | - Joel A. Schmutz
- US Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M. Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, United States of America
- UArctic, Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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18
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Johnson HE, Gustine DD, Golden TS, Adams LG, Parrett LS, Lenart EA, Barboza PS. NDVI
exhibits mixed success in predicting spatiotemporal variation in caribou summer forage quality and quantity. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Johnson
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | | | - Trevor S. Golden
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Layne G. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - Lincoln S. Parrett
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks Alaska 99701 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Lenart
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks Alaska 99701 USA
| | - Perry S. Barboza
- Wildlife, Fisheries & Ecological Sciences Texas A & M University 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard College Station Texas 77843 USA
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19
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Ferretti F, Lovari S, Stephens PA. Joint effects of weather and interspecific competition on foraging behavior and survival of a mountain herbivore. Curr Zool 2018; 65:165-175. [PMID: 30936905 PMCID: PMC6430973 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Weather variations have the potential to influence species interactions, although effects on competitive interactions between species are poorly known. Both weather and competition can influence foraging behavior and survival of herbivores during nursing/weaning, a critical period in the herbivore life cycle. We evaluated the joint effects of weather and competition with red deer Cervus elaphus on the foraging behavior of adult female Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata in summer, and on winter survival of chamois kids. High temperature and low rainfall during the growing season of vegetation had negative effects on bite rate. Effects of weather were greater in forb patches, including cold-adapted, nutritious plants of key importance to chamois, than in graminoid ones. Our results confirm previous indications of a negative effect of competition on bite rate of female chamois and on kid survival. Furthermore, harsh weather conditions and competition with deer had additive, negative roles on foraging behavior and survival of chamois. Growing temperatures are expected to influence distribution, growth, and/or nutritional quality of plants; competition would reduce pasture quality and food availability through resource depletion. Both factors would limit food/energy intake rates during summer, reducing survival of the youngest cohorts in winter. We suggest that interspecific competition can be an important additive factor to the effects of weather changes on behavior and demography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferretti
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandro Lovari
- Research Unit of Behavioural Ecology, Ethology and Wildlife Management, Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy.,Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini 5, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Philip A Stephens
- Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, UK
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Barboza PS, Van Someren LL, Gustine DD, Bret‐Harte MS. The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (
Rangifer tarandus
). Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Perry S. Barboza
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Lindsay L. Van Someren
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
| | - David D. Gustine
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center 4210 University Drive Anchorage Alaska 99508 USA
| | - M. Syndonia Bret‐Harte
- Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
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21
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Climate influences body condition and synchrony of barren-ground caribou abundance in Northern Canada. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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