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Bjerke JW, Magnussen K, Bright RM, Navrud S, Erlandsson R, Finne EA, Tømmervik H. Synergies and trade-offs between provisioning and climate-regulating ecosystem services in reindeer herding ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:171914. [PMID: 38554956 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171914] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) pastoralism utilizes vast boreo-arctic taiga and tundra as grazing land. Highly fluctuating population sizes pose major challenges to the economy and livelihood of indigenous herder communities. In this study we investigated the effect of population fluctuations on core provisioning and regulating ecosystem services in two Sámi reindeer herding districts with contrasting fluctuation trends. We compared 50-year long time series on herd size, meat production, forage productivity, carbon footprint, and CO2-equivalence metrics for surface albedo change based on the radiative forcing concept. Our results show, for both districts, that the economic benefits from the provisioning services were higher than the costs from the regulating services. Still, there were major contrasts; the district with moderate and stable reindeer density gained nearly the double on provisioning services per unit area. The costs from increasing heat absorption due to reduction in surface albedo caused by replacement of high-reflective lichens with low-reflective woody plants, was 10.5 times higher per unit area in the district with large fluctuations. Overall, the net economic benefits per unit area were 237 % higher in the district with stable reindeer density. These results demonstrate that it is possible to minimize trade-offs between economic benefits from reindeer herding locally and global economic costs in terms of climate-regulating services by minimizing fluctuations in herds that are managed at sustainable densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarle W Bjerke
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway.
| | | | - Ryan M Bright
- Department of Forests and Climate, Division of Forestry and Forest Resources, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway
| | - Ståle Navrud
- School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Rasmus Erlandsson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Eirik A Finne
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway; Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hans Tømmervik
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Tromsø, Norway
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Brenning M, Longstaffe FJ, Fraser D. Variation in stable carbon (δ 13C) and nitrogen (δ 15N) isotope compositions along antlers of Qamanirjuaq caribou ( Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11006. [PMID: 38500863 PMCID: PMC10945312 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Annual antler growth begins in the spring and is completed by late summer for male caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) from the Qamanirjuaq herd (Nunavut, Canada), aligned with both the spring migration and a seasonal dietary shift. Antlers may provide a non-lethal means of studying short- and long-term changes in caribou ecology through incorporated isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). We sampled the antlers of 12 male caribou from the Qamanirjuaq herd culled in September 1967. We predicted that serial sampling of antlers would reflect the known seasonal dietary change from lichen to grass-like and shrub diet based on rumen contents from individuals culled during the same period. The δ13C and δ15N were analyzed in food sources and every 3 cm along each antler's length. The carbon isotope compositions of collagen (δ13Ccol) varied by ~0.5‰ among individuals and within antlers, while the carbon isotope compositions of antler bioapatite (δ13CCO3) increased by 1-1.5‰ from pedicle to tip. Values of δ15Ncol increased within antlers by 1-3‰ from pedicle to tip and varied by 3‰ among the individuals sampled. Antler collagen was lower in δ15Ncol by ~1‰ relative to bone collagen. Bayesian mixing models were conducted to test for changes in dietary proportions from antler isotope compositions. Mixing models did not indicate significant dietary shifts for any individual during antler formation, showing consistently mixed diets of fungi, horsetail, lichen, and woody plants. Increases in δ15Ncol in antler tissue could, therefore, correspond to subtle seasonal dietary changes and/or the physiological stress of antler tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Brenning
- Department of Earth SciencesCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- PalaeobiologyCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Fred J. Longstaffe
- Department of Earth SciencesThe University of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada
| | - Danielle Fraser
- Department of Earth SciencesCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- PalaeobiologyCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
- Department of BiologyCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- Department of PaleobiologySmithsonian National Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDCUSA
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3
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Gasch K, Habe M, Krauss JS, Painer-Gigler J, Stalder G, Arnold W. The Influence of Photoperiod, Intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Food Availability on Seasonal Acclimatization in Red Deer ( Cervus elaphus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101600. [PMID: 37238030 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypometabolism and hypothermia are common reactions of birds and mammals to cope with harsh winter conditions. In small mammals, the occurrence of hibernation and daily torpor is entrained by photoperiod, and the magnitude of hypometabolism and decrease of body temperature (Tb) is influenced by the dietary supply of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. We investigated whether similar effects exist in a non-hibernating large mammal, the red deer (Cervus elaphus). We fed adult females with pellets enriched with either linoleic acid (LA) or α-linolenic acid (ALA) during alternating periods of ad libitum and restricted feeding in a cross-over experimental design. Further, we scrutinized the role of photoperiod for physiological and behavioral seasonal changes by manipulating the amount of circulating melatonin. The deer were equipped with data loggers recording heart rate, core and peripheral Tb, and locomotor activity. Further, we regularly weighed the animals and measured their daily intake of food pellets. All physiological and behavioral parameters measured varied seasonally, with amplitudes exacerbated by restricted feeding, but with only few and inconsistent effects of supplementation with LA or ALA. Administering melatonin around the summer solstice caused a change into the winter phenotype weeks ahead of time in all traits measured. We conclude that red deer reduce energy expenditure for thermoregulation upon short daylength, a reaction amplified by food restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Gasch
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuela Habe
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julie Sophie Krauss
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johanna Painer-Gigler
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Arnold
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Trammell EJ, Carlson ML, Reynolds JH, Taylor JJ, Schmidt NM. Ecological integrity and conservation challenges in a rapidly changing Arctic: A call for new approaches in large intact landscapes. AMBIO 2022; 51:2524-2531. [PMID: 35779211 PMCID: PMC9584027 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01756-6] [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: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Intactness is a commonly used measure of ecological integrity, especially when evaluating conservation status at the landscape scale. We argue that in the large and relatively unfragmented landscapes of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, intactness provides only partial insight for managers charged with maintaining ecological integrity. A recent landscape assessment suggests that 95% of Alaska shows no measured direct or indirect impacts of human development on the landscape. However, the current exceptionally high levels of intactness in Alaska, and throughout the Arctic and sub-Arctic, do not adequately reflect impacts to the region's ecological integrity caused by indirect stressors, such as a rapidly changing climate and the subsequent loss of the cryosphere. Thus, it can be difficult to measure, and manage, some of the conservation challenges presented by the ecological context of these systems. The dominant drivers of change, and their associated ecological and socioeconomic impacts, vary as systems decline in ecological integrity from very high to high, and to intermediate levels, but this is not well understood in the literature. Arctic and sub-Arctic systems, as well as other large intact areas, provide unique opportunities for conservation planning, but require tools and approaches appropriate to unfragmented landscapes undergoing rapid climate-driven ecological transformation. We conclude with possible directions for developing more appropriate metrics for measuring ecological integrity in these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Jamie Trammell
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
- Environmental Science, Policy, & Sustainability, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520 USA
| | - Matthew L. Carlson
- Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
| | - Joel H. Reynolds
- Climate Change Response Program, U.S. National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Dr. Suite 200, Fort Collins, CO 80525 USA
| | - Jason J. Taylor
- Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 790 E. Beckwith Ave, Missoula, MT 59801 USA
