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Burnett HA, Bieker VC, Le Moullec M, Peeters B, Rosvold J, Pedersen ÅØ, Dalén L, Loe LE, Jensen H, Hansen BB, Martin MD. Contrasting genomic consequences of anthropogenic reintroduction and natural recolonization in high-arctic wild reindeer. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1531-1548. [PMID: 37752961 PMCID: PMC10519417 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic reintroduction can supplement natural recolonization in reestablishing a species' distribution and abundance. However, both reintroductions and recolonizations can give rise to founder effects that reduce genetic diversity and increase inbreeding, potentially causing the accumulation of genetic load and reduced fitness. Most current populations of the endemic high-arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) originate from recent reintroductions or recolonizations following regional extirpations due to past overharvesting. We investigated and compared the genomic consequences of these two paths to reestablishment using whole-genome shotgun sequencing of 100 Svalbard reindeer across their range. We found little admixture between reintroduced and natural populations. Two reintroduced populations, each founded by 12 individuals around four decades (i.e. 8 reindeer generations) ago, formed two distinct genetic clusters. Compared to the source population, these populations showed only small decreases in genome-wide heterozygosity and increases in inbreeding and lengths of runs of homozygosity. In contrast, the two naturally recolonized populations without admixture possessed much lower heterozygosity, higher inbreeding and longer runs of homozygosity, possibly caused by serial population founder effects and/or fewer or more genetically related founders than in the reintroduction events. Naturally recolonized populations can thus be more vulnerable to the accumulation of genetic load than reintroduced populations. This suggests that in some organisms even small-scale reintroduction programs based on genetically diverse source populations can be more effective than natural recolonization in establishing genetically diverse populations. These findings warrant particular attention in the conservation and management of populations and species threatened by habitat fragmentation and loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamish A. Burnett
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Vanessa C. Bieker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Jørgen Rosvold
- Department of Terrestrial BiodiversityNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Love Dalén
- Centre for PalaeogeneticsStockholmSweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and GeneticsSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesAasNorway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Michael D. Martin
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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2
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Reeve C, Robichaud JA, Fernandes T, Bates AE, Bramburger AJ, Brownscombe JW, Davy CM, Henry HAL, McMeans BC, Moise ERD, Sharma S, Smith PA, Studd EK, O’Sullivan A, Sutton AO, Templer PH, Cooke SJ. Applied winter biology: threats, conservation and management of biological resources during winter in cold climate regions. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad027. [PMID: 37179705 PMCID: PMC10170328 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Winter at high latitudes is characterized by low temperatures, dampened light levels and short photoperiods which shape ecological and evolutionary outcomes from cells to populations to ecosystems. Advances in our understanding of winter biological processes (spanning physiology, behaviour and ecology) highlight that biodiversity threats (e.g. climate change driven shifts in reproductive windows) may interact with winter conditions, leading to greater ecological impacts. As such, conservation and management strategies that consider winter processes and their consequences on biological mechanisms may lead to greater resilience of high altitude and latitude ecosystems. Here, we use well-established threat and action taxonomies produced by the International Union of Conservation of Nature-Conservation Measures Partnership (IUCN-CMP) to synthesize current threats to biota that emerge during, or as the result of, winter processes then discuss targeted management approaches for winter-based conservation. We demonstrate the importance of considering winter when identifying threats to biodiversity and deciding on appropriate management strategies across species and ecosystems. We confirm our expectation that threats are prevalent during the winter and are especially important considering the physiologically challenging conditions that winter presents. Moreover, our findings emphasize that climate change and winter-related constraints on organisms will intersect with other stressors to potentially magnify threats and further complicate management. Though conservation and management practices are less commonly considered during the winter season, we identified several potential or already realized applications relevant to winter that could be beneficial. Many of the examples are quite recent, suggesting a potential turning point for applied winter biology. This growing body of literature is promising but we submit that more research is needed to identify and address threats to wintering biota for targeted and proactive conservation. We suggest that management decisions consider the importance of winter and incorporate winter specific strategies for holistic and mechanistic conservation and resource management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Reeve
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jessica A Robichaud
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Timothy Fernandes
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Amanda E Bates
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd., Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - Andrew J Bramburger
- Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Jacob W Brownscombe
- Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Christina M Davy
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Hugh A L Henry
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St. N, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Bailey C McMeans
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Eric R D Moise
- Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service, 26 University Drive, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, A2H 5G4, Canada
| | - Sapna Sharma
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Paul A Smith
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Emily K Studd
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Antóin O’Sullivan
- Biology Department, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, 550 Windsor St., Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Alex O Sutton
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Rd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UR, UK
| | - Pamela H Templer
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
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3
