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Poirier M, Gauthier G, Domine F, Fauteux D. Lemming winter habitat: the quest for warm and soft snow. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05385-y. [PMID: 37351629 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05385-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
During the cold arctic winter, small mammals like lemmings seek refuge inside the snowpack to keep warm and they dig tunnels in the basal snow layer, usually formed of a soft depth hoar, to find vegetation on which they feed. The snowpack, however, is a heterogenous medium and lemmings should use habitats where snow properties favor their survival and winter reproduction. We determined the impact of snow physical properties on lemming habitat use and reproduction in winter by sampling their winter nests for 13 years and snow properties for 6 years across 4 different habitats (mesic, riparian, shrubland, and wetland) on Bylot Island in the Canadian High Arctic. We found that lemmings use riparian habitat most intensively because snow accumulates more rapidly, the snowpack is the deepest and temperature of the basal snow layer is the highest in this habitat. However, in the deepest snowpacks, the basal depth hoar layer was denser and less developed than in habitats with shallower snowpacks, and those conditions were negatively related to lemming reproduction in winter. Shrubland appeared a habitat of moderate quality for lemmings as it favored a soft basal snow layer and a deep snowpack compared with mesic and wetland, but snow conditions in this habitat critically depend on weather conditions at the beginning of the winter. With climate change, a hardening of the basal layer of the snowpack and a delay in snow accumulation are expected, which could negatively affect the winter habitat of lemmings and be detrimental to their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Poirier
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Department of Biology, Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval (Canada) and CNRS-INSU (France), 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada.
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Biology, Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Florent Domine
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval (Canada) and CNRS-INSU (France), 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique Fauteux
- Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Canadian Museum of Nature, Station D, P.O. Box 3443, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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2
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Gasch K, Habe M, Krauss JS, Painer-Gigler J, Stalder G, Arnold W. The Influence of Photoperiod, Intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Food Availability on Seasonal Acclimatization in Red Deer ( Cervus elaphus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101600. [PMID: 37238030 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypometabolism and hypothermia are common reactions of birds and mammals to cope with harsh winter conditions. In small mammals, the occurrence of hibernation and daily torpor is entrained by photoperiod, and the magnitude of hypometabolism and decrease of body temperature (Tb) is influenced by the dietary supply of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. We investigated whether similar effects exist in a non-hibernating large mammal, the red deer (Cervus elaphus). We fed adult females with pellets enriched with either linoleic acid (LA) or α-linolenic acid (ALA) during alternating periods of ad libitum and restricted feeding in a cross-over experimental design. Further, we scrutinized the role of photoperiod for physiological and behavioral seasonal changes by manipulating the amount of circulating melatonin. The deer were equipped with data loggers recording heart rate, core and peripheral Tb, and locomotor activity. Further, we regularly weighed the animals and measured their daily intake of food pellets. All physiological and behavioral parameters measured varied seasonally, with amplitudes exacerbated by restricted feeding, but with only few and inconsistent effects of supplementation with LA or ALA. Administering melatonin around the summer solstice caused a change into the winter phenotype weeks ahead of time in all traits measured. We conclude that red deer reduce energy expenditure for thermoregulation upon short daylength, a reaction amplified by food restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Gasch
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuela Habe
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julie Sophie Krauss
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johanna Painer-Gigler
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Arnold
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Pedersen ÅØ, Bårdsen BJ, Veiberg V, Irvine RJ, Hansen BB. Hunting for ecological indicators: are large herbivore skeleton measures from harvest data useful proxies for monitoring? EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01636-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Hunter-collected data and samples are used as indices of population performance, and monitoring programs often take advantage of such data as ecological indicators. Here, we establish the relationships between measures of skeleton size (lower jawbone length and hind-leg length) and autumn carcass mass of slaughtered individuals of known age and sex of the high Arctic and endemic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). We assess these relationships using a long-term monitoring dataset derived from hunted or culled reindeer. The two skeleton measures were generally strongly correlated within age class. Both jaw length (R2 = 0.78) and hind-leg length (R2 = 0.74) represented good proxies of carcass mass. These relationships were primarily due to an age effect (i.e. due to growth) as the skeleton measures reached an asymptotic size at 4–6 years of age. Accordingly, strong positive correlations between skeleton measures and carcass mass were mainly evident at the young age classes (range r [0.45–0.84] for calves and yearlings). For the adults, these relationships weakened due to skeletal growth ceasing in mature animals causing increased variance in mass with age—potentially due to the expected substantial impacts of annual environmental fluctuations. As proxies for carcass mass, skeleton measurements should therefore be limited to young individuals. Although body mass is the ‘gold standard’ in monitoring large herbivores, our results indicate that skeleton measures collected by hunters only provide similar valuable information for young age classes, particularly calves and yearlings. In sum, jaw length and hind-leg length function as proxies identical to body mass when documenting the impacts of changing environmental conditions on important state variables for reindeer and other herbivores inhabiting highly variable environments.
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Abstract
Studies of spatial population synchrony constitute a central approach for understanding the drivers of ecological dynamics. Recently, identifying the ecological impacts of climate change has emerged as a new important focus in population synchrony studies. However, while it is well known that climatic seasonality and sequential density dependence influences local population dynamics, the role of season-specific density dependence in shaping large-scale population synchrony has not received attention. Here, we present a widely applicable analytical protocol that allows us to account for both season and geographic context-specific density dependence to better elucidate the relative roles of deterministic and stochastic sources of population synchrony, including the renowned Moran effect. We exemplify our protocol by analyzing time series of seasonal (spring and fall) abundance estimates of cyclic rodent populations, revealing that season-specific density dependence is a major component of population synchrony. By accounting for deterministic sources of synchrony (in particular season-specific density dependence), we are able to identify stochastic components. These stochastic components include mild winter weather events, which are expected to increase in frequency under climate warming in boreal and Arctic ecosystems. Interestingly, these weather effects act both directly and delayed on the vole populations, thus enhancing the Moran effect. Our study demonstrates how different drivers of population synchrony, presently altered by climate warming, can be disentangled based on seasonally sampled population time-series data and adequate population models.
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5
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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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RABIES IN ARCTIC FOX (VULPES LAGOPUS) AND REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS PLATYRHYNCHUS) DURING AN OUTBREAK ON SVALBARD, NORWAY, 2011-12. J Wildl Dis 2022; 58:550-561. [PMID: 35666850 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Rabies is an important zoonotic disease with high fatality rates in animals and humans. In the Arctic, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is regarded as the principal reservoir, but there is considerable debate about how the disease persists at the low population densities that are typical for this species. We describe an outbreak of rabies among Arctic foxes and Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) during 2011-12 on the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, an area with a very low and relatively stable Arctic fox density. The aim of the research was to increase knowledge of Arctic rabies in this ecosystem and in the presumed spillover host, the Svalbard reindeer. Phylogenetic analysis of rabies virus (RABV) RNA isolates from Arctic fox and reindeer was performed, and clinical observations and histologic and immunohistochemical findings in reindeer were described. An ongoing capture-mark-recapture project allowed collection of serum samples from clinically healthy reindeer from the affected population for detection of rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies. The outbreak was caused by at least two different variants belonging to the RABV Arctic-2 and Arctic-3 clades, which suggests that rabies was introduced to Svalbard on at least two different occasions. The RABV variants found in Arctic fox and reindeer were similar within locations, suggesting that Arctic foxes and reindeer acquired the infection from the same source(s). The histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings in 10 reindeer were consistent with descriptions in other species infected with RABV of non-Arctic lineages. Evidence of RABV was detected in both brain and salivary gland samples. None of 158 examined serum samples from clinically healthy reindeer had virus-neutralizing antibodies against RABV.