| | - Niels M. Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Lameris TK, Hoekendijk J, Aarts G, Aarts A, Allen AM, Bienfait L, Bijleveld AI, Bongers MF, Brasseur S, Chan YC, de Ferrante F, de Gelder J, Derksen H, Dijkgraaf L, Dijkhuis LR, Dijkstra S, Elbertsen G, Ernsten R, Foxen T, Gaarenstroom J, Gelhausen A, van Gils JA, Grosscurt S, Grundlehner A, Hertlein ML, van Heumen AJ, Heurman M, Huffeldt NP, Hutter WH, Kamstra YJJ, Keij F, van Kempen S, Keurntjes G, Knap H, Loonstra AJ, Nolet BA, Nuijten RJ, Mattijssen D, Oosterhoff H, Paarlberg N, Parekh M, Pattyn J, Polak C, Quist Y, Ras S, Reneerkens J, Ruth S, van der Schaar E, Schroen G, Spikman F, van Velzen J, Voorn E, Vos J, Wang D, Westdijk W, Wind M, Zhemchuzhnikov MK, van Langevelde F. Migratory vertebrates shift migration timing and distributions in a warming Arctic. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Climate warming in the Arctic has led to warmer and earlier springs, and as a result, many food resources for migratory animals become available earlier in the season, as well as become distributed further northwards. To optimally profit from these resources, migratory animals are expected to arrive earlier in the Arctic, as well as shift their own spatial distributions northwards. Here, we review literature to assess whether Arctic migratory birds and mammals already show shifts in migration timing or distribution in response to the warming climate. Distribution shifts were most prominent in marine mammals, as expected from observed northward shifts of their resources. At least for many bird species, the ability to shift distributions is likely constrained by available habitat further north. Shifts in timing have been shown in many species of terrestrial birds and ungulates, as well as for polar bears. Within species, we found strong variation in shifts in timing and distributions between populations. Ou r review thus shows that many migratory animals display shifts in migration timing and spatial distribution in reaction to a warming Arctic. Importantly, we identify large knowledge gaps especially concerning distribution shifts and timing of autumn migration, especially for marine mammals. Our understanding of how migratory animals respond to climate change appears to be mostly limited by the lack of long-term monitoring studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K. Lameris
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands ; Department of Animal Ecology , Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , Wageningen , the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Hoekendijk
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Geert Aarts
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
- Wageningen Marine Research , Wage-ningen University and Research , Den Helder , the Netherlands
| | - Aline Aarts
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Andrew M. Allen
- Department of Animal Ecology , Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , Wageningen , the Netherlands
| | - Louise Bienfait
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Allert I. Bijleveld
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Morten F. Bongers
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Brasseur
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Marine Research , Wage-ningen University and Research , Den Helder , the Netherlands
| | - Ying-Chi Chan
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) , University of Groningen , Groningen , the Netherlands
| | - Frits de Ferrante
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Jesse de Gelder
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Hilmar Derksen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Dijkgraaf
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Laurens R. Dijkhuis
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Dijkstra
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Gert Elbertsen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Roosmarijn Ernsten
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Tessa Foxen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Jari Gaarenstroom
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Anna Gelhausen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Jan A. van Gils
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) , University of Groningen , Groningen , the Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Grosscurt
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Anne Grundlehner
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Marit L. Hertlein
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Anouk J.P. van Heumen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Moniek Heurman
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas Per Huffeldt
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources , Nuuk , Greenland & Arctic Ecosystem Ecology, Department of Bioscience , Aarhus University , Roskilde , Denmark
| | - Willemijn H. Hutter
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Ynze J. J. Kamstra
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Femke Keij
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Susanne van Kempen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Gabi Keurntjes
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Harmen Knap
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | | | - Bart A. Nolet
- Department of Animal Ecology , Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , Wageningen , the Netherlands
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics , University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , the Netherlands
| | - Rascha J.M. Nuijten
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science, Department of Zoology , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Djan Mattijssen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Hanna Oosterhoff
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Nienke Paarlberg
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Malou Parekh
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Jef Pattyn
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Celeste Polak
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Yordi Quist
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Susan Ras
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Ruth
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Evelien van der Schaar
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Geert Schroen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Fanny Spikman
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Joyce van Velzen
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Ezra Voorn
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Janneke Vos
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Danyang Wang
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Wilson Westdijk
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Marco Wind
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Mikhail K. Zhemchuzhnikov
- Department of Coastal Systems , NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research , Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Group , Wageningen University , Wageningen , The Netherlands
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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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Pedersen SH, Bentzen TW, Reinking AK, Liston GE, Elder K, Lenart EA, Prichard AK, Welker JM. Quantifying effects of snow depth on caribou winter range selection and movement in Arctic Alaska. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:48. [PMID: 34551820 PMCID: PMC8456671 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00276-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caribou and reindeer across the Arctic spend more than two thirds of their lives moving in snow. Yet snow-specific mechanisms driving their winter ecology and potentially influencing herd health and movement patterns are not well known. Integrative research coupling snow and wildlife sciences using observations, models, and wildlife tracking technologies can help fill this knowledge void. METHODS Here, we quantified the effects of snow depth on caribou winter range selection and movement. We used location data of Central Arctic Herd (CAH) caribou in Arctic Alaska collected from 2014 to 2020 and spatially distributed and temporally evolving snow depth data produced by SnowModel. These landscape-scale (90 m), daily snow depth data reproduced the observed spatial snow-depth variability across typical areal extents occupied by a wintering caribou during a 24-h period. RESULTS We found that fall snow depths encountered by the herd north of the Brooks Range exerted a strong influence on selection of two distinct winter range locations. In winters with relatively shallow fall snow depth (2016/17, 2018/19, and 2019/20), the majority of the CAH wintered on the tundra north of the Brooks Range mountains. In contrast, during the winters with relatively deep fall snow depth (2014/15, 2015/16, and 2017/18), the majority of the CAH caribou wintered in the mountainous boreal forest south of the Brooks Range. Long-term (19 winters; 2001-2020) monitoring of CAH caribou winter distributions confirmed this relationship. Additionally, snow depth affected movement and selection differently within these two habitats: in the mountainous boreal forest, caribou avoided areas with deeper snow, but when on the tundra, snow depth did not trigger significant deep-snow avoidance. In both wintering habitats, CAH caribou selected areas with higher lichen abundance, and they moved significantly slower when encountering deeper snow. CONCLUSIONS In general, our findings indicate that regional-scale selection of winter range is influenced by snow depth at or prior to fall migration. During winter, daily decision-making within the winter range is driven largely by snow depth. This integrative approach of coupling snow and wildlife observations with snow-evolution and caribou-movement modeling to quantify the multi-facetted effects of snow on wildlife ecology is applicable to caribou and reindeer herds throughout the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Højlund Pedersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA.
