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Bouchard É, Bonin M, Sharma R, Hernández-Ortiz A, Gouin GG, Simon A, Leighton P, Jenkins E. Use of stable isotopes to reveal trophic relationships and transmission of a food-borne pathogen. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2812. [PMID: 38307906 PMCID: PMC10837197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53369-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Predators in food webs are valuable sentinel species for zoonotic and multi-host pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii. This protozoan parasite is ubiquitous in warm-blooded vertebrates, and can have serious adverse effects in immunocompromised hosts and foetuses. In northern ecosystems, T. gondii is disproportionately prevalent in Inuit people and wildlife, in part due to multiple routes of transmission. We combined data on T. gondii infection in foxes from Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada) with stable isotope data tracking trophic relationships between foxes and several of their main prey species. Red (Vulpes vulpes) and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) carcasses were collected by local trappers from 2015 to 2019. We used magnetic capture PCR to detect DNA of T. gondii in heart and brain tissues, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies in blood. By linking infection status with diet composition, we showed that infected foxes had a higher probability of consuming aquatic prey and migratory geese, suggesting that these may be important sources of T. gondii transmission in the Arctic. This use of stable isotopes to reveal parasite transmission pathways can be applied more broadly to other foodborne pathogens, and provides evidence to assess and mitigate potential human and animal health risks associated with T. gondii in northern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émilie Bouchard
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, H2L 2W5, Canada.
| | - Michaël Bonin
- Département de Biologie, Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Rajnish Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Adrián Hernández-Ortiz
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Géraldine-G Gouin
- Nunavik Research Centre, Makivvik Corporation, Kuujjuaq, QC, J0M 1C0, Canada
| | - Audrey Simon
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Patrick Leighton
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, H2L 2W5, Canada
| | - Emily Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
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Geffen E, Roemer GW, Unnsteinsdóttir ER, Van Valkenburgh B. Sub-zero temperatures and large-scale weather patterns induce tooth damage in Icelandic arctic foxes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5211-5223. [PMID: 37349862 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16835] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Tooth damage in carnivores can reflect shifts in both diet and feeding habits, and in large carnivores, it is associated with increased bone consumption. Variation in tooth condition in Icelandic arctic foxes, a mesocarnivore, was recorded from 854 individual foxes spanning 29 years. We hypothesized that annual climatic variations, which can influence food abundance and accessibility, will influence tooth condition by causing dietary shifts toward less edible prey. We examined tooth condition in relation to four climatic predictors: mean annual winter temperature, indices of both the El Niño anomaly and North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPG), and the number of rain-on-snow days (ROS). We found unequivocal evidence for a strong effect of annual climate on tooth condition. Teeth of Icelandic foxes were in better condition when winter temperatures were higher, when the SPG was more positive, and when the number of ROS was low. We also found a substantial subregional effect with foxes from northeastern Iceland having lower tooth damage than those from two western sites. Contradicting our original hypothesis that foxes from northeastern Iceland, where foxes are known to scavenge on large mammal remains (e.g., sheep and horses), would show the highest tooth damage, we suggest that western coastal sites exhibited greater tooth damage because cold winter temperatures lowered the availability of seabirds, causing a shift in diet toward abrasive marine subsidies (e.g., bivalves) and frozen beach wrack. Our study shows that monitoring tooth breakage and wear can be a useful tool for evaluating the impact of climate on carnivore populations and that climate change may influence the condition and fitness of carnivores in complex and potentially conflicting ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Geffen
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | | | - Blaire Van Valkenburgh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Buhler K, Bouchard É, Elmore S, Samelius G, Jackson J, Tomaselli M, Fenton H, Alisauskas R, Jenkins E. Tularemia above the Treeline: Climate and Rodent Abundance Influences Exposure of a Sentinel Species, the Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus), to Francisella tularensis. Pathogens 2022; 12:pathogens12010028. [PMID: 36678376 PMCID: PMC9861794 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Tularemia is a zoonotic disease found throughout most of the northern hemisphere that may experience range expansion with warming temperatures. Rodents and lagomorphs are reservoirs for the disease, and outbreaks of tularemia often follow peaks in their abundance. As small mammals dominate the diet of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), we determined whether they may serve as sentinels by identifying antibodies in live-captured and harvested foxes from northern Canada. Overall seroprevalence was 2% (CI95 1-2%) in 176 foxes harvested in 2018-2019 compared to 17% (CI95 12-22%) of 230 foxes captured live in 2011-2021. Prevalence was at an all-time high in 2018, following a peak in vole abundance in 2017. Antibodies were identified in fox pups born in 2018 and 2019, suggesting that F. tularensis was actively transmitted during the summers. High precipitation during the summer, increased snow cover and colder temperatures in May, and a higher abundance of voles were all associated with increased seroprevalence in live-captured foxes. Thus, exposure to F. tularensis is largely mediated through climate and rodent populations in the Canadian Arctic, and arctic foxes are useful sentinels for F. tularensis in northern ecosystems. Further studies should investigate whether infection impacts arctic fox survival and reproductive success in the circumpolar North.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Buhler
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Émilie Bouchard
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Stacey Elmore
- Division of Natural Sciences, University of Maine Fort Kent, 23 University Drive, Fort Kent, MA 04743, USA
| | - Gustaf Samelius
- Snow Leopard Trust, 4649 Sunnyside Ave North, Suite 325, Seattle, WA 98103, USA
| | - Jessica Jackson
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Matilde Tomaselli