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Warret Rodrigues C, Roth JD. Feast to famine: Sympatric predators respond differently to seasonal prey scarcity on the low Arctic tundra. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9951. [PMID: 36993144 PMCID: PMC10041551 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Resource fluctuation is a major driver of animal movement, influencing strategic choices such as residency vs nomadism, or social dynamics. The Arctic tundra is characterized by strong seasonality: Resources are abundant during the short summers but scarce in winters. Therefore, expansion of boreal-forest species onto the tundra raises questions on how they cope with winter-resource scarcity. We examined a recent incursion by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) onto the coastal tundra of northern Manitoba, an area historically occupied by Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) that lacks access to anthropogenic foods, and compared seasonal shifts in space use of the two species. We used 4 years of telemetry data following 8 red foxes and 11 Arctic foxes to test the hypothesis that the movement tactics of both species are primarily driven by temporal variability of resources. We also predicted that the harsh tundra conditions in winter would drive red foxes to disperse more often and maintain larger home ranges year-round than Arctic foxes, which are adapted to this environment. Dispersal was the most frequent winter movement tactic in both fox species, despite its association with high mortality (winter mortality was 9.4 times higher in dispersers than residents). Red foxes consistently dispersed toward the boreal forest, whereas Arctic foxes primarily used sea ice to disperse. Home range size of red and Arctic foxes did not differ in summer, but resident red foxes substantially increased their home range size in winter, whereas home range size of resident Arctic foxes did not change seasonally. As climate changes, abiotic constraints on some species may relax, but associated declines in prey communities may lead to local extirpation of many predators, notably by favoring dispersal during resource scarcity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James D. Roth
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
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Hiltunen TA, Stien A, Väisänen M, Ropstad E, Aspi JO, Welker JM. Svalbard reindeer winter diets: Long-term dietary shifts to graminoids in response to a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:7009-7022. [PMID: 36071549 PMCID: PMC9826046 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Arctic ecosystems are changing dramatically with warmer and wetter conditions resulting in complex interactions between herbivores and their forage. We investigated how Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) modify their late winter diets in response to long-term trends and interannual variation in forage availability and accessibility. By reconstructing their diets and foraging niches over a 17-year period (1995-2012) using serum δ13 C and δ15 N values, we found strong support for a temporal increase in the proportions of graminoids in the diets with a concurrent decline in the contributions of mosses. This dietary shift corresponds with graminoid abundance increases in the region and was associated with increases in population density, warmer summer temperatures and more frequent rain-on-snow (ROS) in winter. In addition, the variance in isotopic niche positions, breadths, and overlaps also supported a temporal shift in the foraging niche and a dietary response to extreme ROS events. Our long-term study highlights the mechanisms by which winter and summer climate changes cascade through vegetation shifts and herbivore population dynamics to alter the foraging niche of Svalbard reindeer. Although it has been anticipated that climate changes in the Svalbard region of the Arctic would be detrimental to this unique ungulate, our study suggests that environmental change is in a phase where conditions are improving for this subspecies at the northernmost edge of the Rangifer distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Audun Stien
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Fram CentreThe Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
| | - Maria Väisänen
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Arctic CentreUniversity of LaplandRovaniemiFinland
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Department of Production Animal Clinical SciencesNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
| | - Jouni O. Aspi
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Jeffery M. Welker
- Ecology and Genetics Research UnitUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- UArcticRovaniemiFinland
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alaska AnchorageAnchorageAlaskaUSA
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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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6
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Kater I, Baxter R. Abundance and accessibility of forage for reindeer in forests of Northern Sweden: Impacts of landscape and winter climate regime. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8820. [PMID: 35432926 PMCID: PMC9009126 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival of reindeer during winter, their period of greatest food stress, depends largely on the abundance and accessibility of forage in their pastures. In Northern Sweden, realized availability of forage is notably affected by snow conditions and the impacts of forestry. While these factors have been examined in isolation, their combined effect has, to the best of our knowledge to date, not been researched. In this study, vegetation surveys and analysis of snow conditions were undertaken in forest stands at various stages of recovery from clear-cutting. The variation in abundance and growth of understory species edible by reindeer, such as lichen, was noted as forests matured. The barrier effect of ice lenses in the snow was also measured in these stands. Lichen biomass was significantly affected by a combination of stand maturity, understory vegetation height, and lichen height. Soil disturbance from the processes of felling and competition in the vegetation communities recovering from this disturbance were identified as key drivers of change in lichen biomass. Overall, clear-cut forests had some of the greatest prevalence of ice lenses in the snow column, and forage availability at these sites was up to 61% less than in mature stands over 58 years in age. It is suggested that alternative silviculture methods are investigated for use in this reindeer herding region, as frequent clear-cutting and consequent reduction in the average forest stand age and maturity class may be detrimental to reindeer grazing, reducing both abundance of forage, and access to it during winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Kater
- Department of BiosciencesDurham UniversityDurhamUK
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7
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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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8
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Van Moorter B, Engen S, Fryxell JM, Panzacchi M, Nilsen EB, Mysterud A. Consequences of barriers and changing seasonality on population dynamics and harvest of migratory ungulates. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-020-00471-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMany animal populations providing ecosystem services, including harvest, live in seasonal environments and migrate between seasonally distinct ranges. Unfortunately, two major sources of human-induced global change threaten these populations: climate change and anthropogenic barriers. Anthropogenic infrastructure developments present a global threat to animal migrations through increased migration mortality or behavioral avoidance. Climate change alters the seasonal and spatial dynamics of resources and therefore the effects of migration on population performance. We formulated a population model with ideal-free migration to investigate changes in population size and harvest yield due to barriers and seasonal dynamics. The model predicted an increasing proportion of migrants when the difference between areas in seasonality or carrying capacity increased. Both migration cost and behavioral avoidance of barriers substantially reduced population size and harvest yields. Not surprisingly, the negative effects of barriers were largest when the population benefited most from migration. Despite the overall decline in harvest yield from a migratory population due to barriers, barriers could result in locally increased yield from the resident population following reduced competition from migrants. Our approach and results enhance the understanding of how global warming and infrastructure development worldwide may change population dynamics and harvest offtake affecting livelihoods and rural economies.