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
| | | | - Adele K Reinking
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Glen E Liston
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Kelly Elder
- US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | | | | | - Jeffrey M Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- UArctic, University of the Arctic, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland
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8
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Snowier winters extend autumn availability of high‐quality forage for caribou in Arctic Alaska. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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9
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Watkinson AD, Virgl J, Miller VS, Naeth MA, Kim J, Serben K, Shapka C, Sinclair S. Effects of dust deposition from diamond mining on subarctic plant communities and barren-ground caribou forage. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2021; 50:990-1003. [PMID: 34105162 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dust produced from mining has the potential to reduce plant cover, alter plant communities, and increase metal concentrations in vegetation-changes that may affect the amount, type, and quality of forage for barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). We quantified dust deposition from Diavik Diamond Mine (Northwest Territories, Canada) and investigated the changes on forage quality, type, and quantity for caribou. From 2002 to 2016, dust deposition was measured, and vegetation cover and richness were assessed in permanent plots established adjacent to the mine and in reference areas 1-6 km from the mine. Lichen was collected from areas up to 100 km from the mine to determine metal concentrations. Dust deposition rapidly decreased within 4 km of the mine. Plant communities adjacent to the mine (within 500 m) had disproportionately increased cover of vascular plants and decreased bryophyte and lichen cover. Lichen sampled within 4 km from the mine had greater metal concentrations than those sampled farther afield. Concentrations of Al in lichen collected within 40 km of the mine exceeded safe exposure limits for consumption, assuming lichen comprised 100% of caribou diet. We conclude that dust deposition from mining is altering adjacent vegetation communities but that such changes to forage are unlikely to cause negative effects to caribou due to reduced lichen intake in summer and autumn, their migratory nature, and avoidance of mine-influenced areas. However, minimization and reclamation of mine-related disturbances will be important for maintaining sufficient quality forage and available habitat or space in caribou ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn D Watkinson
- Dep. of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Alberta, 751 General Services Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - John Virgl
- Golder Associates Ltd., 1721 8th St. E., Saskatoon, SK, S7H 0T4, Canada
| | - Valerie S Miller
- Dep. of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Alberta, 751 General Services Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - M Anne Naeth
- Dep. of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Alberta, 751 General Services Bldg., Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Jaewoo Kim
- Golder Associates Ltd., 102, 2535 3rd Ave. SE, Calgary, AB, T2A 7W5, Canada
| | - Kerrie Serben
- Golder Associates Ltd., 1721 8th St. E., Saskatoon, SK, S7H 0T4, Canada
| | - Chris Shapka
- Golder Associates Ltd., 4905 48 St. NT, Yellowknife, X1A 3S3, Canada
| | - Sean Sinclair
- Rio Tinto-Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc., 5201 50th Ave. NT, Yellowknife, X1A 2P8, Canada
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Contrasting dynamical responses of sympatric caribou and muskoxen to winter weather and earlier spring green-up in the Arctic. FOOD WEBS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Tyler NJC, Hanssen-Bauer I, Førland EJ, Nellemann C. The Shrinking Resource Base of Pastoralism: Saami Reindeer Husbandry in a Climate of Change. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.585685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The productive performance of large ungulates in extensive pastoral grazing systems is modulated simultaneously by the effects of climate change and human intervention independent of climate change. The latter includes the expansion of private, civil and military activity and infrastructure and the erosion of land rights. We used Saami reindeer husbandry in Norway as a model in which to examine trends in, and to compare the influence of, both effects on a pastoral grazing system. Downscaled projections of mean annual temperature over the principal winter pasture area (Finnmarksvidda) closely matched empirical observations across 34 years to 2018. The area, therefore, is not only warming but seems likely to continue to do so. Warming notwithstanding, 50-year (1969–2018) records of local weather (temperature, precipitation and characteristics of the snowpack) demonstrate considerable annual and decadal variation which also seems likely to continue and alternately to amplify and to counter net warming. Warming, moreover, has both positive and negative effects on ecosystem services that influence reindeer. The effects of climate change on reindeer pastoralism are evidently neither temporally nor spatially uniform, nor indeed is the role of climate change as a driver of change in pastoralism even clear. The effects of human intervention on the system, by contrast, are clear and largely negative. Gradual liberalization of grazing rights from the 18th Century has been countered by extensive loss of reindeer pasture. Access to ~50% of traditional winter pasture was lost in the 19th Century owing to the closure of international borders to the passage of herders and their reindeer. Subsequent to this the area of undisturbed pasture within Norway has decreased by 71%. Loss of pasture due to piecemeal development of infrastructure and to administrative encroachment that erodes herders' freedom of action on the land that remains to them, are the principal threats to reindeer husbandry in Norway today. These tangible effects far exceed the putative effects of current climate change on the system. The situation confronting Saami reindeer pastoralism is not unique: loss of pasture and administrative, economic, legal and social constraints bedevil extensive pastoral grazing systems across the globe.
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Cosgrove CL, Wells J, Nolin AW, Putera J, Prugh LR. Seasonal influence of snow conditions on Dall's sheep productivity in Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244787. [PMID: 33561149 PMCID: PMC7872280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) are endemic to alpine areas of sub-Arctic and Arctic northwest America and are an ungulate species of high economic and cultural importance. Populations have historically experienced large fluctuations in size, and studies have linked population declines to decreased productivity as a consequence of late-spring snow cover. However, it is not known how the seasonality of snow accumulation and characteristics such as depth and density may affect Dall's sheep productivity. We examined relationships between snow and climate conditions and summer lamb production in Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska over a 37-year study period. To produce covariates pertaining to the quality of the snowpack, a spatially-explicit snow evolution model was forced with meteorological data from a gridded climate re-analysis from 1980 to 2017 and calibrated with ground-based snow surveys and validated by snow depth data from remote cameras. The best calibrated model produced an RMSE of 0.08 m (bias 0.06 m) for snow depth compared to the remote camera data. Observed lamb-to-ewe ratios from 19 summers of survey data were regressed against seasonally aggregated modelled snow and climate properties from the preceding snow season. We found that a multiple regression model of fall snow depth and fall air temperature explained 41% of the variance in lamb-to-ewe ratios (R2 = .41, F(2,38) = 14.89, p<0.001), with decreased lamb production following deep snow conditions and colder fall temperatures. Our results suggest the early establishment and persistence of challenging snow conditions is more important than snow conditions immediately prior to and during lambing. These findings may help wildlife managers to better anticipate Dall's sheep recruitment dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L. Cosgrove
- College of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Jeff Wells
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Tok, AK, United States of America
| | - Anne W. Nolin
- College of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
- Department of Geography, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, United States of America
| | - Judy Putera
- Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and Central Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network, AK, United States of America
| | - Laura R. Prugh
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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Loe LE, Liston GE, Pigeon G, Barker K, Horvitz N, Stien A, Forchhammer M, Getz WM, Irvine RJ, Lee A, Movik LK, Mysterud A, Pedersen ÅØ, Reinking AK, Ropstad E, Trondrud LM, Tveraa T, Veiberg V, Hansen BB, Albon SD. The neglected season: Warmer autumns counteract harsher winters and promote population growth in Arctic reindeer. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 27:993-1002. [PMID: 33231361 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Arctic ungulates are experiencing the most rapid climate warming on Earth. While concerns have been raised that more frequent icing events may cause die-offs, and earlier springs may generate a trophic mismatch in phenology, the effects of warming autumns have been largely neglected. We used 25 years of individual-based data from a growing population of wild Svalbard reindeer, to test how warmer autumns enhance population growth. Delayed plant senescence had no effect, but a six-week delay in snow-onset (the observed data range) was estimated to increase late winter body mass by 10%. Because average late winter body mass explains 90% of the variation in population growth rates, such a delay in winter-onset would enable a population growth of r = 0.20, sufficient to counteract all but the most extreme icing events. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into the consequences of climate change for Arctic herbivores, highlighting the positive impact of warming autumns on population viability, offsetting the impacts of harsher winters. Thus, the future for Arctic herbivores facing climate change may be brighter than the prevailing view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Glen E Liston