- Canadian High Arctic Research Station, Polar Knowledge Canada, 1 Uvajuq Road, P.O. Box 2150, Cambridge Bay, NU X0B 0C0, Canada
| | - Heather Fenton
- Government of The Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 5th Floor Scotiabank Centre, P.O. Box 1320, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P9, Canada
- Australian Wildlife Health Registry, Taronga Zoo, P.O. Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
| | - Ray Alisauskas
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Emily Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
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Invasive Apple Snail Diets in Native vs. Non-Native Habitats Defined by SIAR (Stable Isotope Analysis in R). SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14127108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Invasive apple snails adversely impact the ecological function of non-native habitats, resulting in eutrophication as well as reduced biodiversity, which diminishes ecosystem goods and services, thereby [negatively] impacting human well-being. The onus here is to define the diet of an invasive apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) in native (Maldonado, Uruguay) versus non-native habitats (Hangzhou, China, and Oahu, HI, USA). Diets for apple snails, in five sites, within both native and non-native habitats were defined via SIAR (Stable Isotope Analysis in R) with δ13C and δ15N stable isotope data collected therein. SIAR models indicate P. canaliculata shift diet from generalist (where myriad plant species comprise relatively small proportions of overall diet) to a specialist diet (where plants species constitute much larger proportions of said diet). What may be more telling is that in (anthropogenically disturbed) portions of the native habitat, and progressively more so in non-native habitats, invasive apple snail diets are increasingly composed of aquatic plants. The inherent and pronounced dietary differences amongst pristine and anthropogenically disturbed native habitats, as well as non-native habitats, provide a mechanism that may elucidate the variable ecological impacts of invasive apple snails within native and non-native habitats.
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Dudenhoeffer M, Roth JD, Johnson LK, Petersen SD. Arctic fox winter dietary response to damped lemming cycles estimated from fecal DNA. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Climate-caused changes in prey abundance may alter predator–prey dynamics in the Arctic food web. Lemmings (Dicrostonyx spp.) are important prey for Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and their annual population fluctuations drive fox reproduction, creating strongly linked predator–prey population cycles. Winter diet directly impacts Arctic fox reproductive success, but winter prey diversity on the tundra is low. Strategies such as using the marine environment to scavenge seals have allowed Arctic foxes to persist during years of low lemming abundance. However, warming winters have decreased snowpack quality, preventing lemmings from reaching their previous high abundances, which may reduce their impact on predator dynamics. We investigated Arctic fox dietary response to lemming abundance by reconstructing Arctic fox winter diet in the low Arctic. Next-generation sequencing of fecal DNA, from samples (n = 627) collected at dens in winters of 2011–2018, identified prey both from terrestrial and marine environments. Despite lemming cycle damping, Arctic foxes still increased lemming consumption during years of higher lemming abundance. Alternative prey such as marine resources were consumed more during years of low lemming abundance, with up to 45% of samples containing marine resources in low lemming years. In addition, Arctic foxes consumed high proportions of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), which may represent a new alternative prey, suggesting climate change may be creating new foraging opportunities. Changes in prey abundance illustrate how climate-caused disturbances are altering Arctic food-web dynamics. Dietary flexibility and availability of alternative prey may become increasingly important for Arctic predators as the Arctic continues to change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Dudenhoeffer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - James D Roth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Lucy K Johnson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Stephen D Petersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
- Conservation and Research Department, Assiniboine Park Zoo, 2595 Roblin Boulevard, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3R 2N7, Canada
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Chevallier C, Gauthier G, Lai S, Berteaux D. Pulsed food resources affect reproduction but not adult apparent survival in arctic foxes. Oecologia 2020; 193:557-569. [PMID: 32596799 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04696-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
As top or mesopredators, carnivores play a key role in food webs. Their survival and reproduction are usually thought to be influenced by prey availability. However, simultaneous monitoring of prey and predators is difficult, making it challenging to evaluate the impacts of prey on carnivores' demography. Using 13 years of field data on arctic foxes Vulpes lagopus in the Canadian High Arctic and a capture-recapture multi-event statistical approach, we investigated the hypothesis that increases in lemming abundance (a cyclic and unpredictable food source) and goose colony proximity (a stable but spatially and temporally limited food source) would be associated with increased apparent survival and reproduction probabilities of adults. Adult apparent survival varied greatly across years (0.13-1.00) but was neither affected by lemming nor goose variations in abundance. However, reproduction probabilities were strongly influenced by both lemming abundance and access to the goose colony. A fox breeding in the best conditions of food availability (year of high lemming density inside the goose colony) had a reproduction probability four times higher than one experiencing the worst conditions (year of low lemming density outside the goose colony). Breeding status of individuals also played a role, with breeders having a 10-20% higher probability of survival and 30% higher probability of reproduction the following year than non-breeders. As the Arctic ecosystem changes due to increased temperatures and species ranges, this study will allow better predictions of predator responses to management or environmental changes and a better understanding of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Chevallier
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L3A1, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Département de biologie and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Pavillon Vachon, Quebec City, QC, G1V0A6, Canada
| | - Sandra Lai
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L3A1, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L3A1, Canada.