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7
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Nonlinear spatial and temporal decomposition provides insight for climate change effects on sub-Arctic herbivore populations. Oecologia 2022; 198:889-904. [PMID: 35325288 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05150-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Global temperatures are increasing, affecting timing and availability of vegetation along with relationships between plants and their consumers. We examined the effect of population density, herd body condition in the previous year, elevation, plant productivity and phenology, snow, and winter onset on juvenile body mass in 63 semi-domesticated populations of Rangifer tarandus throughout Norway using spatiotemporal generalized additive models (GAMs) and varying coefficient models (VCMs). Optimal climate windows were calculated at both the regional and national level using a novel nonlinear climate window algorithm optimized for prediction. Spatial and temporal variation in effects of population and environmental predictors were considered using a model including covariates decomposed into spatial, temporal, and residual components. The performance of this decomposed model was compared to spatiotemporal GAMs and VCMs. The decomposed model provided the best fit and lowest prediction errors. A positive effect of herd body condition in the previous year explained most of the deviance in calf body mass, followed by a more complex effect of population density. A negative effect of timing of spring and positive effect of winter onset on juvenile body mass suggested that a snow free season was positive for juvenile body mass growth. Our findings suggest early spring onset and later winter permanent snow cover as reinforcers of early-life conditions which support more robust reindeer populations. Our methodological improvements for climate window analyses and effect size measures for decomposed variables provide important contributions to account for, measure, and interpret nonlinear relationships between climate and animal populations at large scales.
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8
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Pedersen ÅØ, Beumer LT, Aanes R, Hansen BB. Sea or summit? Wild reindeer spatial responses to changing high‐arctic winters. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Larissa T. Beumer
- Fram Centre Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø 9296 Norway
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Roskilde 4000 Denmark
| | - Ronny Aanes
- Fram Centre Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø 9296 Norway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim 7485 Norway
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim 7491 Norway
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9
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Poirier M, Fauteux D, Gauthier G, Domine F, Lamarre J. Snow hardness impacts intranivean locomotion of arctic small mammals. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Poirier
- Centre d'Études Nordiques Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
- Department of Biology Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Dominique Fauteux
- Centre d'Études Nordiques Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Canadian Museum of Nature Gatineau Québec QC J9J 3N7 Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Centre d'Études Nordiques Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
- Department of Biology Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Florent Domine
- Centre d'Études Nordiques Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory Université Laval (Canada) and CNRS‐INSU (France) Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
- Department of Chemistry Université Laval Quebec Québec QC G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Jean‐François Lamarre
- Canadian High Arctic Research Station Polar Knowledge Canada Cambridge Bay Nunavut NU X0B 0C0 Canada
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10
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Climate variability and density-dependent population dynamics: Lessons from a simple High Arctic ecosystem. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2106635118. [PMID: 34504000 PMCID: PMC8449336 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106635118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether the renowned population cycles of small mammals in northern food webs are driven by bottom-up (plant–herbivore) or top-down (predator–prey) interactions is still a debated question but crucial to our understanding of their ecological functions and response to climate change. A long-term study of a graminivorous vole population in an exceptionally simple High Arctic food web allowed us to identify which population dynamics features are present without top-down regulation. Unique features were high-amplitude, noncyclic population fluctuations driven by a combination of stochastic weather events and season-specific density dependence likely arising from plant–herbivore interactions. That such features are not present in more complex food webs points to the importance of top-down regulation in small mammal populations. Ecologists are still puzzled by the diverse population dynamics of herbivorous small mammals that range from high-amplitude, multiannual cycles to stable dynamics. Theory predicts that this diversity results from combinations of climatic seasonality, weather stochasticity, and density-dependent food web interactions. The almost ubiquitous 3- to 5-y cycles in boreal and arctic climates may theoretically result from bottom-up (plant–herbivore) and top-down (predator–prey) interactions. Assessing, empirically, the roles of such interactions and how they are influenced by environmental stochasticity has been hampered by food web complexity. Here, we take advantage of a uniquely simple High Arctic food web, which allowed us to analyze the dynamics of a graminivorous vole population not subjected to top-down regulation. This population exhibited high-amplitude, noncyclic fluctuations—partly driven by weather stochasticity. However, the predominant driver of the dynamics was overcompensatory density dependence in winter that caused the population to frequently crash. Model simulations showed that the seasonal pattern of density dependence would yield regular 2-y cycles in the absence of stochasticity. While such short cycles have not yet been observed in mammals, they are theoretically plausible if graminivorous vole populations are deterministically bottom-up regulated. When incorporating weather stochasticity in the model simulations, cyclicity became disrupted and the amplitude was increased—akin to the observed dynamics. Our findings contrast with the 3- to 5-y population cycles that are typical of graminivorous small mammals in more complex food webs, suggesting that top-down regulation is normally an important component of such dynamics.