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Gabriel Pigeon
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Kristin Barker
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nir Horvitz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Audun Stien
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Wayne Marcus Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Robert Justin Irvine
- Frankfurt Zoological Society, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Aline Lee
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Lars K Movik
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Adele K Reinking
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Liv Monica Trondrud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Brage B Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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15
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Paoli A, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Kumpula J. The onset in spring and the end in autumn of the thermal and vegetative growing season affect calving time and reproductive success in reindeer. Curr Zool 2020; 66:123-134. [PMID: 32440272 PMCID: PMC7233615 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A developing trophic mismatch between the peak of energy demands by reproducing animals and the peak of forage availability has caused many species' reproductive success to decrease. The match-mismatch hypothesis (MMH) is an appealing concept that can be used to assess such fitness consequences. However, concerns have been raised on applying the MMH on capital breeders such as reindeer because the reliance on maternal capita rather than dietary income may mitigate negative effects of changing phenologies. Using a long-term dataset of reindeer calving dates recorded since 1970 in a semidomesticated reindeer population in Finnish Lapland and proxies of plant phenology; we tested the main hypothesis that the time lag between calving date and the plant phenology in autumn when females store nutrient reserves to finance reproduction would lead to consequences on reproductive success, as the time lag with spring conditions would. As predicted, the reproductive success of females of the Kutuharju reindeer population was affected by both the onset of spring green-up and vegetative senescence in autumn as calves were born heavier and with a higher first-summer survival when the onset of the vegetation growth was earlier and the end of the thermal growing season the previous year was earlier as well. Our results demonstrated that longer plant growing seasons might be detrimental to reindeer's reproductive success if a later end is accompanied by a reduced abundance of mushrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Paoli
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Robert B Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, PO Box 5003, Norway
| | - Jouko Kumpula
- Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke), Reindeer Research Station, 99910, Finland
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16
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Herfindal I, Tveraa T, Stien A, Solberg EJ, Grøtan V. When does weather synchronize life-history traits? Spatiotemporal patterns in juvenile body mass of two ungulates. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1419-1432. [PMID: 32108334 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13192] [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: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Theory predicts that animal populations will be synchronized over large distances by weather and climatic conditions with high spatial synchrony. However, local variation in population responses to weather, and low synchrony in key weather variables or in other ecological processes may reduce the population synchrony. We investigated to what extent temperature and precipitation during different periods of the year synchronized juvenile body mass of moose and reindeer in Norway. We expected high synchronizing effect of weather variables with a high and consistent explanatory power on body mass dynamics across populations, and a weaker synchronizing effect of weather variables whose effect on body mass varied among populations. Juvenile body mass in both species was related to temperature and precipitation during several periods of the year. Temperature had the strongest explanatory power in both species, with a similar effect across all populations. There was higher spatial synchrony in temperature compared to precipitation, and accordingly temperature had the strongest synchronizing effect on juvenile body mass. Moreover, periods with strong explanatory power had stronger synchronizing effect on juvenile body mass in both species. However, weather variables with large variation in the effects on body mass among populations had weak synchronizing effect. The results confirm that weather has a large impact on the spatial structure of population properties but also that spatial heterogeneity, for instance, in environmental change or population density may affect how and to what extent populations are synchronized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivar Herfindal
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Erling J Solberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vidar Grøtan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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17
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Kautz TM, Belant JL, Beyer DE, Strickland BK, Duquette JF. Influence of body mass and environmental conditions on winter mortality risk of a northern ungulate: Evidence for a late-winter survival bottleneck. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1666-1677. [PMID: 32076542 PMCID: PMC7029083 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A relationship between winter weather and survival of northern ungulates has long been established, yet the possible roles of biological (e.g., nutritional status) and environmental (e.g., weather) conditions make it important to determine which potential limiting factors are most influential.Our objective was to examine the potential effects of individual (body mass and age) and extrinsic (winter severity and snowmelt conditions) factors on the magnitude and timing of mortality for adult (>2.5 years old) female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus [Zimmerman, 1780]) during February-May in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA.One hundred and fifty deer were captured and monitored during 2009-2015 in two areas with varying snowfall. February-May survival ranged from 0.24 to 0.89 (mean = 0.69) across years. Mortality risk increased 1.9% with each unit increase in cumulative winter severity index, decreased 8.2% with each cumulative snow-free day, and decreased 4.3% with each kg increase in body mass. Age and weekly snow depth did not influence weekly deer survival. Predation, primarily from coyote (Canis latrans [Say, 1823]) and wolves (Canis lupus [L., 1758]), accounted for 78% of known-cause mortalities.Our results suggest that cumulative winter severity, and possibly to a lesser degree deer condition entering winter, impacted deer winter survival. However, the timing of spring snowmelt appeared to be the most influential factor determining late-winter mortality of deer in our study. This supports the hypothesis that nutrition and energetic demands from weather conditions are both important to northern ungulate winter ecology. Under this model, a delay of several weeks in the timing of spring snowmelt could exert a large influence on deer survival, resulting in a survival bottleneck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M. Kautz
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife ConservationState University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNYUSA
| | - Jerrold L. Belant
- Camp Fire Program in Wildlife ConservationState University of New York College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNYUSA
| | - Dean E. Beyer
- Wildlife DivisionMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesMarquetteMIUSA
| | - Bronson K. Strickland
- Forest and Wildlife Research CenterMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
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18
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Gagnon CA, Hamel S, Russell DE, Powell T, Andre J, Svoboda MY, Berteaux D. Merging indigenous and scientific knowledge links climate with the growth of a large migratory caribou population. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Gagnon
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity Centre of Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science Université du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
- Département de Biologie Université Laval Quebec QC Canada
| | | | - Todd Powell
- Department of Environment Yukon Government Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - James Andre
- Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Society Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Michael Y. Svoboda
- Canadian Wildlife Service Environment and Climate Change Canada Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Canada Research Chair on Northern Biodiversity Centre of Northern Studies and Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science Université du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
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19
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Gurarie E, Hebblewhite M, Joly K, Kelly AP, Adamczewski J, Davidson SC, Davison T, Gunn A, Suitor MJ, Fagan WF, Boelman N. Tactical departures and strategic arrivals: Divergent effects of climate and weather on caribou spring migrations. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eliezer Gurarie
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Kyle Joly
- National Park Service Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network Fairbanks Alaska 99709 USA
| | - Allicia P. Kelly
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Fort Smith Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Jan Adamczewski
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Yellowknife Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Sarah C. Davidson
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Am Obstberg 1 Radolfzell 78315 Germany
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
| | - Tracy Davison
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Northwest Territories Inuvik Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Anne Gunn
- Circumarctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network (CARMA) Salt Spring Island British Columbia V8K 1V1 Canada