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TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN ARCTIC FOXES (VULPES LAGOPUS): A LONG-TERM MARK-RECAPTURE SEROLOGIC STUDY AT KARRAK LAKE, NUNAVUT, CANADA. J Wildl Dis 2019; 55:619-626. [DOI: 10.7589/2018-06-144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Picking the right cache: caching site selection for egg predators in the arctic. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2358-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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L'Hérault V, Lecomte N, Truchon MH, Berteaux D. Discrimination factors of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from diet to hair in captive large Arctic carnivores of conservation concern. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:1773-1780. [PMID: 30030922 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stable isotope analysis is widely used to reconstruct diet, delineate trophic interactions, and determine energy pathways. Such ecological inferences are based on the idea that animals are, isotopically, what they eat but with a predictable difference between the isotopic ratio of a consumer and that of its diet, coined as the discrimination factor. Providing correct estimates of diet-consumer isotopic discrimination in controlled conditions is key for a robust application of the stable isotopes technique in the wild. METHODS Using a Finnigan Mat Delta Plus isotope-ratio mass spectrometer, we investigated isotopic discrimination of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13 C and δ15 N values) in guard hairs of four Arctic predators; the wolf (n = 7), the wolverine (n = 2), the grizzly bear (n = 2), and the polar bear (n = 3). During a 3-month trial, carnivores were fed a mixed diet. The δ13 C and δ15 N values, and the mass (g) of diet items, were monitored weekly for each individual to determine their Total Diet Average ratios. RESULTS Diet-hair isotopic discrimination (Δx) varied according to species, ranging [1.88 ± 0.69‰: 3.2 ± 0.69‰] for δ13 C values, and [1.58 ± 0.17‰: 3.81 ± 0.22‰] for δ15 N values. Adult wolves Δ13 C average (2.03 ± 0.7‰) was lower than that of young wolves (2.60 ± 0.8‰) and any other species (combined average of 2.59 ± 0.28‰), except for the wolverine (2.12 ± 0.23‰). Wolves Δ15 N averages (juveniles: 3.51 ± 0.34‰, adults: 3.68 ± 0.28‰) were higher than those of any other species (combined average: 2.50 ± 0.58‰). CONCLUSIONS The discrimination factors for δ13 C and δ15 N values calculated in this study could be used in ecological studies dealing with free-ranging animals, with implications for non-invasive research approaches. As in other controlled discrimination studies, we recommend caution in applying our discrimination factors when the population structure is heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent L'Hérault
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec à Rimouski, QC, Canada, G5L 3A1
- ARCTIConnexion, Québec City, QC, Canada, G1L 1Y8
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, Canada, E1A 3E9
| | | | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity and Centre for Northern Studies, Université du Québec à Rimouski, QC, Canada, G5L 3A1
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Bouchard É, Sharma R, Bachand N, Gajadhar AA, Jenkins EJ. Pathology, clinical signs, and tissue distribution of Toxoplasma gondii in experimentally infected reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2017; 6:234-240. [PMID: 28879089 PMCID: PMC5573777 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite found in vertebrates worldwide for which felids serve as definitive hosts. Despite low densities of felids in northern Canada, Inuit people in some regions show unexpectedly high levels of exposure, possibly through handling and consumption of Arctic wildlife. Free-ranging caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are widely harvested for food across the Canadian North, show evidence of seroexposure to T. gondii, and are currently declining in numbers throughout the Arctic. We experimentally infected three captive reindeer (conspecific with caribou) with 1000, 5000 or 10,000 oocysts of T. gondii via stomach intubation to assess clinical signs of infection, pathology, and tissue distribution. An unexposed reindeer served as a negative control. Signs of stress, aggression, and depression were noted for the first two weeks following infection. By 4 weeks post infection, all infected reindeer were positive on a modified agglutination test at the highest titer tested (1:200) for antibodies to T. gondii. At 20 weeks post infection, no gross abnormalities were observed on necropsy. Following histopathology and immunohistochemistry, tissue cysts were visualized in the reindeer given the highest and lowest dose of oocysts. Focal pleuritis and alveolitis were associated with respiratory problems in reindeer given the middle dose. DNA of T. gondii was detected following traditional DNA extraction and conventional PCR on 25 mg samples from 17/33 muscles and organs, and by magnetic capture DNA extraction from 100 g samples from all 26 tissues examined. This research demonstrated that reindeer/caribou can serve as intermediate hosts for T. gondii, and that the parasite may be associated with health effects in wildlife. The presence of T. gondii in all tissues tested, many of which are commonly consumed raw, smoked, or dried in northern communities, suggests that caribou may serve as a source of human exposure to T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émilie Bouchard
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5B4, Canada
| | - Rajnish Sharma
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5B4, Canada
| | - Nicholas Bachand
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5B4, Canada
| | - Alvin A Gajadhar
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5B4, Canada
| | - Emily J Jenkins
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5B4, Canada
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Buij R, Melman TCP, Loonen MJJE, Fox AD. Balancing ecosystem function, services and disservices resulting from expanding goose populations. AMBIO 2017; 46:301-318. [PMID: 28215006 PMCID: PMC5316333 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-017-0902-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