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11
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Hawkshaw KA, Foote L, Franke A. Landscape-scale habitat associations of small mammals on the western coast of Hudson Bay. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Availability of suitable habitat affects the distribution and abundance of Arctic fauna, influencing how species respond to climate change and disturbance from resource extraction in the region. We surveyed Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii (Richardson, 1825)) using distance sampling transects and concurrently counted microtine rodent burrows. Abundance of Arctic ground squirrels and microtine burrows was positively correlated with terrain ruggedness. Microtine burrows were more abundant inland and in areas with freshwater, whereas Arctic ground squirrels were more often found at low elevation without freshwater. Arctic ground squirrel abundance was positively related to the normalized difference water index, a proxy for vegetation water content, whereas microtine burrows were weakly correlated with the normalized difference vegetation index. Our study highlights the habitat associations of ecologically significant small mammals in an underrepresented Arctic study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A. Hawkshaw
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
- Arctic Raptors Project, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Lee Foote
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Alastair Franke
- Arctic Raptors Project, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
- Nunavut Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
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12
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Marolla F, Henden JA, Fuglei E, Pedersen ÅØ, Itkin M, Ims RA. Iterative model predictions for wildlife populations impacted by rapid climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1547-1559. [PMID: 33448074 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To improve understanding and management of the consequences of current rapid environmental change, ecologists advocate using long-term monitoring data series to generate iterative near-term predictions of ecosystem responses. This approach allows scientific evidence to increase rapidly and management strategies to be tailored simultaneously. Iterative near-term forecasting may therefore be particularly useful for adaptive monitoring of ecosystems subjected to rapid climate change. Here, we show how to implement near-term forecasting in the case of a harvested population of rock ptarmigan in high-arctic Svalbard, a region subjected to the largest and most rapid climate change on Earth. We fitted state-space models to ptarmigan counts from point transect distance sampling during 2005-2019 and developed two types of predictions: (1) explanatory predictions to quantify the effect of potential drivers of ptarmigan population dynamics, and (2) anticipatory predictions to assess the ability of candidate models of increasing complexity to forecast next-year population density. Based on the explanatory predictions, we found that a recent increasing trend in the Svalbard rock ptarmigan population can be attributed to major changes in winter climate. Currently, a strong positive effect of increasing average winter temperature on ptarmigan population growth outweighs the negative impacts of other manifestations of climate change such as rain-on-snow events. Moreover, the ptarmigan population may compensate for current harvest levels. Based on the anticipatory predictions, the near-term forecasting ability of the models improved nonlinearly with the length of the time series, but yielded good forecasts even based on a short time series. The inclusion of ecological predictors improved forecasts of sharp changes in next-year population density, demonstrating the value of ecosystem-based monitoring. Overall, our study illustrates the power of integrating near-term forecasting in monitoring systems to aid understanding and management of wildlife populations exposed to rapid climate change. We provide recommendations for how to improve this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Marolla
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - John-André Henden
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Mikhail Itkin
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rolf A Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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13
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Hansen BB, Pedersen ÅØ, Peeters B, Le Moullec M, Albon SD, Herfindal I, Sæther B, Grøtan V, Aanes R. Spatial heterogeneity in climate change effects decouples the long-term dynamics of wild reindeer populations in the high Arctic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3656-3668. [PMID: 31435996 PMCID: PMC6851690 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The 'Moran effect' predicts that dynamics of populations of a species are synchronized over similar distances as their environmental drivers. Strong population synchrony reduces species viability, but spatial heterogeneity in density dependence, the environment, or its ecological responses may decouple dynamics in space, preventing extinctions. How such heterogeneity buffers impacts of global change on large-scale population dynamics is not well studied. Here, we show that spatially autocorrelated fluctuations in annual winter weather synchronize wild reindeer dynamics across high-Arctic Svalbard, while, paradoxically, spatial variation in winter climate trends contribute to diverging local population trajectories. Warmer summers have improved the carrying capacity and apparently led to increased total reindeer abundance. However, fluctuations in population size seem mainly driven by negative effects of stochastic winter rain-on-snow (ROS) events causing icing, with strongest effects at high densities. Count data for 10 reindeer populations 8-324 km apart suggested that density-dependent ROS effects contributed to synchrony in population dynamics, mainly through spatially autocorrelated mortality. By comparing one coastal and one 'continental' reindeer population over four decades, we show that locally contrasting abundance trends can arise from spatial differences in climate change and responses to weather. The coastal population experienced a larger increase in ROS, and a stronger density-dependent ROS effect on population growth rates, than the continental population. In contrast, the latter experienced stronger summer warming and showed the strongest positive response to summer temperatures. Accordingly, contrasting net effects of a recent climate regime shift-with increased ROS and harsher winters, yet higher summer temperatures and improved carrying capacity-led to negative and positive abundance trends in the coastal and continental population respectively. Thus, synchronized population fluctuations by climatic drivers can be buffered by spatial heterogeneity in the same drivers, as well as in the ecological responses, averaging out climate change effects at larger spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Ivar Herfindal
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bernt‐Erik Sæther
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Vidar Grøtan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Ronny Aanes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI)Fram CentreTromsøNorway
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14
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Leclerc M, Tarroux A, Fauchald P, Stien A, Tveraa T, St-Laurent MH. Effects of human-induced disturbances and weather on herbivore movement. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Human-caused habitat disturbances and climate change are leading threats to biodiversity. Studying the impacts of human activities on wildlife from a behavioral perspective is a relevant starting point to understand the mechanisms underlying population and species resistance and resilience to disturbances. In this study, we assessed the effects of weather (temperature and precipitation), habitat disturbances (roads and clearcuts), and natural habitat types on the space use patterns of a threatened boreal population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). An extensive data set of 288,665 relocations from 50 adult females outfitted with GPS collars over 7 years in the boreal forest of Québec, Canada was used to evaluate residency time in natural and disturbed habitats for five distinct biologically defined periods. The most parsimonious linear mixed-effects model for each period showed that individuals stayed longer in more natural habitat types. During calving and summer, residency time decreased with increasing road density, whereas residency time decreased with increasing temperature during winter and spring. We found no evidence of a synergistic effect between daily weather and human disturbances on movement behavior of caribou, but consider their respective influence as additive. We also showed large individual variation in residency time, except during the calving period. Lower individual variation in residency time during calving may be explained by strong evolutionary constraints on behavior faced by females to ensure protection and survival of their offspring. Based on our results, we suggest keeping large patches of suitable and roadless habitat for caribou to favor the spacing-out antipredator strategy exhibited by females during calving. By tracking individuals over several complete annual cycles, we showed variation in the effects of daily weather and human disturbances on residency time across biological periods. Our study highlights that the inclusion of daily weather variables helps better understand space-use patterns of a threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Leclerc
- Applied Conservation Science Lab, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sidney, BC, Canada
- Centre for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- Centre for Northern Studies and Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada
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15
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Andreassen HP, Johnsen K, Joncour B, Neby M, Odden M. Seasonality shapes the amplitude of vole population dynamics rather than generalist predators. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Harry P. Andreassen
- Inland Norway Univ. of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad NO‐2480 Koppang Norway
| | - Kaja Johnsen
- Inland Norway Univ. of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad NO‐2480 Koppang Norway
| | | | - Magne Neby
- Inland Norway Univ. of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad NO‐2480 Koppang Norway
| | - Morten Odden
- Inland Norway Univ. of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad NO‐2480 Koppang Norway
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16
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More frequent extreme climate events stabilize reindeer population dynamics. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1616. [PMID: 30962419 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09332-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme climate events often cause population crashes but are difficult to account for in population-dynamic studies. Especially in long-lived animals, density dependence and demography may induce lagged impacts of perturbations on population growth. In Arctic ungulates, extreme rain-on-snow and ice-locked pastures have led to severe population crashes, indicating that increasingly frequent rain-on-snow events could destabilize populations. Here, using empirically parameterized, stochastic population models for High-Arctic wild reindeer, we show that more frequent rain-on-snow events actually reduce extinction risk and stabilize population dynamics due to interactions with age structure and density dependence. Extreme rain-on-snow events mainly suppress vital rates of vulnerable ages at high population densities, resulting in a crash and a new population state with resilient ages and reduced population sensitivity to subsequent icy winters. Thus, observed responses to single extreme events are poor predictors of population dynamics and persistence because internal density-dependent feedbacks act as a buffer against more frequent events.