| | - Michael J. Suitor
- Fish and Wildlife Branch Environment Yukon, Yukon Government Dawson City Yukon Canada
| | - William F. Fagan
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Natalie Boelman
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University Palisades New York 10964 USA
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20
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Post E, Alley RB, Christensen TR, Macias-Fauria M, Forbes BC, Gooseff MN, Iler A, Kerby JT, Laidre KL, Mann ME, Olofsson J, Stroeve JC, Ulmer F, Virginia RA, Wang M. The polar regions in a 2°C warmer world. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw9883. [PMID: 31840060 PMCID: PMC6892626 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw9883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, the Arctic has warmed by 0.75°C, far outpacing the global average, while Antarctic temperatures have remained comparatively stable. As Earth approaches 2°C warming, the Arctic and Antarctic may reach 4°C and 2°C mean annual warming, and 7°C and 3°C winter warming, respectively. Expected consequences of increased Arctic warming include ongoing loss of land and sea ice, threats to wildlife and traditional human livelihoods, increased methane emissions, and extreme weather at lower latitudes. With low biodiversity, Antarctic ecosystems may be vulnerable to state shifts and species invasions. Land ice loss in both regions will contribute substantially to global sea level rise, with up to 3 m rise possible if certain thresholds are crossed. Mitigation efforts can slow or reduce warming, but without them northern high latitude warming may accelerate in the next two to four decades. International cooperation will be crucial to foreseeing and adapting to expected changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Post
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Richard B. Alley
- Department of Geosciences, and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Torben R. Christensen
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Marc Macias-Fauria
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Bruce C. Forbes
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Box 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Michael N. Gooseff
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Amy Iler
- Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022, USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Kerby
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Neukom Institute for Computational Science, Institute of Arctic Studies, and Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Kristin L. Laidre
- Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Michael E. Mann
- Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science and Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Julienne C. Stroeve
- University College London, Bloomsbury, London, UK
- National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Fran Ulmer
- Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, 420 L Street, Suite 315 Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
- Chair, U.S. Artic Research Commission, 4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Ross A. Virginia
- Institute of Arctic Studies, and Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Muyin Wang
- Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA 98115, USA
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Hansen BB, Pedersen ÅØ, Peeters B, Le Moullec M, Albon SD, Herfindal I, Sæther B, Grøtan V, Aanes R. Spatial heterogeneity in climate change effects decouples the long-term dynamics of wild reindeer populations in the high Arctic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3656-3668. [PMID: 31435996 PMCID: PMC6851690 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The 'Moran effect' predicts that dynamics of populations of a species are synchronized over similar distances as their environmental drivers. Strong population synchrony reduces species viability, but spatial heterogeneity in density dependence, the environment, or its ecological responses may decouple dynamics in space, preventing extinctions. How such heterogeneity buffers impacts of global change on large-scale population dynamics is not well studied. Here, we show that spatially autocorrelated fluctuations in annual winter weather synchronize wild reindeer dynamics across high-Arctic Svalbard, while, paradoxically, spatial variation in winter climate trends contribute to diverging local population trajectories. Warmer summers have improved the carrying capacity and apparently led to increased total reindeer abundance. However, fluctuations in population size seem mainly driven by negative effects of stochastic winter rain-on-snow (ROS) events causing icing, with strongest effects at high densities. Count data for 10 reindeer populations 8-324 km apart suggested that density-dependent ROS effects contributed to synchrony in population dynamics, mainly through spatially autocorrelated mortality. By comparing one coastal and one 'continental' reindeer population over four decades, we show that locally contrasting abundance trends can arise from spatial differences in climate change and responses to weather. The coastal population experienced a larger increase in ROS, and a stronger density-dependent ROS effect on population growth rates, than the continental population. In contrast, the latter experienced stronger summer warming and showed the strongest positive response to summer temperatures. Accordingly, contrasting net effects of a recent climate regime shift-with increased ROS and harsher winters, yet higher summer temperatures and improved carrying capacity-led to negative and positive abundance trends in the coastal and continental population respectively. Thus, synchronized population fluctuations by climatic drivers can be buffered by spatial heterogeneity in the same drivers, as well as in the ecological responses, averaging out climate change effects at larger spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brage Bremset Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Ivar Herfindal
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bernt‐Erik Sæther
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Vidar Grøtan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Ronny Aanes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI)Fram CentreTromsøNorway
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Campeau AB, Rickbeil GJM, Coops NC, Côté SD. Long-term changes in the primary productivity of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) calving grounds and summer pasture on the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula (Northeastern Canada): the mixed influences of climate change and caribou herbivory. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Mallory CD, Boyce MS. Prioritization of landscape connectivity for the conservation of Peary caribou. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2189-2205. [PMID: 30847104 PMCID: PMC6392347 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Adequate connectivity between discontinuous habitat patches is crucial for the persistence of metapopulations across space and time. Loss of landscape connectivity is often a direct result of fragmentation caused by human activities but also can be caused indirectly through anthropogenic climate change. Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) are widely dispersed across the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and rely on sea ice to move seasonally between island habitats throughout their range. Seasonal connectivity provided by sea ice is necessary to maintain genetic diversity and to facilitate dispersal and recolonization of areas from which caribou have been extirpated. We used least-cost path analysis and circuit theory to model connectivity across Peary caribou range, and future climate projections to investigate how this connectivity might be affected by a warming climate. Further, we used measures of current flow centrality to estimate the role of High Arctic islands in maintaining connectivity between Peary caribou populations and to identify and prioritize those islands and linkages most important for conservation. Our results suggest that the Bathurst Island complex plays a critical role in facilitating connectivity between Peary caribou populations. Large islands, including Banks, Victoria, and Ellesmere have limited roles in connecting Peary caribou. Without rigorous greenhouse gas emission reductions our projections indicate that by 2100 all connectivity between the more southern Peary caribou populations will be lost for important spring and early-winter movement periods. Continued connectivity across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and possibly Peary caribou persistence, ultimately hinges on global commitments to limit climate change. Our research highlights priority areas where, in addition to emission reductions, conservation efforts to maintain connectivity would be most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor D. Mallory
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
- Department of EnvironmentGovernment of NunavutIglulikNunavutCanada
| | - Mark S. Boyce
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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Kenny TA, Fillion M, Simpkin S, Wesche SD, Chan HM. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and Inuit Nutrition Security in Canada. ECOHEALTH 2018; 15:590-607. [PMID: 30116999 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-018-1348-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) has been fundamental to the diet and culture of Arctic Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years. Although caribou populations observe natural cycles of abundance and scarcity, several caribou herds across the Circumpolar North have experienced dramatic declines in recent decades due to a range of interrelated factors. Broadly, the objectives of this study are to examine food and nutrition security in relation to wildlife population and management status across Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland, consisting of four regions across the Canadian Arctic). Specifically, we: (1) characterize the contribution of caribou to Inuit nutrition across northern Canada and (2) evaluate the population and management status of caribou herds/populations harvested by Inuit. Dietary data were derived from the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey, which included dietary information for Inuit adults (n = 2097) residing in thirty-six communities, spanning three regions (the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, and Nunatsiavut) of the Canadian North. Published information regarding the range, abundance, status, and management status of caribou herds/populations was collected through document analysis and was validated through consultation with northern wildlife experts (territorial governments, co-management, and/or Inuit organizations). While caribou contributed modestly to total diet energy (3-11% of intake) across the regions, it was the primary source of iron (14-37%), zinc (18-41%), copper (12-39%), riboflavin (15-39%), and vitamin B12 (27-52%), as well as a top source of protein (13-35%). Restrictions on Inuit subsistence harvest (harvest quotas or bans) are currently enacted on at least six northern caribou herds/populations with potential consequences for country food access for over twenty-five Inuit communities across Canada. A holistic multi-sectorial approach is needed to ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations, while supporting Inuit food and nutrition security in the interim.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiff-Annie Kenny