As goose populations increase in abundance, their influence on ecological processes is increasing. We review the evidence for key ecological functions of wild goose populations in Eurasia and North America, including aquatic invertebrate and plant propagule transport, nutrient deposition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the influence of goose populations on vegetation biomass, carbon storage and methane emission, species diversity and disease transmission. To estimate the implications of their growing abundance for humans, we explore how these functions contribute to the provision of ecosystem services and disservices. We assess the weight, extent and trends among such impacts, as well as the balance of their value to society. We examine key unresolved issues to enable a more balanced assessment of the economic costs or benefits of migratory geese along their flyways, including the spatial and temporal variation in services and their contrasting value to different user groups. Many ecological functions of geese are concluded to provide neither services nor disservices and, ecosystem disservices currently appear to outweigh services, although this varies between regions. We consider an improved quantification of ecosystem services and disservices, and how these vary along population flyways with respect to variation in valuing certain cultural services, and under different management scenarios aimed at reducing their disservices, essential for a more balanced management of goose populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Buij
- Team Animal Ecology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Anthony D. Fox
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Kalø, Grenåvej 14, 8410 Rønde, Denmark
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Lai S, Bêty J, Berteaux D. Movement tactics of a mobile predator in a meta-ecosystem with fluctuating resources: the arctic fox in the High Arctic. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Lai
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity, Centre for Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science; Univ. du Québec à Rimouski; 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski QC G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity, Centre for Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science; Univ. du Québec à Rimouski; 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski QC G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity, Centre for Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science; Univ. du Québec à Rimouski; 300 Allée des Ursulines Rimouski QC G5L 3A1 Canada
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ESTIMATINGTOXOPLASMA GONDIIEXPOSURE IN ARCTIC FOXES (VULPES LAGOPUS) WHILE NAVIGATING THE IMPERFECT WORLD OF WILDLIFE SEROLOGY. J Wildl Dis 2016; 52:47-56. [DOI: 10.7589/2015-03-075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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14
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Population limitation in a non-cyclic arctic fox population in a changing climate. Oecologia 2015; 180:1147-57. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3536-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Gauthier G, Berteaux D, Bêty J, Tarroux A, Therrien JF, McKinnon L, Legagneux P, Cadieux MC. The tundra food web of Bylot Island in a changing climate and the role of exchanges between ecosystems. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/18-3-3453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Gauthier
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair in Conservation of Northern Ecosystems and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Canada Research Chair in Conservation of Northern Ecosystems and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Canada Research Chair in Conservation of Northern Ecosystems and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Jean-François Therrien
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Laura McKinnon
- Canada Research Chair in Conservation of Northern Ecosystems and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Pierre Legagneux
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Marie-Christine Cadieux
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
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Careau V, Lecomte N, Bêty J, Giroux JF, Gauthier G, Berteaux D. Hoarding of pulsed resources: Temporal variations in egg-caching by arctic fox. ECOSCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/15-2-3097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Careau
- Groupe de recherche en écologie comportementale et animale, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Jean-François Giroux
- Groupe de recherche en écologie comportementale et animale, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Gilles Gauthier
- Département de biologie and Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada
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ESTIMATINGTOXOPLASMA GONDIIEXPOSURE IN ARCTIC FOXES WHILE NAVIGATING THE IMPERFECT WORLD OF WILDLIFE SEROLOGY. J Wildl Dis 2015. [DOI: 10.7589/2015-03-075r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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18
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McLaren AAD, Crawshaw GJ, Patterson BR. Carbon and nitrogen discrimination factors of wolves and accuracy of diet inferences using stable isotope analysis. WILDLIFE SOC B 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A. D. McLaren
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | | | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Trent University, DNA Building; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9J 7B8 Canada
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Elmore S, Samelius G, Fernando C, Alisauskas R, Jenkins E. Evidence for Toxoplasma gondii in migratory vs. nonmigratory herbivores in a terrestrial arctic ecosystem. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2015-0078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
It is currently unclear how Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle and Manceaux, 1908) persists in arctic tundra ecosystems in the absence of felid definitive hosts. To investigate potential transmission routes of T. gondii in a terrestrial arctic food web, we collected samples from two migratory herbivores, Ross’s Geese (Chen rossi (Cassin, 1861)) and Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens (L., 1758)), and from two resident herbivores, Nearctic brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus (Richardson, 1825)) and collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill, 1823)), trapped at Karrak Lake, Nunavut, Canada. Antibodies were detected in 76 of 234 (32.4%) serum samples from Ross’s Geese and 66 of 233 (28.3%) serum samples from Lesser Snow Geese. We did not detect T. gondii antibodies in filter-paper eluate tested from thoracic fluid samples collected from 84 lemmings. We did not detect T. gondii DNA in brain tissue from these lemmings. Although a small sample size, our findings suggest that lemmings in this terrestrial arctic ecosystem are not exposed to, or infected with, the parasite. This suggests that oocysts are not introduced into the terrestrial arctic ecosystem at Karrak Lake via freshwater runoff from temperate regions. This study demonstrated that live adult arctic-nesting geese are exposed to T. gondii and therefore migratory herbivorous hosts are potential sources of T. gondii infection for predators in terrestrial arctic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.A. Elmore