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Van de Kerk M, Arthur S, Bertram M, Borg B, Herriges J, Lawler J, Mangipane B, Lambert Koizumi C, Wendling B, Prugh L. Environmental Influences on Dall's Sheep Survival. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madelon Van de Kerk
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 USA
| | - Stephen Arthur
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife Refuge 101 12th Avenue, Room 236 Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Mark Bertram
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceYukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge 101 12th Avenue, Room 264 Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Bridget Borg
- U.S. National Park ServiceDenali National Park and Preserve P.O. Box 9 Denali Park AK 99755 USA
| | - Jim Herriges
- Bureau of Land ManagementEastern Interior Field Office 222 University Avenue Fairbanks AK 99709 USA
| | - James Lawler
- U.S. National Park ServiceInventory and Monitoring Program 240 West 5th Avenue Anchorage AK 99501 USA
| | - Buck Mangipane
- U.S. National Park ServiceLake Clark National Park Port Alsworth AK 99653 USA
| | | | - Brad Wendling
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Avenue Fairbanks AK 99701 USA
| | - Laura Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 USA
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10
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Kaluskar S, Johnson CA, Blukacz-Richards EA, Ouellet F, Kim DK, Arhonditsis G. A stochastic modelling framework to accommodate the inter-annual variability of habitat conditions for Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) populations. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2019.101013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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11
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Direct and indirect effects of temperature and prey abundance on bald eagle reproductive dynamics. Oecologia 2019; 192:391-401. [PMID: 31858230 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04578-8] [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: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms by which populations are regulated is critical for predicting the effects of large-scale perturbations. While discrete mortality events provide clear evidence of direct impacts, indirect pathways are more difficult to assess but may play important roles in population and ecosystem dynamics. Here, we use multi-state occupancy models to analyze a long-term dataset on nesting bald eagles in south-central Alaska with the goal of identifying both direct and indirect mechanisms influencing reproductive output in this apex predator. We found that the probabilities of both nest occupancy and success were higher in the portion of the study area where water turbidity was low, supporting the hypothesis that access to aquatic prey is a critical factor limiting the reproductive output of eagles in this system. As expected, nest success was also positively related to salmon abundance; however, the negative effect of spring warmth suggested that access to salmon resources is indirectly diminished in warm springs as a consequence of increased glacial melt. Together, these findings reveal complex interrelationships between a critical prey resource and large-scale weather and climate processes which likely alter the accessibility of resources rather than directly affecting resource abundance. While important for understanding bald eagle reproductive dynamics in this system specifically, our results have broader implications that suggest complex interrelationships among system components.
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Williamsen L, Pigeon G, Mysterud A, Stien A, Forchhammer M, Loe LE. Keeping cool in the warming Arctic: thermoregulatory behaviour by Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In animals with long generation times, evolution of physiological and morphological traits may not be fast enough to keep up with rapid climate warming, but thermoregulatory behaviour can possibly serve as an important buffer mitigating warming effects. In this study, we investigated if the cold-adapted Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus (Vrolik, 1829)) used cool bed sites as a thermoregulatory behaviour in the summer. We recorded habitat variables and ground temperature at 371 bed sites with random “control” sites 10 and 100 m distant. Using case-control logistic regression, we found that reindeer selected bed sites on cool substrates (snow and mire), as well as cold, dry ground on days with warm ambient temperatures, while they avoided such sites on cold days. Selection of both cool substrates and cool ground did not depend on age or sex. The study was conducted in an environment where neither predatory threat nor insect harassment influenced bed site selection. Our findings suggest that the thermal landscape is important for habitat selection of cold-adapted Arctic ungulates in summer. Thus, behavioural strategies may be important to mitigate effects of climate change, at least in the short term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Williamsen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Aas, Norway
- The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156 N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Gabriel Pigeon
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Mads Forchhammer
- The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156 N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
- Centre for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate (CMEC) and Greenland Perspective, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Aas, Norway
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13
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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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14
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Li J, Lv L, Wang P, Wang Y, Hatchwell BJ, Zhang Z. Sex-biased dispersal patterns of a social passerine: complementary approaches and evidence for a role of spatial scale. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAnimal dispersal patterns have important implications for many biological processes, but the measurement of dispersal is challenging and often requires the use of complementary approaches. In this study, we investigated the local-scale sex-biased dispersal pattern in a social bird, the black-throated tit (Aegithalos concinnus), in central China. Spatial genetic autocorrelation analyses suggested that significant fine-scale genetic structure existed in males but not in females. Mark–recapture analyses of ringed individuals also showed that female offspring were more dispersive than male offspring, supporting genetic evidence of local female-biased dispersal. These results were contrary to a previous finding of male-biased long-distance dispersal in this species that was based on analyses of gene flow across the species range in China. This implies that the species might potentially have a scale-dependent dispersal strategy, with females frequently dispersing further than males at the local level, but with a proportion of males occasionally dispersing over long distances and contributing more to gene flow at a larger geographical scale. Long-distance dispersal by male black-throated tits might be induced by competition for resources or by unfavourable environmental conditions, warranting further investigation, but our findings increase the evidence that geographical scale is an important factor to be considered when investigating animal dispersal patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianqiang Li