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | | | - Sarah Simpkin
- Geographic, Statistical and Government Information Centre, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Sonia D Wesche
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Hing Man Chan
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Paoli A, Weladji RB, Holand Ø, Kumpula J. Winter and spring climatic conditions influence timing and synchrony of calving in reindeer. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195603. [PMID: 29694410 PMCID: PMC5918797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In a context of climate change, a mismatch has been shown to occur between some species' reproductive phenology and their environment. So far, few studies have either documented temporal trends in calving phenology or assessed which climatic variables influence the calving phenology in ungulate species, yet the phenology of ungulates' births affects offspring survival and population's recruitment rate. Using a long-term dataset (45 years) of birth dates of a semi-domesticated reindeer population in Kaamanen, North Finland, we show that calving season has advanced by ~ 7 days between 1970 and 2016. Advanced birth dates were associated with lower precipitation and a reduced snow cover in April and warmer temperatures in April-May. Improved females' physical condition in late gestation due to warmer temperatures in April-May and reduced snow conditions in April probably accounted for such advance in calving date. On the other hand, a lengthening of the calving season was reported following a warmer temperature in January, a higher number of days when mean temperature exceeds 0°C in October-November and a decreasing snow cover from October to November. By affecting the inter-individual heterogeneity in the plastic response of females' calving date to better climatic conditions in fall and winter, climatic variability contributed to weaken the calving synchrony in this herd. Whether variability in climatic conditions form environmental cues for the adaptation of calving phenology by females to climate change is however uncertain, but it is likely. As such this study enhances our understanding on how reproductive phenology of ungulate species would be affected by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Paoli
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert B. Weladji
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Øystein Holand
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Jouko Kumpula
- Natural Resources Institute of Finland, Reindeer Research Station, Kaamanen, Finland
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Climate Degradation and Extreme Icing Events Constrain Life in Cold-Adapted Mammals. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1156. [PMID: 29348632 PMCID: PMC5773676 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19416-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the growth in knowledge about the effects of a warming Arctic on its cold-adapted species, the mechanisms by which these changes affect animal populations remain poorly understood. Increasing temperatures, declining sea ice and altered wind and precipitation patterns all may affect the fitness and abundance of species through multiple direct and indirect pathways. Here we demonstrate previously unknown effects of rain-on-snow (ROS) events, winter precipitation, and ice tidal surges on the Arctic’s largest land mammal. Using novel field data across seven years and three Alaskan and Russian sites, we show arrested skeletal growth in juvenile muskoxen resulting from unusually dry winter conditions and gestational ROS events, with the inhibitory effects on growth from ROS events lasting up to three years post-partum. Further, we describe the simultaneous entombment of 52 muskoxen in ice during a Chukchi Sea winter tsunami (ivuniq in Iñupiat), and link rapid freezing to entrapment of Arctic whales and otters. Our results illustrate how once unusual, but increasingly frequent Arctic weather events affect some cold-adapted mammals, and suggest that an understanding of species responses to a changing Arctic can be enhanced by coalescing groundwork, rare events, and insights from local people.
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Moratz KL, Gullikson BS, Michel ES, Jenks JA, Grove DM, Jensen WF. Assessing factors affecting adult female white-tailed deer survival in the Northern Great Plains. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr18032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Documenting cause-specific mortality and deriving survival estimates for a population are both vital to understanding potential restrictions to population growth. Survival varies among populations of the same species and depends on several factors, including climatic events, density-dependent and density-independent factors, observed predator composition and whether recreational hunting occurs. Therefore, understanding factors affecting adult survival and estimating survival rates at biologically important times will help refine management of these populations.
Aims
We aimed to assess cause-specific mortality, estimate survival rates, and determine at what part of the winter (January to April) most mortalities occurred for female white-tailed deer located in the Northern Great Plains region of the USA.
Methods
We captured 165 adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) located in western North Dakota and north-western South Dakota, USA, during the winters of 2014 and 2015. We fitted individuals with Very High Frequency (VHF) radio-collars and located them 1–3 times per week to monitor survival. We investigated all mortalities to establish proximate cause of death.
Key Results
Survival was lowest during our Hunt time period (S=0.93), although hunter harvest was not the leading cause of mortality. Predation was the greatest source of mortality, particularly during our Post-hunt time period. Additionally, almost 90% of mortalities occurring during the Post-hunt time period happened during late winter before spring green up.
Conclusions and Implications
Predation was the main source of mortality for adult females in our study, with coyotes (Canis latrans) being the sole predator capable of depredation in our study area. Predation by coyotes may indicate that potential factors, including winter severity and nutritional restrictions, have decreased female body condition, making individuals more susceptible to predation. Although we report relatively high survival, managers should consider the possibility that coyotes may impact adult populations, particularly in regions where other large-sized predators occur, or in regions where coyotes are newly established. Managers should also acknowledge that overwinter density estimates may need to be adjusted during severe winters to account for mortalities that occur after population surveys are conducted.
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Schaefer JA, Peers MJL, Ellington EH, Mumma MA, Rayl ND, Mahoney SP, Murray DL. Climate change can alter predator–prey dynamics and population viability of prey. Oecologia 2017; 186:141-150. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-4017-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Zamin TJ, Côté SD, Tremblay JP, Grogan P. Experimental warming alters migratory caribou forage quality. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:2061-2073. [PMID: 28653471 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Global declines in caribou and reindeer (Rangifer) populations have drawn attention to the myriad of stressors that these Arctic and boreal forest herbivores currently face. Arctic warming has resulted in increased tundra shrub growth and therefore Rangifer forage quantity. However, its effects on forage quality have not yet been addressed although they may be critical to Rangifer body condition and fecundity. We investigated the impact of 8 yrs of summer warming on the quality of forage available to the Bathurst caribou herd using experimental greenhouses (n = 5) located in mesic birch hummock tundra in the central Canadian Low Arctic. Leaf forage quality and digestibility characteristics associated with nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), phenolics, and fiber were measured on the deciduous shrub Betula glandulosa (an important Rangifer diet component) at six time points through the growing season, and on five other very common vascular plant and lichen species in late summer. Experimental warming reduced B. glandulosa leaf nitrogen concentrations by ~10% in both late June and mid-July, but not afterwards. It also reduced late summer forage quality of the graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum by increasing phenolic concentrations 38%. Warming had mixed effects on forage quality of the lichen Cetraria cucullata in that it increased nutrient concentrations and tended to decrease fiber contents, but it also increased phenolics. Altogether, these warming-induced changes in forage quality over the growing season, and response differences among species, highlight the importance of Rangifer adaptability in diet selection. Furthermore, the early season reduction in B. glandulosa nitrogen content is a particular concern given the importance of this time for calf growth. Overall, our demonstration of the potential for significant warming impacts on forage quality at critical times for these animals underscores the importance of effective Rangifer range conservation to ensure sufficient appropriate habitat to support adaptability in forage selection in a rapidly changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J Zamin
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie, and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Tremblay
- Caribou Ungava, Département de Biologie, and Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Paul Grogan
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