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17
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Weiskopf SR, Ledee OE, Thompson LM. Climate change effects on deer and moose in the Midwest. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Weiskopf
- U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Adaptation Science CenterRestonVA 20192USA
| | - Olivia E. Ledee
- Department of the Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science CenterSt. PaulMN 55108USA
| | - Laura M. Thompson
- U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Adaptation Science CenterRestonVA 20192USA
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18
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Antler growth as a cost of reproduction in female reindeer. Oecologia 2019; 189:601-609. [PMID: 30725371 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04347-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The costs of reproduction are important in shaping individual life histories, and hence population dynamics, but the mechanistic pathways of such costs are often unknown. Female reindeer have evolved antlers possibly due to interference competition on winter-feeding grounds. Here, we investigate if variation in antler size explains part of the cost of reproduction in late winter mass of female reindeer. We captured 440 individual Svalbard reindeer a total of 1426 times over 16 years and measured antler size and body mass in late winter, while presence of a 'calf-at-heel' was observed in summer. We found that reproductive females grew smaller antlers and weighed 4.3 kg less than non-reproductive females. Path analyses revealed that 14% of this cost of reproduction in body mass was caused by the reduced antler size. Our study is therefore consistent with the hypothesis that antlers in female Rangifer have evolved due to interference competition and provides evidence for antler growth as a cost of reproduction in females. Antler growth was constrained more by life history events than by variation in the environment, which contrasts markedly with studies on male antlers and horns, and hence increases our understanding of constraints on ornamentation and life history trade-offs.
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19
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Johnsen K, Devineau O, Andreassen HP. The Effects of Winter Climate and Intrinsic Factors on Survival of Cyclic Vole Populations in Southeastern Norway. ANN ZOOL FENN 2018. [DOI: 10.5735/086.055.0604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Johnsen
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Olivier Devineau
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
| | - Harry P. Andreassen
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Science and Biotechnology, Campus Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway
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20
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Carlsson AM, Albon SD, Coulson SJ, Ropstad E, Stien A, Wilson K, Loe LE, Veiberg V, Irvine RJ. Little impact of over‐winter parasitism on a free‐ranging ungulate in the high Arctic. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anja Morven Carlsson
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster University Lancaster UK
- The James Hutton Institute Aberdeen UK
- Department of Arctic BiologyUniversity Centre in Svalbard Longyearbyen Norway
| | | | - Stephen J. Coulson
- Department of Arctic BiologyUniversity Centre in Svalbard Longyearbyen Norway
| | - Erik Ropstad
- School of Veterinary ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)Fram Centre Tromsø Norway
| | - Kenneth Wilson
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster University Lancaster UK
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA)Norwegian University of Life Sciences Åas Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
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21
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The Araneae of Svalbard: the relationships between specific environmental factors and spider assemblages in the High Arctic. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2247-4] [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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22
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Douhard M, Loe LE, Stien A, Bonenfant C, Irvine RJ, Veiberg V, Ropstad E, Albon S. The influence of weather conditions during gestation on life histories in a wild Arctic ungulate. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1760. [PMID: 27798304 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The internal predictive adaptive response (internal PAR) hypothesis predicts that individuals born in poor conditions should start to reproduce earlier if they are likely to have reduced performance in later life. However, whether this is the case remains unexplored in wild populations. Here, we use longitudinal data from a long-term study of Svalbard reindeer to examine age-related changes in adult female life-history responses to environmental conditions experienced in utero as indexed by rain-on-snow (ROSutero). We show that females experiencing high ROSutero had reduced reproductive success only from 7 years of age, independent of early reproduction. These individuals were able to maintain the same annual reproductive success between 2 and 6 years as phenotypically superior conspecifics that experienced low ROSutero Young females born after high ROSutero engage in reproductive events at lower body mass (about 2.5 kg less) than those born after low ROSutero The mean fitness of females that experienced poor environmental conditions in early life was comparable with that of females exposed to good environmental conditions in early life. These results are consistent with the idea of internal PAR and suggest that the life-history responses to early-life conditions can buffer the delayed effects of weather on population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Douhard
- Université de Lyon, 69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 69622 Villeurbanne, France .,Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Department for Arctic Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Christophe Bonenfant
- Université de Lyon, 69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Department for Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 0033 Oslo, Norway
| | - Steve Albon
- The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
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23
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Forbes BC, Kumpula T, Meschtyb N, Laptander R, Macias-Fauria M, Zetterberg P, Verdonen M, Skarin A, Kim KY, Boisvert LN, Stroeve JC, Bartsch A. Sea ice, rain-on-snow and tundra reindeer nomadism in Arctic Russia. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0466. [PMID: 27852939 PMCID: PMC5134033 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea ice loss is accelerating in the Barents and Kara Seas (BKS). Assessing potential linkages between sea ice retreat/thinning and the region's ancient and unique social-ecological systems is a pressing task. Tundra nomadism remains a vitally important livelihood for indigenous Nenets and their large reindeer herds. Warming summer air temperatures have been linked to more frequent and sustained summer high-pressure systems over West Siberia, Russia, but not to sea ice retreat. At the same time, autumn/winter rain-on-snow (ROS) events have become more frequent and intense. Here, we review evidence for autumn atmospheric warming and precipitation increases over Arctic coastal lands in proximity to BKS ice loss. Two major ROS events during November 2006 and 2013 led to massive winter reindeer mortality episodes on the Yamal Peninsula. Fieldwork with migratory herders has revealed that the ecological and socio-economic impacts from the catastrophic 2013 event will unfold for years to come. The suggested link between sea ice loss, more frequent and intense ROS events and high reindeer mortality has serious implications for the future of tundra Nenets nomadism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce C Forbes
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Timo Kumpula
- Geographical and Historical Studies, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Nina Meschtyb
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Roza Laptander
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | | | - Pentti Zetterberg
- Dendrochronology Laboratory, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Mariana Verdonen
- Geographical and Historical Studies, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Anna Skarin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kwang-Yul Kim
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Linette N Boisvert
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Julienne C Stroeve
- National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.,Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Annett Bartsch
- Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, Vienna, Austria.,Geodäsie und Geoinformation, Technische Universität, Vienna, Austria
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24
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Henden JA, Ims RA, Fuglei E, Pedersen ÅØ. Changed Arctic-alpine food web interactions under rapid climate warming: implication for ptarmigan research. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John-André Henden
- J.-A. Henden and R. A. Ims, Dept. of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT- The
| | - Rolf Anker Ims
- J.-A. Henden and R. A. Ims, Dept. of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT- The
| | - Eva Fuglei
- E. Fuglei and Å. Ø. Pedersen, Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Åshild Ønvik Pedersen