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Lv
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengcheng Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL, USA
| | - Ben J Hatchwell
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Sciences and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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15
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Le Moullec M, Pedersen ÅØ, Stien A, Rosvold J, Hansen BB. A century of conservation: The ongoing recovery of Svalbard reindeer. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) NO‐7491 Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Arctic Ecology Department, Fram Centre NO‐9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Jørgen Rosvold
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA) NO 7034 Trondheim Norway
| | - Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) NO‐7491 Trondheim Norway
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16
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Jones PD, Strickland BK, Demarais S, McKinley WT, Ernst JR, Klassen JA. Seasonal flooding effects on deer in the Mississippi river batture. J Wildl Manage 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Phillip D. Jones
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityBox 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USA
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityBox 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USA
| | - Stephen Demarais
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityBox 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USA
| | - William T. McKinley
- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks1505 Eastover Drive Jackson MS 39211 USA
| | - James R. Ernst
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife & FisheriesP.O. Box 98000 Baton Rouge LA 70898 USA
| | - Jessica. A. Klassen
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and AquacultureMississippi State UniversityBox 9690 Mississippi State MS 39762 USA
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17
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Hansen BB, Lorentzen JR, Welker JM, Varpe Ø, Aanes R, Beumer LT, Pedersen ÅØ. Reindeer turning maritime: Ice‐locked tundra triggers changes in dietary niche utilization. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Jon Runar Lorentzen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
- Department of Arctic Biology The University Centre in Svalbard N‐9171 Longyearbyen Norway
| | - Jeffrey M. Welker
- UArctic & University of Oulo Oulo 90014 Finland
- University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska 99516 USA
| | - Øystein Varpe
- Department of Arctic Biology The University Centre in Svalbard N‐9171 Longyearbyen Norway
- Akvaplan‐niva Fram Centre N‐9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Ronny Aanes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
- Norwegian Polar Institute Fram Centre N‐9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Larissa Teresa Beumer
- Department of Arctic Biology The University Centre in Svalbard N‐9171 Longyearbyen Norway
- Department of Bioscience Aarhus University Frederiksborgvej 399 4000 Roskilde Denmark
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18
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Isotope ecology detects fine-scale variation in Svalbard reindeer diet: implications for monitoring herbivory in the changing Arctic. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02474-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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19
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Droghini A, Boutin S. The calm during the storm: Snowfall events decrease the movement rates of grey wolves (Canis lupus). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205742. [PMID: 30379852 PMCID: PMC6209196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian predators encounter unique hunting challenges during the winter as snow increases the cost of locomotion and influences predator-prey interactions. Winter precipitation may also affect predators’ ability to detect and pursue prey. We investigated the effects of snowfall events on grey wolves (Canis lupus) in a boreal forest ecosystem in northeastern Alberta, Canada. We predicted that wolves would respond to snowfall events by reducing their travel speed and the time they spent travelling. Over the course of two winters, we used remote cameras to identify localized snowfall events and estimate snow depth. We used telemetry data from 17 wolves to calculate travel speed and time spent travelling versus resting. Data were categorized by time of day (night versus day) and time since snowfall events, and analyzed using linear and logistic regression mixed-effects models. We found that wolves were less likely to travel on dates of snowfall events than any date prior to or after an event. Wolves also travelled slower during snowfall events, but only when compared to their travel speed 24 hours before. Effects were most pronounced at night, when movements appeared to be consistent with hunting behavior, and activity levels resumed within 24 hours of a snowfall event. Including snow depth as a variable did not improve model fit. Collectively, our findings suggest that wolves’ response is not driven by increased hunting success or by energetic considerations resulting from increased snow depth. Instead, we propose that wolves reduce their activity levels because precipitation dampens hunting success. Snowfall events may impact wolves’ ability to detect prey and changes in prey behavior could also lead to decreased encounter rates. We encourage scientists to further investigate the effects of short-term weather events on movement rates and predator-prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Droghini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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20
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Mahoney PJ, Liston GE, LaPoint S, Gurarie E, Mangipane B, Wells AG, Brinkman TJ, Eitel JUH, Hebblewhite M, Nolin AW, Boelman N, Prugh LR. Navigating snowscapes: scale-dependent responses of mountain sheep to snowpack properties. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1715-1729. [PMID: 30074675 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Winters are limiting for many terrestrial animals due to energy deficits brought on by resource scarcity and the increased metabolic costs of thermoregulation and traveling through snow. A better understanding of how animals respond to snow conditions is needed to predict the impacts of climate change on wildlife. We compared the performance of remotely sensed and modeled snow products as predictors of winter movements at multiple spatial and temporal scales using a data set of 20,544 locations from 30 GPS-collared Dall sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA from 2005 to 2008. We used daily 500-m MODIS normalized difference snow index (NDSI), and multi-resolution snow depth and density outputs from a snowpack evolution model (SnowModel), as covariates in step selection functions. We predicted that modeled snow depth would perform best across all scales of selection due to more informative spatiotemporal variation and relevance to animal movement. Our results indicated that adding any of the evaluated snow metrics substantially improved model performance and helped characterize winter Dall sheep movements. As expected, SnowModel-simulated snow depth outperformed NDSI at fine-to-moderate scales of selection (step scales < 112 h). At the finest scale, Dall sheep selected for snow depths below mean chest height (<54 cm) when in low-density snows (100 kg/m3 ), which may have facilitated access to ground forage and reduced energy expenditure while traveling. However, sheep selected for higher snow densities (>300 kg/m3 ) at snow depths above chest height, which likely further reduced energy expenditure by limiting hoof penetration in deeper snows. At moderate-to-coarse scales (112-896 h step scales), however, NDSI was the best-performing snow covariate. Thus, the use of publicly available, remotely sensed, snow cover products can substantially improve models of animal movement, particularly in cases where movement distances exceed the MODIS 500-m grid threshold. However, remote sensing products may require substantial data thinning due to cloud cover, potentially limiting its power in cases where complex models are necessary. Snowpack evolution models such as SnowModel offer users increased flexibility at the expense of added complexity, but can provide critical insights into fine-scale responses to rapidly changing snow properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Mahoney