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - G. Samelius
- Snow Leopard Trust, 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North, Suite 325, Seattle, WA 98103, USA
| | - C. Fernando
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - R.T. Alisauskas
- Environment Canada, Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - E.J. Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
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20
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Friesen OC, Roth JD, Graham LC. Sex-biased parasitism in monogamous arctic foxes is driven by diet. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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21
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Ehrich D, Ims RA, Yoccoz NG, Lecomte N, Killengreen ST, Fuglei E, Rodnikova AY, Ebbinge BS, Menyushina IE, Nolet BA, Pokrovsky IG, Popov IY, Schmidt NM, Sokolov AA, Sokolova NA, Sokolov VA. What Can Stable Isotope Analysis of Top Predator Tissues Contribute to Monitoring of Tundra Ecosystems? Ecosystems 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Mascarelli PE, Elmore SA, Jenkins EJ, Alisauskas RT, Walsh M, Breitschwerdt EB, Maggi RG. Vector-borne pathogens in arctic foxes, Vulpes lagopus, from Canada. Res Vet Sci 2014; 99:58-9. [PMID: 25596149 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Because of the relatively low biodiversity within arctic ecosystems, arctic foxes, Vulpes lagopus, could serve as sentinels for the study of changes in the ecology of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens. The objective of this study was to determine the molecular prevalence of 5 different genera of vector borne pathogens (Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp.) using blood collected from 28 live-trapped arctic foxes from the region of Karrak Lake, Nunavut, Canada. Bartonella henselae (n = 3), Mycoplasma haemocanis (n = 1), Ehrlichia canis (n = 1), and an Anaplasma sp. (n = 1) DNA were PCR amplified and subsequently identified by sequencing. This study provides preliminary evidence that vector borne pathogens, not typically associated with the arctic ecosystem, exist at low levels in this arctic fox population, and that vector exposure, pathogen transmission dynamics, and changes in the geographic distribution of pathogens over time should be investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia E Mascarelli
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL), Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
| | - Stacey A Elmore
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N EB4, Canada
| | - Emily J Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N EB4, Canada
| | - Ray T Alisauskas
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Mary Walsh
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL), Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
| | - Edward B Breitschwerdt
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL), Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
| | - Ricardo G Maggi
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL), Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, NC, USA.
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Reiter ME, Andersen DE. Evidence of territoriality and species interactions from spatial point-pattern analyses of subarctic-nesting geese. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81029. [PMID: 24312520 PMCID: PMC3846665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying spatial patterns of bird nests and nest fate provides insights into processes influencing a species’ distribution. At Cape Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, recent declines in breeding Eastern Prairie Population Canada geese (Branta canadensis interior) has coincided with increasing populations of nesting lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) and Ross’s geese (Chen rossii). We conducted a spatial analysis of point patterns using Canada goose nest locations and nest fate, and lesser snow goose nest locations at two study areas in northern Manitoba with different densities and temporal durations of sympatric nesting Canada and lesser snow geese. Specifically, we assessed (1) whether Canada geese exhibited territoriality and at what scale and nest density; and (2) whether spatial patterns of Canada goose nest fate were associated with the density of nesting lesser snow geese as predicted by the protective-association hypothesis. Between 2001 and 2007, our data suggest that Canada geese were territorial at the scale of nearest neighbors, but were aggregated when considering overall density of conspecifics at slightly broader spatial scales. The spatial distribution of nest fates indicated that lesser snow goose nest proximity and density likely influence Canada goose nest fate. Our analyses of spatial point patterns suggested that continued changes in the distribution and abundance of breeding lesser snow geese on the Hudson Bay Lowlands may have impacts on the reproductive performance of Canada geese, and subsequently the spatial distribution of Canada goose nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E. Reiter
- Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David E. Andersen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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24
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Reproductive timing and reliance on hoarded capital resources by lactating red squirrels. Oecologia 2013; 173:1203-15. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2699-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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25
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Elmore SA, Lalonde LF, Samelius G, Alisauskas RT, Gajadhar AA, Jenkins EJ. Endoparasites in the feces of arctic foxes in a terrestrial ecosystem in Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2013; 2:90-6. [PMID: 24533320 PMCID: PMC3862500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Few studies report the endoparasites of North American arctic foxes. Conventional, immunological, and molecular techniques detected parasites in arctic foxes at Karrak Lake, Nunavut. Karrak Lake foxes are infected with common parasites of foxes with a terrestrial diet. This study provides a comparison for future studies from the central Canadian Arctic.