- E. Fuglei and Å. Ø. Pedersen, Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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25
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Albon SD, Irvine RJ, Halvorsen O, Langvatn R, Loe LE, Ropstad E, Veiberg V, van der Wal R, Bjørkvoll EM, Duff EI, Hansen BB, Lee AM, Tveraa T, Stien A. Contrasting effects of summer and winter warming on body mass explain population dynamics in a food-limited Arctic herbivore. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:1374-1389. [PMID: 27426229 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The cumulative effects of climate warming on herbivore vital rates and population dynamics are hard to predict, given that the expected effects differ between seasons. In the Arctic, warmer summers enhance plant growth which should lead to heavier and more fertile individuals in the autumn. Conversely, warm spells in winter with rainfall (rain-on-snow) can cause 'icing', restricting access to forage, resulting in starvation, lower survival and fecundity. As body condition is a 'barometer' of energy demands relative to energy intake, we explored the causes and consequences of variation in body mass of wild female Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) from 1994 to 2015, a period of marked climate warming. Late winter (April) body mass explained 88% of the between-year variation in population growth rate, because it strongly influenced reproductive loss, and hence subsequent fecundity (92%), as well as survival (94%) and recruitment (93%). Autumn (October) body mass affected ovulation rates but did not affect fecundity. April body mass showed no long-term trend (coefficient of variation, CV = 8.8%) and was higher following warm autumn (October) weather, reflecting delays in winter onset, but most strongly, and negatively, related to 'rain-on-snow' events. October body mass (CV = 2.5%) increased over the study due to higher plant productivity in the increasingly warm summers. Density-dependent mass change suggested competition for resources in both winter and summer but was less pronounced in recent years, despite an increasing population size. While continued climate warming is expected to increase the carrying capacity of the high Arctic tundra, it is also likely to cause more frequent icing events. Our analyses suggest that these contrasting effects may cause larger seasonal fluctuations in body mass and vital rates. Overall our findings provide an important 'missing' mechanistic link in the current understanding of the population biology of a keystone species in a rapidly warming Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Odd Halvorsen
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rolf Langvatn
- University Courses in Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, NO-9171, Longyearbyen, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Leif E Loe
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Aas, Norway
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 8146, NO-0033, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - René van der Wal
- Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES), School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Eirin M Bjørkvoll
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), N-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Elizabeth I Duff
- Biomathematics & Statistics Scotland (BioSS), Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Brage B Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), N-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Aline M Lee
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), N-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
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26
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Peeters B, Veiberg V, Pedersen ÅØ, Stien A, Irvine RJ, Aanes R, Saether BE, Strand O, Hansen BB. Climate and density dependence cause changes in adult sex ratio in a large Arctic herbivore. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Terrestrial Ecology Department; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; NO-7485 Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Audun Stien
- Arctic Ecology Department; The Fram Centre; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; NO-9296 Tromsø Norway
| | | | - Ronny Aanes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Olav Strand
- Terrestrial Ecology Department; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; NO-7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics; Department of Biology; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
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27
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Descamps S, Aars J, Fuglei E, Kovacs KM, Lydersen C, Pavlova O, Pedersen ÅØ, Ravolainen V, Strøm H. Climate change impacts on wildlife in a High Arctic archipelago - Svalbard, Norway. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:490-502. [PMID: 27250039 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is warming more rapidly than other region on the planet, and the northern Barents Sea, including the Svalbard Archipelago, is experiencing the fastest temperature increases within the circumpolar Arctic, along with the highest rate of sea ice loss. These physical changes are affecting a broad array of resident Arctic organisms as well as some migrants that occupy the region seasonally. Herein, evidence of climate change impacts on terrestrial and marine wildlife in Svalbard is reviewed, with a focus on bird and mammal species. In the terrestrial ecosystem, increased winter air temperatures and concomitant increases in the frequency of 'rain-on-snow' events are one of the most important facets of climate change with respect to impacts on flora and fauna. Winter rain creates ice that blocks access to food for herbivores and synchronizes the population dynamics of the herbivore-predator guild. In the marine ecosystem, increases in sea temperature and reductions in sea ice are influencing the entire food web. These changes are affecting the foraging and breeding ecology of most marine birds and mammals and are associated with an increase in abundance of several temperate fish, seabird and marine mammal species. Our review indicates that even though a few species are benefiting from a warming climate, most Arctic endemic species in Svalbard are experiencing negative consequences induced by the warming environment. Our review emphasizes the tight relationships between the marine and terrestrial ecosystems in this High Arctic archipelago. Detecting changes in trophic relationships within and between these ecosystems requires long-term (multidecadal) demographic, population- and ecosystem-based monitoring, the results of which are necessary to set appropriate conservation priorities in relation to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon Aars
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | - Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | | | - Olga Pavlova
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | | | | | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
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28
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Waller NL, Gynther IC, Freeman AB, Lavery TH, Leung LKP. The Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola (Rodentia : Muridae): a first mammalian extinction caused by human-induced climate change? WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr16157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Aims Sea-level rise is one of the most certain consequences of global warming and is predicted to exert significant adverse effects on wildlife in coastal habitats worldwide. Terrestrial fauna inhabiting low-lying islands are likely to suffer the greatest loss to habitat from sea-level rise and other oceanographic impacts stemming from anthropogenic climate change. Bramble Cay (Maizab Kaur), an ~4ha, low elevation sand cay located in Torres Strait, Australia, supports the only known population of the endangered Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola Thomas, 1924. As a result of a decline in this population noted during previous monitoring to 2004, habitat loss due to erosion of the cay and direct mortality from storm surges were implicated as major threats to this species. This study aimed to confirm the current conservation status of the species, to seek information about the key factor or factors responsible for the population decline and to recover any remaining individuals for a captive insurance population. Methods During three survey periods (December 2011, March 2014 and August–September 2014), a total of 1170 small mammal trap-nights, 60 camera trap-nights, 5h of nocturnal searches and 5h of diurnal searches were undertaken on Bramble Cay. Key results All three survey periods failed to detect any Bramble Cay melomys. The island had experienced a recent, severe reduction in vegetation, which is the primary food resource for the Bramble Cay melomys. Herbaceous cover on the cay decreased from 2.16ha in 2004 to 0.065ha in March 2014 before recovering somewhat to 0.19ha in August–September 2014. Conclusions These results demonstrate that this rodent species has now been extirpated on Bramble Cay. The vegetation decline was probably due to ocean inundation resulting from an increased frequency and intensity of weather events producing extreme high water levels and storm surges, in turn caused by anthropogenic climate change. Implications The loss of the Bramble Cay melomys from Bramble Cay probably represents the first documented mammalian extinction due to human-induced climate change. This event highlights the immediate need to mitigate predicted impacts of sea-level rise and ocean inundation on other vulnerable species occurring on low lying islands and in susceptible coastal zones through captive breeding and reintroduction or other targeted measures.