- School of Environmental and Forest Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195-2100, USA
| | - Glen E Liston
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1375, USA
| | - Scott LaPoint
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, 10964-1000, USA
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, 78315, Germany
| | - Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
| | - Buck Mangipane
- Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, U.S. National Park Service, Port Alsworth, Alaska, 99653, USA
| | - Adam G Wells
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844, USA
| | - Todd J Brinkman
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbank, Alaska, 99775, USA
| | - Jan U H Eitel
- Geospatial Laboratory for Environmental Dynamics, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 83844-1135, USA
- McCall Outdoor Science School, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, McCall, Idaho, 83638, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Anne W Nolin
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331-5503, USA
| | - Natalie Boelman
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, 10964-1000, USA
| | - Laura R Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195-2100, USA
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21
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Arnold W, Ruf T, Loe LE, Irvine RJ, Ropstad E, Veiberg V, Albon SD. Circadian rhythmicity persists through the Polar night and midnight sun in Svalbard reindeer. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14466. [PMID: 30262810 PMCID: PMC6160466 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32778-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of locomotor activity in Svalbard reindeer reported the temporary absence of diel rhythms under Arctic photic conditions. However, using Lomb-Scargle periodogram analyses with high statistical power we found diel or circadian rhythmicity throughout the entire year in measures of behaviour, temperature in the rumen and heart rate in free-living Svalbard reindeer. Significant diel rhythmicity was only lacking during some of the 15-day intervals analysed in the less frequently measured heart rate. During Polar Night these rhythms were free-running and attenuated. During continual daylight in summer, rhythms where entrained to 24 hours corresponding with the daily variation in the intensity of solar radiation, but attenuated when continuous daylight coincided with the period of growing forage. Diel rhythmicity was reduced during this short period of peak foraging activity, which coincided with peak heart rate and temperature in the rumen, most likely to facilitate fattening when food is abundant. For the rest of the year, heart rate and temperature showed the most pronounced and long-lasting suppression ever found in ungulates. The profound seasonal changes in foraging, metabolic activity, and power of diel and circadian rhythmicity of Svalbard reindeer can be viewed as adaptations to the extreme living conditions in the High Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Arnold
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Thomas Ruf
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Ås, Norway
| | - R Justin Irvine
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vebjørn Veiberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Steve D Albon
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
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22
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Courbin N, Dussault C, Veillette A, Giroux MA, Côté SD. Coping with strong variations in winter severity: plastic habitat selection of deer at high density. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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23
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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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24
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Gilbert SL, Hundertmark KJ, Person DK, Lindberg MS, Boyce MS. Behavioral plasticity in a variable environment: snow depth and habitat interactions drive deer movement in winter. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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25
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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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26
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Schmidt NM, Beest FMV, Mosbacher JB, Stelvig M, Hansen LH, Nabe-Nielsen J, Grøndahl C. Ungulate movement in an extreme seasonal environment: year-round movement patterns of high-arctic muskoxen. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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27
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Anderson HB, Speed JD, Madsen J, Pedersen ÅØ, Tombre IM, van der Wal R. Late snow melt moderates herbivore disturbance of the Arctic tundra. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2016.1212684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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28
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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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29
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Cozzi G, Chynoweth M, Kusak J, Çoban E, Çoban A, Ozgul A, Şekercioğlu ÇH. Anthropogenic food resources foster the coexistence of distinct life history strategies: year‐round sedentary and migratory brown bears. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Cozzi
- Population Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies Zurich University Zürich Switzerland
| | - M. Chynoweth
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - J. Kusak
- Biology Department Veterinary Faculty University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia
| | | | - A. Çoban
- KuzeyDoğa Society Kars Turkey
- Department of Parasitology Institute of Health Sciences Kafkas University Kars Turkey
| | - A. Ozgul
- Population Ecology Research Group Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies Zurich University Zürich Switzerland
| | - Ç. H. Şekercioğlu
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
- KuzeyDoğa Society Kars Turkey
- College of Sciences Koç University Istanbul Turkey
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30