The parasites of arctic foxes in the central Canadian Arctic have not been well described. Canada’s central Arctic is undergoing dramatic environmental change, which is predicted to cause shifts in parasite and wildlife species distributions, and trophic interactions, requiring that baselines be established to monitor future alterations. This study used conventional, immunological, and molecular fecal analysis techniques to survey the current gastrointestinal endoparasite fauna currently present in arctic foxes in central Nunavut, Canada. Ninety-five arctic fox fecal samples were collected from the terrestrial Karrak Lake ecosystem within the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Samples were examined by fecal flotation to detect helminths and protozoa, immunofluorescent assay (IFA) to detect Cryptosporidium and Giardia, and quantitative PCR with melt-curve analysis (qPCR-MCA) to detect coccidia. Positive qPCR-MCA products were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. Arctic foxes from Karrak Lake were routinely shedding eggs from Toxascaris leonina (63%). Taeniid (15%), Capillarid (1%), and hookworm eggs (2%), Sarcocystis sp. sporocysts 3%), and Eimeria sp. (6%), and Cystoisospora sp. (5%) oocysts were present at a lower prevalence on fecal flotation. Cryptosporidium sp. (9%) and Giardia sp. (16%) were detected by IFA. PCR analysis detected Sarcocystis (15%), Cystoisospora (5%), Eimeria sp., and either Neospora sp. or Hammondia sp. (1%). Through molecular techniques and phylogenetic analysis, we identified two distinct lineages of Sarcocystis sp. present in arctic foxes, which probably derived from cervid and avian intermediate hosts. Additionally, we detected previously undescribed genotypes of Cystoisospora. Our survey of gastrointestinal endoparasites in arctic foxes from the central Canadian Arctic provides a unique record against which future comparisons can be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey A Elmore
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4
| | - Laura F Lalonde
- Centre for Food-Borne and Animal Parasitology, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 116 Veterinary Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 2R3
| | - Gustaf Samelius
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - Ray T Alisauskas
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 0X4
| | - Alvin A Gajadhar
- Centre for Food-Borne and Animal Parasitology, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 116 Veterinary Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 2R3
| | - Emily J Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4
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Selva N, Hobson KA, Cortés-Avizanda A, Zalewski A, Donázar JA. Mast pulses shape trophic interactions between fluctuating rodent populations in a primeval forest. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51267. [PMID: 23251475 PMCID: PMC3519590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
How different functional responses of consumers exploiting pulsed resources affect community dynamics is an ongoing question in ecology. Tree masting is a common resource pulse in terrestrial ecosystems that can drive rodent population cycles. Using stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analyses, we investigated the dietary response of two fluctuating rodent species, the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis and the bank vole Myodes glareolus, to mast events in Białowieża Forest (NE Poland). Rodent hair samples were obtained non-invasively from faeces of their predators for an 11-year period that encompassed two mast events. Spectacular seed crops of deciduous trees, namely oak Quercus robur and hornbeam Carpinus betulus, occur after several intermediate years of moderate seed production, with a post-mast year characterised by a nil crop. While a Bayesian isotopic (SIAR) mixing model showed a variety of potential vegetation inputs to rodent diets, the isotopic niche of the yellow-necked mouse was strongly associated with mast of deciduous trees (>80% of diet), showing no variation among years of different seed crop. However, bank voles showed a strong functional response; in mast years the vole shifted its diet from herbs in deciduous forest (∼66% of diet) to mast (∼74%). Only in mast years did the isotopic niche of both rodent species overlap. Previous research showed that bank voles, subordinate and more generalist than mice, showed higher fluctuations in numbers in response to masting. This study provides unique data on the functional response of key pulse consumers in forest food webs, and contributes to our understanding of rodent population fluctuations and the mechanisms governing pulse–consumer interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.
