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Berthelot F, Unnsteinsdóttir ER, Carbonell Ellgutter JA, Ehrich D. Long-term responses of Icelandic Arctic foxes to changes in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282128. [PMID: 37792685 PMCID: PMC10550166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The long-term dynamics of predator populations may be driven by fluctuations in resource availability and reflect ecosystem changes such as those induced by climate change. The Icelandic Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) population has known major fluctuations in size since the 1950s. Using stable isotopes analysis of bone collagen over a long-time series (1979-2018), we aimed at identifying the main resources used by Icelandic Arctic foxes during periods of growth and decline to assess if the variations in their population size are linked to fluctuations in the availability of resources. We hypothesized that (1) the decline in Seabird abundance was responsible for the decrease in the fox population; and (2) that the growth in the fox population combined to fluctuations in main resources would lead to an increase in intra-specific competition, ultimately leading to variations in their isotopic niches at the population scale. The isotopic composition of Arctic fox bones differed clearly between inland and coast. Stable isotopes mixing models suggested that marine resources and rock ptarmigans were the most important food source and highlighted a rather stable diet in coastal habitats compared to inland habitats where more fluctuations in dietary composition were observed. Coastal foxes had a broader niche than inland foxes, and there was more variation in niche size in the inland habitat. Our results tend to confirm that a general decline in seabird populations drove the decline in Arctic foxes, especially in coastal habitats. For the inland foxes, our results suggest that the lack of marine resources might have led to an increased use of ptarmigans especially during the most recent period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Berthelot
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT -The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | | | - Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT -The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Geffen E, Roemer GW, Unnsteinsdóttir ER, Van Valkenburgh B. Sub-zero temperatures and large-scale weather patterns induce tooth damage in Icelandic arctic foxes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5211-5223. [PMID: 37349862 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Tooth damage in carnivores can reflect shifts in both diet and feeding habits, and in large carnivores, it is associated with increased bone consumption. Variation in tooth condition in Icelandic arctic foxes, a mesocarnivore, was recorded from 854 individual foxes spanning 29 years. We hypothesized that annual climatic variations, which can influence food abundance and accessibility, will influence tooth condition by causing dietary shifts toward less edible prey. We examined tooth condition in relation to four climatic predictors: mean annual winter temperature, indices of both the El Niño anomaly and North Atlantic subpolar gyre (SPG), and the number of rain-on-snow days (ROS). We found unequivocal evidence for a strong effect of annual climate on tooth condition. Teeth of Icelandic foxes were in better condition when winter temperatures were higher, when the SPG was more positive, and when the number of ROS was low. We also found a substantial subregional effect with foxes from northeastern Iceland having lower tooth damage than those from two western sites. Contradicting our original hypothesis that foxes from northeastern Iceland, where foxes are known to scavenge on large mammal remains (e.g., sheep and horses), would show the highest tooth damage, we suggest that western coastal sites exhibited greater tooth damage because cold winter temperatures lowered the availability of seabirds, causing a shift in diet toward abrasive marine subsidies (e.g., bivalves) and frozen beach wrack. Our study shows that monitoring tooth breakage and wear can be a useful tool for evaluating the impact of climate on carnivore populations and that climate change may influence the condition and fitness of carnivores in complex and potentially conflicting ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Geffen
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | | | - Blaire Van Valkenburgh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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3
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Panicz R, Eljasik P, Skorupski J, Śmietana P, Stefánsson RA, von Schmalensee M, Szenejko M. Assessment of Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) prevalence in feral American mink in Iceland. Case study of a pending epizootiological concern in Europe. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12060. [PMID: 34616603 PMCID: PMC8451439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recurring escapes or deliberate releases and subsequent infiltration or establishment of feral populations by individuals from fur farms have been commonly noted since the beginning of fur industry expansion. Once animals have invaded ecosystems adjacent to source farms escapees can change the demography of the feral populations through hybridization, outbreeding depression, competition and spreading of various pathogens which can decimate wild populations. In our study, we aimed to assess spread of Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) in the feral population of American mink (Neovison vison) in Iceland. The additional objective was to elucidate whether basic morpho-anatomical parameters (i.e., Fulton's condition factor or spleen to body weight ratio) might be used as a