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Leblond M, St-Laurent MH, Côté SD. Caribou, water, and ice - fine-scale movements of a migratory arctic ungulate in the context of climate change. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2016; 4:14. [PMID: 27099756 PMCID: PMC4837602 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0079-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Freshwater lakes and rivers of the Northern Hemisphere have been freezing increasingly later and thawing increasingly earlier during the last century. With reduced temporal periods during which ice conditions are favourable for locomotion, freshwater bodies could become impediments to the inter-patch movements, dispersion, or migration of terrestrial animals that use ice-covered lakes and rivers to move across their range. Studying the fine-scale responses of individuals to broad-scale changes in ice availability and phenology would help to understand how animals react to ongoing climate change, and contribute to the conservation and management of endangered species living in northern environments. Between 2007 and 2014, we equipped 96 migratory caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou from the Rivière-aux-Feuilles herd in northern Québec (Canada) with GPS telemetry collars and studied their space use. We measured contemporary (digital MODIS maps updated every 8 days, 2000-2014) and historical (annual observations, 1947-1985) variations in freshwater-ice availability and evaluated the concurrent responses of caribou to these changes. RESULTS Ice had a positive influence on caribou movement rates and directionality, and caribou selected ice and avoided water when moving across or in the vicinity of large water bodies. When ice was unavailable, caribou rarely swam across (6 % of crossings) and frequently circumvented water bodies for several km. Although ice phenology did not change significantly during our study, climate projections indicated that ice availability could decrease considerably before the end of the century, generating a ~28 % increase in distance travelled by caribou during the early spring and fall migrations. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that ice availability influenced the movements of a migratory arctic ungulate. Warmer air temperatures in the Arctic will undoubtedly modify the phenology of ice forming on freshwater lakes and rivers. If migratory caribou are unable to adjust the timing of their migrations, they could be forced to circumvent unfrozen water bodies more frequently and over broader areas, which may increase the distance, time, and energy they use to reach wintering areas. The long-term conservation of wide-ranging species will ultimately depend on our ability to identify the fine-scale behavioural reactions of individuals to broad-scale changes in climate and land use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Leblond
- />Caribou Ungava, Département de biologie, and Center for Northern Studies, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
- />Caribou Ungava, Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Center for Northern Studies, and Center for Forest Research, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- />Caribou Ungava, Département de biologie, and Center for Northern Studies, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6 Canada
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Chamaillé-Jammes S, Charbonnel A, Dray S, Madzikanda H, Fritz H. Spatial Distribution of a Large Herbivore Community at Waterholes: An Assessment of Its Stability over Years in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153639. [PMID: 27074044 PMCID: PMC4830562 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial structuring of populations or communities is an important driver of their functioning and their influence on ecosystems. Identifying the (in)stability of the spatial structure of populations is a first step towards understanding the underlying causes of these structures. Here we studied the relative importance of spatial vs. interannual variability in explaining the patterns of abundance of a large herbivore community (8 species) at waterholes in Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe). We analyzed census data collected over 13 years using multivariate methods. Our results showed that variability in the census data was mostly explained by the spatial structure of the community, as some waterholes had consistently greater herbivore abundance than others. Some temporal variability probably linked to Park-scale migration dependent on annual rainfall was noticeable, however. Once this was accounted for, little temporal variability remained to be explained, suggesting that other factors affecting herbivore abundance over time had a negligible effect at the scale of the study. The extent of spatial and temporal variability in census data was also measured for each species. This study could help in projecting the consequences of surface water management, and more generally presents a methodological framework to simultaneously address the relative importance of spatial vs. temporal effects in driving the distribution of organisms across landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Chamaillé-Jammes
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5175, 1919 route de Mende, 34294, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- Zone Atelier Hwange CNRS – Hwange LTER, PO Box 62, Dete, Zimbabwe
- * E-mail:
| | - Anaïs Charbonnel
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5175, 1919 route de Mende, 34294, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Stéphane Dray
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5558, Université Lyon 1, 43 bd du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Hillary Madzikanda
- Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Scientific Services, PO Box CY 140 Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Hervé Fritz
- Zone Atelier Hwange CNRS – Hwange LTER, PO Box 62, Dete, Zimbabwe
- Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5558, Université Lyon 1, 43 bd du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
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Tablado Z, Fauchald P, Mabille G, Stien A, Tveraa T. Environmental variation as a driver of predator-prey interactions. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00121.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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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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Gaillard JM. Assessing fitness consequences of migratory tactics requires long-term individually based monitoring. Ecology 2013; 94:1261-4. [PMID: 23923487 DOI: 10.1890/12-0710.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Michel Gaillard
- UMR 5558, Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, University of Lyon, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
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Morellet N, Bonenfant C, Börger L, Ossi F, Cagnacci F, Heurich M, Kjellander P, Linnell JDC, Nicoloso S, Sustr P, Urbano F, Mysterud A. Seasonality, weather and climate affect home range size in roe deer across a wide latitudinal gradient within Europe. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:1326-39. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Morellet
- INRA; UR35 Comportement et Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; B.P. 52627 31326 Castanet-Tolosan France
| | - Christophe Bonenfant
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive; UMR CNRS 5558; Université Lyon 1; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Luca Börger
- Centre d’Études Biologiques de Chizé; CNRS (U.P.R. 1934) & INRA (USC 1339); F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois France
| | - Federico Ossi