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Norén K, Hersteinsson P, Samelius G, Eide N, Fuglei E, Elmhagen B, Dalén L, Meijer T, Angerbjörn A. From monogamy to complexity: social organization of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in contrasting ecosystems. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Canids display pronounced intraspecific variation in social organization, ranging from single breeding females to large and complex groups. Despite several hypotheses in this matter, little is understood about the ecological factors underlying this flexibility. We have used the arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus (L., 1758)) to investigate how contrasting ecosystem conditions concerning resources and predation influence group formation. We predicted that complex groups are more common in resource-rich ecosystems with predators, whereas simple groups occur in more marginal ecosystems without predators. Samples from 54 groups were collected from four populations of arctic foxes with contrasting prey resources and predation and these samples were genotyped in 10 microsatellite loci. We found considerable variation between ecosystems and a significant relationship between resources and formation of complex groups. We conclude that sufficient amounts of food is a prerequisite for forming complex groups, but that defense against predation further increases the benefits of living in larger groups. We present a conceptual model suggesting that a trade-off between the cost of resource depletion and the benefits obtained for guarding against predators explain the differences in social organization. The variable ecology of the arctic foxes makes it is a plausible model species for understanding the connection between ecology and social organization also in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Norén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - P. Hersteinsson
- Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 7, IS-101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - G. Samelius
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden
| | - N.E. Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - E. Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - B. Elmhagen
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - L. Dalén
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - T. Meijer
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A. Angerbjörn
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Giroux MA, Berteaux D, Lecomte N, Gauthier G, Szor G, Bêty J. Benefiting from a migratory prey: spatio-temporal patterns in allochthonous subsidization of an Arctic predator. J Anim Ecol 2012; 81:533-42. [PMID: 22268371 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01944.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Flows of nutrients and energy across ecosystem boundaries have the potential to subsidize consumer populations and modify the dynamics of food webs, but how spatio-temporal variations in autochthonous and allochthonous resources affect consumers' subsidization remains largely unexplored. 2. We studied spatio-temporal patterns in the allochthonous subsidization of a predator living in a relatively simple ecosystem. We worked on Bylot Island (Nunavut, Canada), where arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus L.) feed preferentially on lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus Traill), and alternatively on colonial greater snow geese (Anser caerulescens atlanticus L.). Geese migrate annually from their wintering grounds (where they feed on farmlands and marshes) to the Canadian Arctic, thus generating a strong flow of nutrients and energy across ecosystem boundaries. 3. We examined the influence of spatial variations in availability of geese on the diet of fox cubs (2003-2005) and on fox reproductive output (1996-2005) during different phases of the lemming cycle. 4. Using stable isotope analysis and a simple statistical routine developed to analyse the outputs of a multisource mixing model (SIAR), we showed that the contribution of geese to the diet of arctic fox cubs decreased with distance from the goose colony. 5. The probability that a den was used for reproduction by foxes decreased with distance from the subsidized goose colony and increased with lemming abundance. When lemmings were highly abundant, the effect of distance from the colony disappeared. The goose colony thus generated a spatial patterning of reproduction probability of foxes, while the lemming cycle generated a strong temporal variation of reproduction probability of foxes. 6. This study shows how the input of energy owing to the large-scale migration of prey affects the functional and reproductive responses of an opportunistic consumer, and how this input is spatially and temporally modulated through the foraging behaviour of the consumer. Thus, perspectives of both landscape and foraging ecology are needed to fully resolve the effects of subsidies on animal demographic processes and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Andrée Giroux
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques and Centre d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada.
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Elmore SA, Jenkins EJ, Huyvaert KP, Polley L, Root JJ, Moore CG. Toxoplasma gondiiin Circumpolar People and Wildlife. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2012; 12:1-9. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stacey A. Elmore
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
| | - Emily J. Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
| | - Kathryn P. Huyvaert
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Lydden Polley
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
| | - J. Jeffrey Root
- United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Chester G. Moore
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
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Boecklen WJ, Yarnes CT, Cook BA, James AC. On the Use of Stable Isotopes in Trophic Ecology. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2011. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102209-144726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 623] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- William J. Boecklen
- Laboratory of Ecological Chemistry, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003; , ,
| | - Christopher T. Yarnes
- Stable Isotope Facility, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616;
| | - Bethany A. Cook
- Laboratory of Ecological Chemistry, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003; , ,
| | - Avis C. James
- Laboratory of Ecological Chemistry, Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003; , ,
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Cameron C, Berteaux D, Dufresne F. Spatial variation in food availability predicts extrapair paternity in the arctic fox. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Samelius G, Alisauskas RT, Larivière S. Seasonal pulses of migratory prey and annual variation in small mammal abundance affect abundance and reproduction by arctic foxes. Polar Biol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-011-1005-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Norén K, Carmichael L, Dalén L, Hersteinsson P, Samelius G, Fuglei E, Kapel CMO, Menyushina I, Strobeck C, Angerbjörn A. Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus population structure: circumpolar patterns and processes. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18766.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Choy ES, Gauthier M, Mallory ML, Smol JP, Douglas MSV, Lean D, Blais JM. An isotopic investigation of mercury accumulation in terrestrial food webs adjacent to an Arctic seabird colony. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2010; 408:1858-1867. [PMID: 20153017 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2009] [Revised: 01/08/2010] [Accepted: 01/08/2010] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