preliminary indicator of AMDV infection. METHODS American mink (n = 164) were captured by professional hunters in 8 regions of Iceland. The detection of AMDV in the spleen of male and female individuals was based on PCR amplification of an NS1 gene fragment. RESULTS We confirmed AMDV presence in 23.8% (n = 39) of collected samples with no significant difference in infection rate between males and females. Additionally, we revealed that the prevalence of virus in the feral population was higher closer to fur farms. However, the countrywide prevalence and direction of AMDV distribution needs to be further investigated. Comparison of condition indices in non-infected and infected animals showed significant deterioration of body and spleen parameters in the latter group. Therefore, the application of basic measurements of the American mink may be used to evaluate the health status of individuals in terms of pathogen infection. CONCLUSIONS The study shed a new light on prevalence and distribution of AMDV in the feral population of American mink in Iceland and the results might be successfully applied to develop models to infer dynamics of various pathogens, even those latently transmitted by disease-free animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remigiusz Panicz
- Department of Meat Technology, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Piotr Eljasik
- Department of Meat Technology, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jakub Skorupski
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Przemysław Śmietana
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | | | - Magdalena Szenejko
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
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Nater CR, Eide NE, Pedersen ÅØ, Yoccoz NG, Fuglei E. Contributions from terrestrial and marine resources stabilize predator populations in a rapidly changing climate. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3546] [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
Affiliation(s)
- Chloé R. Nater
- Norwegian Polar Institute Tromsø Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology UIT – The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Nina E. Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Nigel G. Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology UIT – The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
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Skorupski J, Śmietana P, Stefánsson RA, von Schmalensee M, Panicz R, Nędzarek A, Eljasik P, Szenejko M. Potential of invasive alien top predator as a biomonitor of nickel deposition – the case of American mink in Iceland. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1853264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. Skorupski
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - P. Śmietana
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | | | - R. Panicz
- Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, Department of Meat Science, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - A. Nędzarek
- Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, Department of Aquatic Bioengineering and Aquaculture, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - P. Eljasik
- Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, Department of Meat Science, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - M. Szenejko
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
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Larm M, Brundin E, Stålhandske T, Angerbjörn A. Arctic Fox Responses to Tourism Activity. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malin Larm
- Department of ZoologyStockholm University Svante Arrhenius v. 18B 10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Erika Brundin
- Department of ZoologyStockholm University Svante Arrhenius v. 18B 10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Thomas Stålhandske
- Department of ZoologyStockholm University Svante Arrhenius v. 18B 10691 Stockholm Sweden
| | - Anders Angerbjörn
- Department of ZoologyStockholm University Svante Arrhenius v. 18B 10691 Stockholm Sweden
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Carbonell Ellgutter JA, Ehrich D, Killengreen ST, Ims RA, Unnsteinsdóttir ER. Dietary variation in Icelandic arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) over a period of 30 years assessed through stable isotopes. Oecologia 2019; 192:403-414. [PMID: 31865484 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04580-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Identifying resources driving long-term trends in predators is important to understand ecosystem changes and to manage populations in the context of conservation or control. The arctic fox population in Iceland has increased steadily over a period of 30 years, an increase that has been attributed to an overall increase in food abundance. We hypothesized that increasing populations of geese or seabirds were driving this growth. We analyzed stable isotopes in a long-term series of collagen samples to determine the role of these different resources. The isotopic signatures of arctic foxes differed consistently between coastal and inland habitats. While δ15N displayed a non-linear change over time with a slight increase in the first part of the period followed by a decline in both habitats, δ13C was stable. Stable isotope mixing models suggested that marine resources and rock ptarmigan were the most important dietary sources, with marine resources dominating in coastal habitats and rock ptarmigan being more important inland. Our results suggest that seabirds may have been driving the arctic fox population increase. The rapidly increasing populations of breeding geese seem to have played a minor role in arctic fox population growth, as rock ptarmigan was the most important terrestrial resource despite a considerable decrease in their abundance during recent decades. This study shows that a long-term population trend in a generalist predator may have occurred without a pronounced change in main dietary resources, despite ongoing structural changes in the food web, where one species of herbivorous birds increased and another decreased.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic Biology and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Siw T Killengreen