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive; UMR CNRS 5558; Université Lyon 1; F-69622 Villeurbanne France
- Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Department; IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach; Via Mach 1 38010 San Michele all'Adige TN Italy
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Department; IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach; Via Mach 1 38010 San Michele all'Adige TN Italy
| | - Marco Heurich
- Departement of Research and Documentation; Bavarian Forest National Park; Freyunger Str 2 94481 Grafenau Germany
| | - Petter Kjellander
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station; Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU); SE-73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - John D. C. Linnell
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA); PO Box 5685 Sluppen NO-7485 Trondheim Norway
| | - Sandro Nicoloso
- Research, Ecology and Environment Dimension (D.R.E.Am. Italia); Via Enrico Bindi 14 51100 Pistoia PT Italy
| | - Pavel Sustr
- Department of Biodiversity Research; Global Change Research Centre AS CR; Na Sádkách 7 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | | | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis; Department Biosciences; University of Oslo; P.O. Box 1066 Blindern NO-0316 Oslo Norway
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Behavioural responses to thermal conditions affect seasonal mass change in a heat-sensitive northern ungulate. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65972. [PMID: 23776584 PMCID: PMC3679019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Empirical tests that link temperature-mediated changes in behaviour (activity and resource selection) to individual fitness or condition are currently lacking for endotherms yet may be critical to understanding the effect of climate change on population dynamics. Moose (Alces alces) are thought to suffer from heat stress in all seasons so provide a good biological model to test whether exposure to non-optimal ambient temperatures influence seasonal changes in body mass. Seasonal mass change is an important fitness correlate of large herbivores and affects reproductive success of female moose. Methodology/Principal Findings Using GPS-collared adult female moose from two populations in southern Norway we quantified individual differences in seasonal activity budget and resource selection patterns as a function of seasonal temperatures thought to induce heat stress in moose. Individual body mass was recorded in early and late winter, and autumn to calculate seasonal mass changes (n = 52 over winter, n = 47 over summer). We found large individual differences in temperature-dependent resource selection patterns as well as within and between season variability in thermoregulatory strategies. As expected, individuals using an optimal strategy, selecting young successional forest (foraging habitat) at low ambient temperatures and mature coniferous forest (thermal shelter) during thermally stressful conditions, lost less mass in winter and gained more mass in summer. Conclusions/Significance This study provides evidence that behavioural responses to temperature have important consequences for seasonal mass change in moose living in the south of their distribution in Norway, and may be a contributing factor to recently observed declines in moose demographic performance. Although the mechanisms that underlie the observed temperature mediated habitat-fitness relationship remain to be tested, physiological state and individual variation in thermal tolerance are likely contributory factors. Climate-related effects on animal behaviour, and subsequently fitness, are expected to intensify as global warming continues.
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Wilson RR, Bartsch A, Joly K, Reynolds JH, Orlando A, Loya WM. Frequency, timing, extent, and size of winter thaw-refreeze events in Alaska 2001–2008 detected by remotely sensed microwave backscatter data. Polar Biol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-012-1272-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Preece C, Callaghan TV, Phoenix GK. Impacts of winter icing events on the growth, phenology and physiology of sub-arctic dwarf shrubs. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2012; 146:460-72. [PMID: 22568724 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2012.01640.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is experiencing the greatest climate change in winter, including increases in freeze-thaw cycles that can result in ice encasement of vegetation. Ice encasement can expose plants to hypoxia and greater temperature extremes, but currently the impacts of icing on plants in the field remain little understood. With this in mind, a unique field manipulation experiment was established in heathland in northern Sweden with ice encasement simulated in early March 2008, 2009 and 2010 until natural thaw each spring. In the following summers we assessed the impacts on flowering, bud phenology, shoot growth and mortality and leaf damage (measured by chlorophyll fluorescence and electrolyte leakage) of the three dominant dwarf shrub species Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea (both evergreen) and Vaccinium myrtillus (deciduous). Two consecutive winters of icing decreased V. vitis-idaea flowering by 57%, while flowering of V. myrtillus and E. nigrum remained unaffected. Vaccinium myrtillus showed earlier budburst but shoot growth for all species was unchanged. Shoot mortality of V. myrtillus and V. vitis-idaea increased after the first year (by 70 and 165%, respectively) and again for V. myrtillus following the third year (by 67%), while E. nigrum shoot mortality remained unaffected, as were chlorophyll fluorescence and electrolyte leakage in all species. Overall, the sub-arctic heathland was relatively tolerant to icing, but the considerable shoot mortality of V. myrtillus contrasting with the general tolerance of E. nigrum suggests plant community structure in the longer term could change if winters continue to see a greater frequency of icing events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Preece
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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Stien A, Ims RA, Albon SD, Fuglei E, Irvine RJ, Ropstad E, Halvorsen O, Langvatn R, Loe LE, Veiberg V, Yoccoz NG. Congruent responses to weather variability in high arctic herbivores. Biol Lett 2012; 8:1002-5. [PMID: 23015455 PMCID: PMC3497145 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the role of weather in the dynamics of wildlife populations is a pressing task in the face of rapid environmental change. Rodents and ruminants are abundant herbivore species in most Arctic ecosystems, many of which are experiencing particularly rapid climate change. Their different life-history characteristics, with the exception of their trophic position, suggest that they should show different responses to environmental variation. Here we show that the only mammalian herbivores on the Arctic islands of Svalbard, reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and sibling voles (Microtus levis), exhibit strong synchrony in population parameters. This synchrony is due to rain-on-snow events that cause ground ice and demonstrates that climate impacts can be similarly integrated and expressed in species with highly contrasting life histories. The finding suggests that responses of wildlife populations to climate variability and change might be more consistent in Polar regions than elsewhere owing to the strength of the climate impact and the simplicity of the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway.