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30
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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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31
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Ahrestani FS, Smith WK, Hebblewhite M, Running S, Post E. Variation in stability of elk and red deer populations with abiotic and biotic factors at the species-distribution scale. Ecology 2016; 97:3184-3194. [PMID: 27870038 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Stability in population dynamics is an emergent property of the interaction between direct and delayed density dependence, the strengths of which vary with environmental covariates. Analysis of variation across populations in the strength of direct and delayed density dependence can reveal variation in stability properties of populations at the species level. We examined the stability properties of 22 elk/red deer populations in a two-stage analysis. First, we estimated direct and delayed density dependence applying an AR(2) model in a Bayesian hierarchical framework. Second, we plotted the coefficients of direct and delayed density dependence in the Royama parameter plane. We then used a hierarchical approach to test the significance of environmental covariates of direct and delayed density dependence. Three populations exhibited highly stable and convergent dynamics with strong direct, and weak delayed, density dependence. The remaining 19 populations exhibited more complex dynamics characterized by multi-annual fluctuations. Most (15 of 19) of these exhibited a combination of weak to moderate direct and delayed density dependence. Best-fit models included environmental covariates in 17 populations (77% of the total). Of these, interannual variation in growing-season primary productivity and interannual variation in winter temperature were the most common, performing as the best-fit covariate in six and five populations, respectively. Interannual variation in growing-season primary productivity was associated with the weakest combination of direct and delayed density dependence, while interannual variation in winter temperature was associated with the strongest combination of direct and delayed density dependence. These results accord with a classic theoretical prediction that environmental variability should weaken population stability. They furthermore suggest that two forms of environmental variability, one related to forage resources and the other related to abiotic conditions, both reduce stability, but in opposing fashion: one through weakened direct density dependence and the other through strengthened delayed density dependence. Importantly, however, no single abiotic or biotic environmental factor emerged as generally predictive of the strengths of direct or delayed density dependence, nor of the stability properties emerging from their interaction. Our results emphasize the challenges inherent to ascribing primacy to drivers of such parameters at the species level and distribution scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshid S Ahrestani
- The Polar Center and Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA.,Frontier Wildlife Conservation, Mumbai, 400007, India
| | - William K Smith
- Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA.,School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Steven Running
- Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Science, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Eric Post
- The Polar Center and Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA.,Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
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Uboni A, Horstkotte T, Kaarlejärvi E, Sévêque A, Stammler F, Olofsson J, Forbes BC, Moen J. Long-Term Trends and Role of Climate in the Population Dynamics of Eurasian Reindeer. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158359. [PMID: 27362499 PMCID: PMC4928808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature is increasing in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world. The frequency and nature of precipitation events are also predicted to change in the future. These changes in climate are expected, together with increasing human pressures, to have significant impacts on Arctic and sub-Arctic species and ecosystems. Due to the key role that reindeer play in those ecosystems, it is essential to understand how climate will affect the region’s most important species. Our study assesses the role of climate on the dynamics of fourteen Eurasian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) populations, using for the first time data on reindeer abundance collected over a 70-year period, including both wild and semi-domesticated reindeer, and covering more than half of the species’ total range. We analyzed trends in population dynamics, investigated synchrony among population growth rates, and assessed the effects of climate on population growth rates. Trends in the population dynamics were remarkably heterogeneous. Synchrony was apparent only among some populations and was not correlated with distance among population ranges. Proxies of climate variability mostly failed to explain population growth rates and synchrony. For both wild and semi-domesticated populations, local weather, biotic pressures, loss of habitat and human disturbances appear to have been more important drivers of reindeer population dynamics than climate. In semi-domesticated populations, management strategies may have masked the effects of climate. Conservation efforts should aim to mitigate human disturbances, which could exacerbate the potentially negative effects of climate change on reindeer populations in the future. Special protection and support should be granted to those semi-domesticated populations that suffered the most because of the collapse of the Soviet Union, in order to protect the livelihood of indigenous peoples that depend on the species, and the multi-faceted role that reindeer exert in Arctic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Uboni
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Tim Horstkotte
- Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Plant Biology and Nature Management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anthony Sévêque
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Jon Moen
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Rasmus S, Kivinen S, Bavay M, Heiskanen J. Local and regional variability in snow conditions in northern Finland: A reindeer herding perspective. AMBIO 2016; 45:398-414. [PMID: 26754168 PMCID: PMC4824707 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-015-0762-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Weather station measurements were used to force the SNOWPACK snow model and combined with reindeer herders' experiences to study the local and regional variations in snow conditions in a Finnish reindeer herding area for the 1981-2010 period. Winter conditions varied significantly between the four selected herding districts and between open and forest environments within the districts. The highest snow depths and densities, the thicknesses of ground ice, and the lengths of snow cover period were generally found in the northernmost districts. The snow depths showed the strongest regional coherence, whereas the thicknesses of ground ice were weakly correlated among the districts. The local variation in snow depths was higher than the regional variation and limits for rare or exceptional events varied notably between different districts and environments. The results highlight that forests diversify snow and foraging conditions, e.g., ground ice rarely forms simultaneously in different environments. Sufficient and diverse forest pastures are important during the critical winter season if reindeer herding is pursued on natural grazing grounds also in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirpa Rasmus
- />Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Sonja Kivinen
- />Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Mathias Bavay
- />WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland
| | - Janne Heiskanen
- />Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 68, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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34
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Ricca MA, Miles AK, Van Vuren DH, Eviner VT. Impacts of introduced
Rangifer
on ecosystem processes of maritime tundra on subarctic islands. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Ricca
- U.S. Geological SurveyWestern Ecological Research CenterUniversity of California One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California Davis California 95616 USA
| | - A. Keith Miles
- U.S. Geological SurveyWestern Ecological Research CenterUniversity of California One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Dirk H. Van Vuren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Valerie T. Eviner
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of California Davis California 95616 USA
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Abstract
Abstract
Identifying limiting factors is fundamental to understanding and conserving mammals, yet it often requires long-term data for long-lived species. Numerical changes of migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ), for example, may unfold over decades, but few studies have examined habitat use at similar timeframes. We analyzed multiple decades of habitat use by caribou in Newfoundland, Canada, coincident with their numeric growth ( r = 0.064 in 1980s, 1990s) and decline ( r = −0.099 in 2000s). We examined 2 scales: selection of land cover, based on radiotracking of 520 adult females, and diet, based on microhistological analysis of feces and age-specific tooth wear from jawbones of harvested animals. Caribou responded at both scales. In contrast to previous decades, females during the population decline used proportionally less open coniferous and closed coniferous forests, they used more shrublands (in fall and winter) and barrens, open habitats with greater vascular plant resources. Patterns of selection also changed from nonselection to avoidance of open coniferous forest and from avoidance to nonselection or preference of barrens. The proportion of dietary moss increased at the expense of deciduous shrubs, especially during spring and summer and of ericaceous shrubs, graminoids, and lichens during winter. Teeth of both sexes exhibited premature wear, likely indicative of abrasion from low-quality forages and cropping of foods near the ground. These patterns mirror other responses, including declines in calf weight, female body size, number of male antler points, herd affinities, and time spent on the summer grounds. We surmise that they reflect density-dependent forage limitation of this island population.