- Department of Teacher Education and Education, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rolf A Ims
- Department of Arctic Biology and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Alves JA, Gunnarsson TG, Sutherland WJ, Potts PM, Gill JA. Linking warming effects on phenology, demography, and range expansion in a migratory bird population. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2365-2375. [PMID: 30891186 PMCID: PMC6405501 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4746] [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: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenological changes in response to climate change have been recorded in many taxa, but the population-level consequences of these changes are largely unknown. If phenological change influences demography, it may underpin the changes in range size and distribution that have been associated with climate change in many species. Over the last century, Icelandic black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa islandica) have increased 10-fold in numbers, and their breeding range has expanded throughout lowland Iceland, but the environmental and demographic drivers of this expansion remain unknown. Here, we explore the potential for climate-driven shifts in phenology to influence demography and range expansion. In warmer springs, Icelandic black-tailed godwits lay their clutches earlier, resulting in advances in hatching dates in those years. Early hatching is beneficial as population-wide tracking of marked individuals shows that chick recruitment to the adult population is greater for early hatched individuals. Throughout the last century, this population has expanded into progressively colder breeding areas in which hatch dates are later, but temperatures have increased throughout Iceland since the 1960s. Using these established relationships between temperature, hatching dates and recruitment, we show that these warming trends have the potential to have fueled substantial increases in recruitment throughout Iceland, and thus to have contributed to local population growth and expansion across the breeding range. The demographic consequences of temperature-mediated phenological changes, such as the advances in lay dates and increased recruitment associated with early hatching reported here, may therefore be key processes in driving population size and range changes in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A. Alves
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
- South Iceland Research CentreUniversity of IcelandLaugarvatnIceland
- Present address:
Department of Biology, CESAM ‐ Centre for Environmental and Marine StudiesUniversity of AveiroAveiroPortugal.
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Ehrich D, Cerezo M, Rodnikova AY, Sokolova NA, Fuglei E, Shtro VG, Sokolov AA. Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:32. [PMID: 28915877 PMCID: PMC5602845 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia. Results Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km2 and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer. Conclusions The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based monitoring will reveal their fate in a changing tundra ecosystem. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Maite Cerezo
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Anna Y Rodnikova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Natalya A Sokolova
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21, Labytnangi, Russia.,Arctic Research Center of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Salekhard, Russia
| | - Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, PostBox 6606, Langnes, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Victor G Shtro
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21, Labytnangi, Russia
| | - Aleksandr A Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21, Labytnangi, Russia.,Arctic Research Center of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Salekhard, Russia
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Goldingay RL, Keohan J. Population density of the eastern pygmy-possum in a heath–woodland habitat. AUST J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/zo18026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) has posed a challenge in attempts to describe its population density due to low rates of capture, preference for patchy habitats and periodic influxes of subadult individuals. We conducted a mark–recapture study of this species using a grid of nest boxes in a 9-ha patch of banksia heath–woodland. We captured 54 adults across the two years of our study. We estimated the density of adult pygmy-possums to be 1.5–4.2 ha–1 from different population models. This is substantially lower than previous estimates in equivalent habitat because we focussed on adults and recognised that they were not confined to the area bounded by our grid. We captured 36 subadults over the two years but they could not be reliably modelled due to extremely low recapture rates, which reflect high rates of dispersal and also mortality. For this reason, only the number of adults should be used to characterise populations of this species. Further study is required to investigate population dynamics over time and to describe the density of eastern pygmy-possums in other habitats.
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