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van Beest FM, Van Moorter B, Milner JM. Temperature-mediated habitat use and selection by a heat-sensitive northern ungulate. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Carlsson AM, Justin Irvine R, Wilson K, Piertney SB, Halvorsen O, Coulson SJ, Stien A, Albon SD. Disease transmission in an extreme environment: Nematode parasites infect reindeer during the Arctic winter. Int J Parasitol 2012; 42:789-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Revised: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Hansen BB, Aanes R, Herfindal I, Kohler J, Saether BE. Climate, icing, and wild arctic reindeer: past relationships and future prospects. Ecology 2011; 92:1917-23. [PMID: 22073783 DOI: 10.1890/11-0095.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Across the Arctic, heavy rain-on-snow (ROS) is an "extreme" climatic event that is expected to become increasingly frequent with global warming. This has potentially large ecosystem implications through changes in snowpack properties and ground-icing, which can block the access to herbivores' winter food and thereby suppress their population growth rates. However, the supporting empirical evidence for this is still limited. We monitored late winter snowpack properties to examine the causes and consequences of ground-icing in a Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) metapopulation. In this high-arctic area, heavy ROS occurred annually, and ground-ice covered from 25% to 96% of low-altitude habitat in the sampling period (2000-2010). The extent of ground-icing increased with the annual number of days with heavy ROS (> or = 10 mm) and had a strong negative effect on reindeer population growth rates. Our results have important implications as a downscaled climate projection (2021-2050) suggests a substantial future increase in ROS and icing. The present study is the first to demonstrate empirically that warmer and wetter winter climate influences large herbivore population dynamics by generating ice-locked pastures. This may serve as an early warning of the importance of changes in winter climate and extreme weather events in arctic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Conservation Biology (CCB), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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van Beest FM, Rivrud IM, Loe LE, Milner JM, Mysterud A. What determines variation in home range size across spatiotemporal scales in a large browsing herbivore? J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:771-85. [PMID: 21388373 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01829.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Floris M van Beest
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University College, Evenstad, NO-2480 Koppang, Norway.
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Geremia C, White PJ, Wallen RL, Watson FGR, Treanor JJ, Borkowski J, Potter CS, Crabtree RL. Predicting bison migration out of Yellowstone National Park using bayesian models. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16848. [PMID: 21340035 PMCID: PMC3038930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2010] [Accepted: 01/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Long distance migrations by ungulate species often surpass the boundaries of preservation areas where conflicts with various publics lead to management actions that can threaten populations. We chose the partially migratory bison (Bison bison) population in Yellowstone National Park as an example of integrating science into management policies to better conserve migratory ungulates. Approximately 60% of these bison have been exposed to bovine brucellosis and thousands of migrants exiting the park boundary have been culled during the past two decades to reduce the risk of disease transmission to cattle. Data were assimilated using models representing competing hypotheses of bison migration during 1990-2009 in a hierarchal bayesian framework. Migration differed at the scale of herds, but a single unifying logistic model was useful for predicting migrations by both herds. Migration beyond the northern park boundary was affected by herd size, accumulated snow water equivalent, and aboveground dried biomass. Migration beyond the western park boundary was less influenced by these predictors and process model performance suggested an important control on recent migrations was excluded. Simulations of migrations over the next decade suggest that allowing increased numbers of bison beyond park boundaries during severe climate conditions may be the only means of avoiding episodic, large-scale reductions to the Yellowstone bison population in the foreseeable future. This research is an example of how long distance migration dynamics can be incorporated into improved management policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Geremia
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States of America.
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Hansen BB, Aanes R, Sæther BE. Partial seasonal migration in high-arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). CAN J ZOOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1139/z10-086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We examined seasonal range use and calving success in wild Svalbard reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus Vrolik, 1829) on two contrasting ranges separated by risky barriers (open sea, thin sea ice, and glaciers). One (“poor”) range had a depleted lichen resource and negative reindeer population trend, whereas the neighbouring (“rich”) range was recently occupied with initially high lichen abundance and positive population trend. Winter foraging conditions limit survival and reproduction in this predator-free system and lichens are the preferred winter food by reindeer. Accordingly, marked female reindeer that switched between the ranges (“migrants”) spent most winters on the lichen-rich range, yet most summers on the poor range (possibly owing to fidelity to calving area). While facing high mortality risk along the migration route, migrants spending the winter on the rich range and subsequent summer on the poor range had improved calving success compared with residents on the poor range. The partial seasonal migration pattern diminished as lichens were reduced and reindeer carrying capacity reached on the rich range. Besides this apparent density-dependence in migratory behaviour, spatial strategy seems shaped by past experience and trade-offs between current survival (safe habitat) and future reproduction (food-rich habitat).
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Affiliation(s)
- B. B. Hansen
- Centre for Conservation Biology (CCB), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Polar Environmental Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - R. Aanes
- Centre for Conservation Biology (CCB), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Polar Environmental Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - B.-E. Sæther
- Centre for Conservation Biology (CCB), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Polar Environmental Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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Rivrud IM, Loe LE, Mysterud A. How does local weather predict red deer home range size at different temporal scales? J Anim Ecol 2010; 79:1280-95. [PMID: 20636345 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01731.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inger Maren Rivrud
- Department of Biology, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
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