At Cape Vera (Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada), a seabird colony of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) congregates and releases nutrients through the deposition of guano to the coastal terrestrial environment, thus creating nutrient-fertilized habitats important to insects, birds, and mammals. Here we determined whether mercury was similarly enriched in various terrestrial food web components in this High Arctic coastal ecosystem due to seabird inputs. Stable isotopes (delta(15)N, delta(13)C) were used to identify trophic linkages and possible routes of contaminant transfer in the food web. Values of delta(15)N were significantly higher in lichens and certain plants collected closer to the bird colony, demonstrating a gradient of seabird influence, and were higher at Cape Vera than our reference site at Cape Herschel, on eastern Ellesmere Island, an area relatively unaffected by seabirds. In contrast, delta(13)C showed little variation among terrestrial species, suggesting minimal influence by seabirds. Concentrations of total mercury (THg) in primary producers and phyto/zooplankton were not significantly correlated with distance from the seabird colony or delta(15)N values, and were similar to other taxa from the High Arctic. Our results provide novel data on THg in several Arctic taxa where concentrations have not been reported previously. Moreover, the analyses indicate that delta(15)N is significantly enriched in the adjacent environment by guano fertilization, but our study was unable to show an enrichment of THg and delta(13)C in the terrestrial food web near the seabird colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Choy
- Program for Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Parnell AC, Inger R, Bearhop S, Jackson AL. Source partitioning using stable isotopes: coping with too much variation. PLoS One 2010; 5:e9672. [PMID: 20300637 PMCID: PMC2837382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 999] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2009] [Accepted: 02/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Stable isotope analysis is increasingly being utilised across broad areas of ecology and biology. Key to much of this work is the use of mixing models to estimate the proportion of sources contributing to a mixture such as in diet estimation. Methodology By accurately reflecting natural variation and uncertainty to generate robust probability estimates of source proportions, the application of Bayesian methods to stable isotope mixing models promises to enable researchers to address an array of new questions, and approach current questions with greater insight and honesty. Conclusions We outline a framework that builds on recently published Bayesian isotopic mixing models and present a new open source R package, SIAR. The formulation in R will allow for continued and rapid development of this core model into an all-encompassing single analysis suite for stable isotope research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Parnell
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Richard Inger
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew L. Jackson
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- * E-mail:
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Careau V, Giroux JF, Gauthier G, Berteaux D. Surviving on cached foods — the energetics of egg-caching by arctic foxes. CAN J ZOOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1139/z08-102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Food-caching by arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus (L., 1758)) is a behavioural adaptation thought to increase winter survival, especially in bird colonies where a large number of eggs can be cached during a short nesting season. In this paper, we measured the energy content of greater snow goose ( Chen caerulescens atlantica Kennard, 1927) eggs and evaluated their perishability when cached in tundra soil for a whole summer. We estimated that eggs lost only ~8% of their dry mass over 60 days of storage in the ground. We used published estimates on digestibility of nutrients by arctic foxes to estimate that fresh and stored goose eggs contained 816 and 730 kJ of metabolizable energy, respectively, a difference of 11%. Using information on arctic fox energetics, we evaluated that 145 stored eggs were required to sustain the growth of one pup from the age of 1 to 3 months (nutritional independence). Moreover, 23 stored eggs were energetically equivalent to the average fat deposit of an arctic fox during winter. Finally, we calculated that an adult arctic fox would need to recover 160–220 stored eggs to survive 6 months in resting conditions during cold winter temperatures. This value increased to 480 when considering activity cost. Based on egg acquisition and caching rates observed in many goose colonies, we conclude that cached eggs represent an important source of energy relative to the needs of an arctic fox during winter, and have thus a high fitness value.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. Careau
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1K 7P4, Canada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques et Centre d’études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - J.-F. Giroux
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1K 7P4, Canada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques et Centre d’études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - G. Gauthier
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1K 7P4, Canada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques et Centre d’études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - D. Berteaux
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1K 7P4, Canada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques et Centre d’études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
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Abstract
We predict the effect of global warming on the arctic fox, the only endemic terrestrial predatory mammals in the arctic region. We emphasize the difference between coastal and inland arctic fox populations. Inland foxes rely on peak abundance of lemming prey to sustain viable populations. In the short-term, warmer winters result in missed lemming peak years and reduced opportunities for successful arctic fox breeding. In the long-term, however, warmer climate will increase plant productivity and more herbivore prey for competitive dominant predators moving in from the south. The red fox has already intruded the arctic region and caused a retreat of the southern limit of arctic fox distribution range. Coastal arctic foxes, which rely on the richer and temporally stable marine subsidies, will be less prone to climate-induced resource limitations. Indeed, arctic islands, becoming protected from southern species invasions as the extent of sea ice is decreasing, may become the last refuges for coastal populations of Arctic foxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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