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29
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The December 2015 North Pole Warming Event and the Increasing Occurrence of Such Events. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39084. [PMID: 27976745 PMCID: PMC5157030 DOI: 10.1038/srep39084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In late December 2015, widespread media interest revolved around forecasts that the surface air temperature at the North Pole would rise above freezing. Although there has been significant interest in the enhanced warming that is occurring at high northern latitudes, a process known as arctic amplification, remarkably little is known about these midwinter warming events at the pole including their frequency, duration and magnitude as well as the environmental conditions responsible for their occurrence. Here we use buoy and radiosonde data along with operational weather forecasts and atmospheric reanalyses to show that such events are associated with surface cyclones near the pole as well as a highly perturbed polar vortex. They occur once or twice each decade with the earliest identified event taking place in 1959. In addition, the warmest midwinter temperatures at the North Pole have been increasing at a rate that is twice as large as that for mean midwinter temperatures at the pole. It is argued that this enhanced trend is consistent with the loss of winter sea ice from the Nordic Seas that moves the reservoir of warm air over this region northwards making it easier for weather systems to transport this heat polewards.
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30
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Veiberg V, Loe LE, Albon SD, Irvine RJ, Tveraa T, Ropstad E, Stien A. Maternal winter body mass and not spring phenology determine annual calf production in an Arctic herbivore. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences; NO-1432 Aas Norway
| | | | | | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; Fram Centre Tromsø Norway
| | | | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; Fram Centre Tromsø Norway
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31
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Bokhorst S, Pedersen SH, Brucker L, Anisimov O, Bjerke JW, Brown RD, Ehrich D, Essery RLH, Heilig A, Ingvander S, Johansson C, Johansson M, Jónsdóttir IS, Inga N, Luojus K, Macelloni G, Mariash H, McLennan D, Rosqvist GN, Sato A, Savela H, Schneebeli M, Sokolov A, Sokratov SA, Terzago S, Vikhamar-Schuler D, Williamson S, Qiu Y, Callaghan TV. Changing Arctic snow cover: A review of recent developments and assessment of future needs for observations, modelling, and impacts. AMBIO 2016; 45:516-37. [PMID: 26984258 PMCID: PMC4980315 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-016-0770-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Snow is a critically important and rapidly changing feature of the Arctic. However, snow-cover and snowpack conditions change through time pose challenges for measuring and prediction of snow. Plausible scenarios of how Arctic snow cover will respond to changing Arctic climate are important for impact assessments and adaptation strategies. Although much progress has been made in understanding and predicting snow-cover changes and their multiple consequences, many uncertainties remain. In this paper, we review advances in snow monitoring and modelling, and the impact of snow changes on ecosystems and society in Arctic regions. Interdisciplinary activities are required to resolve the current limitations on measuring and modelling snow characteristics through the cold season and at different spatial scales to assure human well-being, economic stability, and improve the ability to predict manage and adapt to natural hazards in the Arctic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stef Bokhorst
- FRAM – High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), PO Box 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø Norway
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stine Højlund Pedersen
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ludovic Brucker
- NASA GSFC Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, Code 615, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
- Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research Studies and Investigations, Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21044 USA
| | - Oleg Anisimov
- State Hydrological Institute of Roshydromet, 23 Second Line V.O., St.Petersburg, Russia 199053
- International Centre for Science and Education “Best”, North-East Federal University, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Jarle W. Bjerke
- FRAM – High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), PO Box 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Ross D. Brown
- Climate Research Division, Environment Canada Ouranos, 550 Sherbrooke St. West, 19th Floor, Montreal, QC H3A 1B9 Canada
| | - Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Achim Heilig
- Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Ingvander
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Johansson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Margareta Johansson
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, PO Box 50005, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir
- University Centre in Svalbard, PO Box 156, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
- Faculty of Life- and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Niila Inga
- Leavas Sámi Community, Box 53, 981 21 Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Kari Luojus
- Arctic Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giovanni Macelloni
- IFAC-CNR - Institute of Applied Physics “Nello Carrara”, National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI Italy
| | - Heather Mariash
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1A 0H3 Canada
| | - Donald McLennan
- Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), 360 Albert Street, Suite 1710, Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7 Canada
| | - Gunhild Ninis Rosqvist
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Snow and Ice Research Center, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, 187-16 Suyoshi, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-0821 Japan
| | - Hannele Savela
- Thule Insitute, University of Oulu, PO Box 7300, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Martin Schneebeli
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
| | - Aleksandr Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Labytnangi, Russia 629400
- Science Center for Arctic Studies, State Organization of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Salekhard, Russia
| | - Sergey A. Sokratov
- Arctic Environment Laboratory, Faculty of Geography, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1, Moscow, Russia 119991
| | - Silvia Terzago
- Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council (ISAC-CNR), Corso Fiume 4, 10133 Turin, Italy
| | - Dagrun Vikhamar-Schuler
- Division for Model and Climate Analysis, R&D Department, The Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Postboks 43, Blindern, 0313 Oslo, Norway
| | - Scott Williamson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg., Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Yubao Qiu
- Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academic of Science, Beijing, 100094 China
- Group on Earth Observations, Cold Regions Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Terry V. Callaghan
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
- National Research Tomsk Stated University, 36, Lenin Ave., Tomsk, Russia 634050
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Uboni A, Horstkotte T, Kaarlejärvi E, Sévêque A, Stammler F, Olofsson J, Forbes BC, Moen J. Long-Term Trends and Role of Climate in the Population Dynamics of Eurasian Reindeer. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158359. [PMID: 27362499 PMCID: PMC4928808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature is increasing in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. The frequency and nature of precipitation events are also predicted to change in the future. These changes in climate are expected, together with increasing human pressures, to have significant impacts on Arctic and sub-Arctic species and ecosystems. Due to the key role that reindeer play in those ecosystems, it is essential to understand how climate will affect the region’s most important species. Our study assesses the role of climate on the dynamics of fourteen Eurasian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) populations, using for the first time data on reindeer abundance collected over a 70-year period, including both wild and semi-domesticated reindeer, and covering more than half of the species’ total range. We analyzed trends in population dynamics, investigated synchrony among population growth rates, and assessed the effects of climate on population growth rates. Trends in the population dynamics were remarkably heterogeneous. Synchrony was apparent only among some populations and was not correlated with distance among population ranges. Proxies of climate variability mostly failed to explain population growth rates and synchrony. For both wild and semi-domesticated populations, local weather, biotic pressures, loss of habitat and human disturbances appear to have been more important drivers of reindeer population dynamics than climate. In semi-domesticated populations, management strategies may have masked the effects of climate. Conservation efforts should aim to mitigate human disturbances, which could exacerbate the potentially negative effects of climate change on reindeer populations in the future. Special protection and support should be granted to those semi-domesticated populations that suffered the most because of the collapse of the Soviet Union, in order to protect the livelihood of indigenous peoples that depend on the species, and the multi-faceted role that reindeer exert in Arctic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Uboni
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Tim Horstkotte
- Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Plant Biology and Nature Management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anthony Sévêque
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Jon Moen