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Åhman B, Svensson K, Rönnegård L. High female mortality resulting in herd collapse in free-ranging domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Sweden. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111509. [PMID: 25356591 PMCID: PMC4214728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111509] [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: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reindeer herding in Sweden is a form of pastoralism practised by the indigenous Sámi population. The economy is mainly based on meat production. Herd size is generally regulated by harvest in order not to overuse grazing ranges and keep a productive herd. Nonetheless, herd growth and room for harvest is currently small in many areas. Negative herd growth and low harvest rate were observed in one of two herds in a reindeer herding community in Central Sweden. The herds (A and B) used the same ranges from April until the autumn gathering in October–December, but were separated on different ranges over winter. Analyses of capture-recapture for 723 adult female reindeer over five years (2007–2012) revealed high annual losses (7.1% and 18.4%, for herd A and B respectively). A continuing decline in the total reindeer number in herd B demonstrated an inability to maintain the herd size in spite of a very small harvest. An estimated breakpoint for when herd size cannot be kept stable confirmed that the observed female mortality rate in herd B represented a state of herd collapse. Lower calving success in herd B compared to A indicated differences in winter foraging conditions. However, we found only minor differences in animal body condition between the herds in autumn. We found no evidence that a lower autumn body mass generally increased the risk for a female of dying from one autumn to the next. We conclude that the prime driver of the on-going collapse of herd B is not high animal density or poor body condition. Accidents or disease seem unlikely as major causes of mortality. Predation, primarily by lynx and wolverine, appears to be the most plausible reason for the high female mortality and state of collapse in the studied reindeer herding community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitta Åhman
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristin Svensson
- School of Technology & Business Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
| | - Lars Rönnegård
- School of Technology & Business Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
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Starns HD, Ricca MA, Duarte A, Weckerly FW. Climatic and density influences on recruitment in an irruptive population of Roosevelt elk. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/13-mamm-a-313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Anderson TA, Johnson CJ. Distribution of barren-ground caribou during winter in response to fire. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00010.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Ricca MA, Van Vuren DH, Weckerly FW, Williams JC, Miles AK. Irruptive dynamics of introduced caribou on Adak Island, Alaska: an evaluation of Riney-Caughley model predictions. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00338.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Bastille-Rousseau G, Schaefer JA, Mahoney SP, Murray DL. Population decline in semi-migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus): intrinsic or extrinsic drivers? CAN J ZOOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2013-0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Many populations of caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) across North America, including Newfoundland, are in a state of decline. This phenomenon may reflect continental-scale changes in either the extrinsic or the intrinsic factors affecting caribou abundance. We hypothesized that caribou decline reflected marked resource limitation and predicted that fluctuations should correspond to time-delayed density dependence associated with a decline in range quality and decadal trends in winter severity. By conducting time-series analysis using 12 populations and evaluating correlations between caribou abundance and trends in (i) vegetation available at calving (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI), (ii) winter weather severity (index of North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO), and (iii) caribou morphometrics, we observed strong evidence of density dependence in population dynamics (i.e., a negative relationship between caribou population size and caribou morphometrics). Caribou population trajectories were time-delayed relative to winter severity, but not relative to calving-ground greenness. These island-wide correlations could not be traced to dispersal between herds, which appears rare at least for adult females. Our results suggest that trends in winter severity may synchronize broad-scale changes in caribou abundance that are driven by time-delayed density dependence, although it remains possible that calving-ground deterioration also may contribute to population limitation in Newfoundland. Our findings provide the basis for additional research into density dependence and caribou population decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - James A. Schaefer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Shane P. Mahoney
- Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation, PO Box 8700, St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6, Canada
| | - Dennis L. Murray
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
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Zhou Y, Newman C, Chen J, Xie Z, Macdonald DW. Anomalous, extreme weather disrupts obligate seed dispersal mutualism: snow in a subtropical forest ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:2867-2877. [PMID: 23640765 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing global climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events, impacting population dynamics and community structure. There is, however, a critical lack of case studies considering how climatic perturbations affect biotic interactions. Here, we document how an obligate seed dispersal mutualism was disrupted by a temporally anomalous and meteorologically extreme interlude of unseasonably frigid weather, with accompanying snowstorms, in subtropical China, during January-February 2008. Based on the analysis of 5892 fecal samples (representing six mammalian seed dispersers), this event caused a substantial disruption to the relative seed dispersal function for the raisin tree Hovenia dulcis from prestorm 6.29 (2006) and 11.47 (2007), down to 0.35 during the storm (2008). Crucially, this was due to impacts on mammalian seed dispersers and not due to a paucity of fruit, where 4.63 fruit per branch were available in January 2008, vs. 3.73 in 2006 and 3.58 in 2007. An induced dietary shift occurred among omnivorous carnivores during this event, from the consumption fruit to small mammals and birds, reducing their role in seed dispersal substantially. Induced range shift extinguished the functionality of herbivorous mammals completely, however, seed dispersal function was compensated in part by three omnivorous carnivores during poststorm years, and thus while the mutualism remained intact it was enacted by a narrower assemblage of species, rendering the system more vulnerable to extrinsic perturbations. The storm's extended effects also had anthropogenic corollaries - migrating ungulates becoming exposed to heightened levels of illegal hunting - causing long-term modification to the seed dispersal community and mutualism dynamics. Furthermore, degraded forests proved especially vulnerable to the storm's effects. Considering increasing climate variability and anthropogenic disturbance, the impacts of such massive, aberrant events warrant conservation concern, while affording unique insights into the stability of mutualisms and the processes that structure biodiversity and mediate ecosystem dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbing Zhou
- Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, China.
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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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Cahill AE, Aiello-Lammens ME, Fisher-Reid MC, Hua X, Karanewsky CJ, Ryu HY, Sbeglia GC, Spagnolo F, Waldron JB, Warsi O, Wiens JJ. How does climate change cause extinction? Proc Biol Sci 2012; 280:20121890. [PMID: 23075836 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 370] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is predicted to be a major cause of species extinctions in the next 100 years. But what will actually cause these extinctions? For example, will it be limited physiological tolerance to high temperatures, changing biotic interactions or other factors? Here, we systematically review the proximate causes of climate-change related extinctions and their empirical support. We find 136 case studies of climatic impacts that are potentially relevant to this topic. However, only seven identified proximate causes of demonstrated local extinctions due to anthropogenic climate change. Among these seven studies, the proximate causes vary widely. Surprisingly, none show a straightforward relationship between local extinction and limited tolerances to high temperature. Instead, many studies implicate species interactions as an important proximate cause, especially decreases in food availability. We find very similar patterns in studies showing decreases in abundance associated with climate change, and in those studies showing impacts of climatic oscillations. Collectively, these results highlight our disturbingly limited knowledge of this crucial issue but also support the idea that changing species interactions are an important cause of documented population declines and extinctions related to climate change. Finally, we briefly outline general research strategies for identifying these proximate causes in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Cahill
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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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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Maher AI, Treitz PM, Ferguson MA. Can Landsat data detect variations in snow cover within habitats of arctic ungulates? WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.2981/11-055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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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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Bartsch A, Kumpula T, Forbes BC, Stammler F. Detection of snow surface thawing and refreezing in the Eurasian Arctic with QuikSCAT: implications for reindeer herding. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2010; 20:2346-58. [PMID: 21265463 DOI: 10.1890/09-1927.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Snow conditions play an important role for reindeer herding. In particular, the formation of ice crusts after rain-on-snow (ROS) events or general surface thawing with subsequent refreezing impedes foraging. Such events can be monitored using satellite data. A monitoring scheme has been developed for observation at the circumpolar scale based on data from the active microwave sensor SeaWinds on QuikSCAT (Ku-band), which is sensitive to changes on the snow surface. Ground observations on Yamal Peninsula were used for algorithm development. Snow refreezing patterns are presented for northern Eurasia above 60 degrees N from autumn 2001 to spring 2008. Western Siberia is more affected than Central and Eastern Siberia in accordance with climate data, and most events occur in November and April. Ice layers in late winter have an especially negative effect on reindeer as they are already weakened. Yamal Peninsula is located within a transition zone between high and low frequency of events. Refreezing was observed more than once a winter across the entire peninsula during recent years. The southern part experienced refreezing events on average four times each winter. Currently, herders can migrate laterally or north-south, depending on where and when a given event occurs. However, formation of ice crusts in the northern part of the peninsula may become as common as they are now in the southern part. Such a development would further constrain the possibility to migrate on the peninsula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annett Bartsch
- Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna 1040, Austria.
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