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Loe LE, Hansen BB, Stien A, D. Albon S, Bischof R, Carlsson A, Irvine RJ, Meland M, Rivrud IM, Ropstad E, Veiberg V, Mysterud A. Behavioral buffering of extreme weather events in a high‐Arctic herbivore. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leif Egil Loe
- The Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences P.O. Box 5003 NO‐1432 Aas Norway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity DynamicsNorwegian University of Science and Technology NO‐7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Arctic Ecology DepartmentFram CentreNorwegian Institute for Nature Research NO‐9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Steve D. Albon
- The James Hutton Institute Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH United Kingdom
| | - Richard Bischof
- The Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences P.O. Box 5003 NO‐1432 Aas Norway
| | - Anja Carlsson
- The James Hutton Institute Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH United Kingdom
- Department of Ecosystem and Public HealthFaculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Calgary 3280 Hospital Dr. NW Calgary Alberta T2N 4Z6 Canada
| | - R. Justin Irvine
- The James Hutton Institute Craigiebuckler Aberdeen AB15 8QH United Kingdom
| | - Morten Meland
- The Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences P.O. Box 5003 NO‐1432 Aas Norway
| | - Inger Maren Rivrud
- Department of BiosciencesCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)University of Oslo P.O. Box 1066 Blindern NO‐0316 Oslo Norway
| | - Erik Ropstad
- The Department of Ecology and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences P.O. Box 5003 NO‐1432 Aas Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Terrestrial Ecology DepartmentNorwegian Institute for Nature Research NO‐7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Department of BiosciencesCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)University of Oslo P.O. Box 1066 Blindern NO‐0316 Oslo Norway
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34
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Changing winter conditions in the boreal forest: the effects of fluctuating temperature and predation risk on activity and physiological stress level in bank voles. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2165-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Bjørkvoll E, Lee AM, Grøtan V, Saether BE, Stien A, Engen S, Albon S, Loe LE, Hansen BB. Demographic buffering of life histories? Implications of the choice of measurement scale. Ecology 2016; 97:40-7. [PMID: 27008773 DOI: 10.1890/15-0317.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Life-history theory predicts that the vital rates that influence population growth the most should be buffered against environmental fluctuations due to selection for reduced variation. However, it remains unclear whether populations actually are influenced by such "demographic buffering," because variation in vital rates can be compared on different measurement scales, and there has been little attempt to investigate whether the choice of scale influences the chance of detecting demographic buffering. We compared two statistical approaches to examine whether demographic buffering has influenced vital rates in wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). To account for statistical variance constraints on vital rates limited between 0 and 1 in analyses of demographic buffering, one approach is to scale observed variation by the maximum possible variation on the arithmetic scale. When applying this approach, the results suggested that demographic buffering was occurring. However, when we applied an alternative approach that identified statistical variance constraints on the logit scale, there was no evidence for demographic buffering. Thus, the choice of measurement scale must be carefully considered before one can fully understand whether demographic buffering influences life histories. Defining the appropriate scale may require an understanding of the mechanisms through which demographic buffering may have evolved.
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36
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Markova E, Sibiryakov P, Ehrich D. Surviving in the High Arctic: dental variation in a casually introduced population ofMicrotus rossiaemeridionalis(Arvicolinae, Rodentia) on Svalbard. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Markova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology; Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences; 8 Marta Str. 202 Ekaterinburg 620144 Russia
| | - Petr Sibiryakov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology; Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences; 8 Marta Str. 202 Ekaterinburg 620144 Russia
| | - Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; UiT The Arctic University of Norway; Tromsø Norway
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Lee AM, Bjørkvoll EM, Hansen BB, Albon SD, Stien A, Saether BE, Engen S, Veiberg V, Loe LE, Grøtan V. An integrated population model for a long-lived ungulate: more efficient data use with Bayesian methods. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aline M. Lee
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
- Dept of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; Univ. of California; Berkeley CA 94720-3114 USA
| | - Eirin M. Bjørkvoll
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Steve D. Albon
- The James Hutton Inst.; Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH UK
| | - Audun Stien
- Arctic Ecology Dept; Fram Centre, Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; NO-9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Bernt-Erik Saether
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Steinar Engen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Terrestrial Ecology Dept; Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research; NO-7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Leif E. Loe
- Dept of Ecology and Natural Resource Management; Norwegian Univ. of Life Science; NO-1432 Ås Norway
| | - Vidar Grøtan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology; NO-7491 Trondheim Norway
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38
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Kozlov MV, Filippov BY, Zubrij NA, Zverev V. Abrupt changes in invertebrate herbivory on woody plants at the forest–tundra ecotone. Polar Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-015-1655-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Therrien JF, Pinaud D, Gauthier G, Lecomte N, Bildstein KL, Bety J. Is pre-breeding prospecting behaviour affected by snow cover in the irruptive snowy owl? A test using state-space modelling and environmental data annotated via Movebank. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2015; 3:1. [PMID: 25709836 PMCID: PMC4337749 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-015-0028-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tracking individual animals using satellite telemetry has improved our understanding of animal movements considerably. Nonetheless, thorough statistical treatment of Argos datasets is often jeopardized by their coarse temporal resolution. State-space modelling can circumvent some of the inherent limitations of Argos datasets, such as the limited temporal resolution of locations and the lack of information pertaining to the behavioural state of the tracked individuals at each location. We coupled state-space modelling with environmental characterisation of modelled locations on a 3-year Argos dataset of 9 breeding snowy owls to assess whether searching behaviour for breeding sites was affected by snow cover and depth in an arctic predator that shows a lack of breeding site fidelity. RESULTS The state-space modelling approach allowed the discrimination of two behavioural states (searching and moving) during pre-breeding movements. Tracked snowy owls constantly switched from moving to searching behaviour during pre-breeding movements from mid-March to early June. Searching events were more likely where snow cover and depth was low. This suggests that snowy owls adapt their searching effort to environmental conditions encountered along their path. CONCLUSIONS This modelling technique increases our understanding of movement ecology and behavioural decisions of individual animals both locally and globally according to environmental variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-François Therrien
- />Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, Orwigsburg, PA 17961 USA
| | - David Pinaud
- />CEBC, UMR7372, CNRS/Univ La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, La Rochelle, France
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- />Département de Biologie & Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- />Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Université de Moncton, Moncton, E1A 3E9 Canada
| | - Keith L Bildstein
- />Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, Orwigsburg, PA 17961 USA
| | - Joël Bety
- />Département de Biologie & Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1 Canada
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40
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Starns HD, Weckerly FW, Ricca MA, Duarte A. Vegetation changes associated with a population irruption by Roosevelt elk. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:109-20. [PMID: 25628868 PMCID: PMC4298438 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between large herbivores and their food supply are central to the study of population dynamics. We assessed temporal and spatial patterns in meadow plant biomass over a 23-year period for meadow complexes that were spatially linked to three distinct populations of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) in northwestern California. Our objectives were to determine whether the plant community exhibited a tolerant or resistant response when elk population growth became irruptive. Plant biomass for the three meadow complexes inhabited by the elk populations was measured using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which was derived from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper imagery. Elk populations exhibited different patterns of growth through the time series, whereby one population underwent a complete four-stage irruptive growth pattern while the other two did not. Temporal changes in NDVI for the meadow complex used by the irruptive population suggested a decline in forage biomass during the end of the dry season and a temporal decline in spatial variation of NDVI at the peak of plant biomass in May. Conversely, no such patterns were detected in the meadow complexes inhabited by the nonirruptive populations. Our findings suggest that the meadow complex used by the irruptive elk population may have undergone changes in plant community composition favoring plants that were resistant to elk grazing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heath D Starns
- Department of Biology, Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, Texas, 78666
| | - Floyd W Weckerly
- Department of Biology, Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, Texas, 78666
| | - Mark A Ricca
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, California, 95620
| | - Adam Duarte
- Department of Biology, Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, Texas, 78666
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41
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Bergman EJ, Doherty PF, White GC, Holland AA. Density dependence in mule deer: a review of evidence. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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42
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van der Wal R, Stien A. High-arctic plants like it hot: a long-term investigation of between-year variability in plant biomass. Ecology 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0533.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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43
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44
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Bears are simply voles writ large: social structure determines the mechanisms of intrinsic population regulation in mammals. Oecologia 2014; 175:1-10. [PMID: 24481982 PMCID: PMC3992220 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2892-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The literature reveals opposing views regarding the importance of intrinsic population regulation in mammals. Different models have been proposed; adding importance to contrasting life histories, body sizes and social interactions. Here we evaluate current theory based on results from two Scandinavian projects studying two ecologically different mammal species with contrasting body sizes and life history traits: the root vole Microtus oeconomus and the brown bear Ursus arctos. We emphasize four inter-linked behavioral aspects—territoriality, dispersal, social inhibition of breeding, and infanticide—that together form a density-dependent syndrome with potentially regulatory effects on population growth. We show that the two species are similar in all four behaviors and thus the overall regulatory syndrome. Females form matrilineal assemblages, female natal dispersal is negatively density dependent and breeding is suppressed in philopatric young females. In both species, male turnover due to extrinsic mortality agents cause infanticide with negative effects on population growth. The sex-biased and density-dependent dispersal patterns promote the formation of matrilineal clusters which, in turn, leads to reproductive suppression with potentially regulatory effects. Hence, we show that intrinsic population regulation interacting with extrinsic mortality agents may occur irrespective of taxon, life history and body size. Our review stresses the significance of a mechanistic approach to understanding population ecology. We also show that experimental model populations are useful to elucidate natural populations of other species with similar social systems. In particular, such experiments should be combined with methodical innovations that may unravel the effects of cryptic intrinsic mechanisms such as infanticide.
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Kuemmerle T, Baskin L, Leitão PJ, Prishchepov AV, Thonicke K, Radeloff VC. Potential impacts of oil and gas development and climate change on migratory reindeer calving grounds across the Russian Arctic. DIVERS DISTRIB 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department; Humboldt-University Berlin; Berlin Germany
- Earth System Analysis; Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK); Potsdam Germany
| | - Leonid Baskin
- A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow Russia
| | - Pedro J. Leitão
- Geography Department; Humboldt-University Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Alexander V. Prishchepov
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO); Halle (Saale) Germany
| | - Kirsten Thonicke
- Earth System Analysis; Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK); Potsdam Germany
| | - Volker C. Radeloff
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison WI USA
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46
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Büntgen U, Liebhold A, Jenny H, Mysterud A, Egli S, Nievergelt D, Stenseth NC, Bollmann K. European springtime temperature synchronises ibex horn growth across the eastern Swiss Alps. Ecol Lett 2013; 17:303-13. [PMID: 24341995 PMCID: PMC4257578 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Direct effects of climate change on animal physiology, and indirect impacts from disruption of seasonal synchrony and breakdown of trophic interactions are particularly severe in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. Unravelling biotic from abiotic drivers, however, remains challenging because high-resolution animal population data are often limited in space and time. Here, we show that variation in annual horn growth (an indirect proxy for individual performance) of 8043 male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) over the past four decades is well synchronised among eight disjunct colonies in the eastern Swiss Alps. Elevated March to May temperatures, causing premature melting of Alpine snowcover, earlier plant phenology and subsequent improvement of ibex food resources, fuelled annual horn growth. These results reveal dependency of local trophic interactions on large-scale climate dynamics, and provide evidence that declining herbivore performance is not a universal response to global warming even for high-altitude populations that are also harvested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Büntgen
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR), University of Bern, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland; Global Change Research Centre AS CR, v.v.i., Bělidla 986/4a, Brno, CZ-60300, Czech Republic
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Barraquand F, Yoccoz NG. When can environmental variability benefit population growth? Counterintuitive effects of nonlinearities in vital rates. Theor Popul Biol 2013; 89:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Anctil A, Franke A, Bêty J. Heavy rainfall increases nestling mortality of an Arctic top predator: experimental evidence and long-term trend in peregrine falcons. Oecologia 2013; 174:1033-43. [PMID: 24135996 PMCID: PMC3933744 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2800-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although animal population dynamics have often been correlated with fluctuations in precipitation, causal relationships have rarely been demonstrated in wild birds. We combined nest observations with a field experiment to investigate the direct effect of rainfall on survival of peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) nestlings in the Canadian Arctic. We then used historical data to evaluate if recent changes in the precipitation regime could explain the long-term decline of falcon annual productivity. Rainfall directly caused more than one-third of the recorded nestling mortalities. Juveniles were especially affected by heavy rainstorms (≥8 mm/day). Nestlings sheltered from rainfall by a nest box had significantly higher survival rates. We found that the increase in the frequency of heavy rain over the last three decades is likely an important factor explaining the recent decline in falcon nestling survival rates, and hence the decrease in annual breeding productivity of the population. Our study is among the first experimental demonstrations of the direct link between rainfall and survival in wild birds, and clearly indicates that top arctic predators can be significantly impacted by changes in precipitation regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Anctil
- Université du Québec à Rimouski et Centre d’études nordiques, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Alastair Franke
- Canadian Circumpolar Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H8 Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Université du Québec à Rimouski et Centre d’études nordiques, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada
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Hansen BB, Grøtan V, Aanes R, Sæther BE, Stien A, Fuglei E, Ims RA, Yoccoz NG, Pedersen AØ. Climate events synchronize the dynamics of a resident vertebrate community in the high Arctic. Science 2013; 339:313-5. [PMID: 23329044 DOI: 10.1126/science.1226766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Recently accumulated evidence has documented a climate impact on the demography and dynamics of single species, yet the impact at the community level is poorly understood. Here, we show that in Svalbard in the high Arctic, extreme weather events synchronize population fluctuations across an entire community of resident vertebrate herbivores and cause lagged correlations with the secondary consumer, the arctic fox. This synchronization is mainly driven by heavy rain on snow that encapsulates the vegetation in ice and blocks winter forage availability for herbivores. Thus, indirect and bottom-up climate forcing drives the population dynamics across all overwintering vertebrates. Icing is predicted to become more frequent in the circumpolar Arctic and may therefore strongly affect terrestrial ecosystem characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brage B Hansen
- Centre for Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
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