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Hjeljord O, Loe LE. The roles of climate and alternative prey in explaining 142 years of declining willow ptarmigan hunting yield. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olav Hjeljord
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences Aas Norway
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian Univ. of Life Sciences Aas Norway
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Breeding den selection by Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in southern Yamal Peninsula, Russia. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02962-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSelecting the right location for a den during the breeding season is a type of habitat selection in the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) that is likely to affect its reproductive success. A den’s suitability likely depends on its ability to provide shelter, as well as its proximity to prey resources. Depending on the different relative risks that Arctic foxes may face across their broad circumpolar range, Arctic foxes may place different emphases on selection for shelter and prey resources in different ecosystems. Understanding the different requirements for reproduction under different ecological conditions is highly relevant to conservation efforts in areas where Arctic foxes are threatened by rapid environmental changes. Here, we investigated the relative selection for shelter and prey resources in southern Yamal Peninsula (Russia) using data from 45 dens collected over a 13-year period. Arctic foxes preferred to breed in dens with more den entrances; an indicator of shelter quality. Arctic foxes also preferred dens surrounded by more prey resources (quantified by the amount of river valley habitat), but this result was less conclusive. These results complement the findings reported from other study areas, illustrating that Arctic foxes in ecosystems with diverse predator communities may put emphasis on selection for shelter quality. In less productive ecosystems, Arctic foxes may rather put emphasis on selection for prey resources. As tundra ecosystems become more productive and generalist predators move north, the reproductive requirements and habitat selection of Arctic foxes may change accordingly, depending on the species’ ability to adapt.
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LOUPING-ILL VIRUS SEROSURVEY OF WILLOW PTARMIGAN (LAGOPUS LAGOPUS LAGOPUS) IN NORWAY. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:282-291. [PMID: 33822153 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In Norway, the Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus lagopus) is experiencing population declines and is nationally Red Listed as Near Threatened. Although disease has not generally been regarded as an important factor behind population fluctuations for Willow Ptarmigan in Norway, disease occurrence has been poorly investigated. Both louping-ill virus (LIV) and the closely related tick-borne encephalitis virus are found along the southern part of the Norwegian coast. We assessed whether and where Norwegian Willow Ptarmigan populations have been infected with LIV. We expected to find infected individuals in populations in the southernmost part of the country. We did not expect to find infected individuals in populations further north and at higher altitudes because of the absence of the main vector, the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus). We collected serum samples on Nobuto filter paper and used a hemagglutination inhibition assay for antibodies against LIV. We collected data at both local and country-wide levels. For local sampling, we collected and analyzed 87 hunter-collected samples from one of the southernmost Willow Ptarmigan populations in Norway. Of these birds, only three positives (3.4%) were found. For the country-wide sampling, we collected serum samples from 163 Willow Ptarmigan carcasses submitted from selected locations all over the country. Of these birds, 32% (53) were seropositive for LIV or a cross-reacting virus. Surprisingly, we found seropositive individuals from locations across the whole country, including outside the known distribution of the sheep tick. These results suggest that either LIV or a cross-reacting virus infects ptarmigan in large parts of Norway, including at high altitudes and latitudes.
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Sevillano-Ríos CS, Rodewald AD. Responses of Polylepis birds to patch and landscape attributes in the High Andes. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2020.1869900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. Steven Sevillano-Ríos
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Amanda D. Rodewald
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Doyle S, Gray A, McMahon BJ. Anthropogenic impacts on the demographics of Arctic-breeding birds. Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02756-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Fuglei E, Henden JA, Callahan CT, Gilg O, Hansen J, Ims RA, Isaev AP, Lang J, McIntyre CL, Merizon RA, Mineev OY, Mineev YN, Mossop D, Nielsen OK, Nilsen EB, Pedersen ÅØ, Schmidt NM, Sittler B, Willebrand MH, Martin K. Circumpolar status of Arctic ptarmigan: Population dynamics and trends. AMBIO 2020; 49:749-761. [PMID: 31073984 PMCID: PMC6989701 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01191-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and willow ptarmigan (L. lagopus) are Arctic birds with a circumpolar distribution but there is limited knowledge about their status and trends across their circumpolar distribution. Here, we compiled information from 90 ptarmigan study sites from 7 Arctic countries, where almost half of the sites are still monitored. Rock ptarmigan showed an overall negative trend on Iceland and Greenland, while Svalbard and Newfoundland had positive trends, and no significant trends in Alaska. For willow ptarmigan, there was a negative trend in mid-Sweden and eastern Russia, while northern Fennoscandia, North America and Newfoundland had no significant trends. Both species displayed some periods with population cycles (short 3-6 years and long 9-12 years), but cyclicity changed through time for both species. We propose that simple, cost-efficient systematic surveys that capture the main feature of ptarmigan population dynamics can form the basis for citizen science efforts in order to fill knowledge gaps for the many regions that lack systematic ptarmigan monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Fuglei
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Postbox 6606, Langnes, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - John-André Henden
- Dep. of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Chris T. Callahan
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 117 Riverside Drive, Corner Brook, NL A2H 0A2 Canada
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France
- Groupe de recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Section of Ecosystem Ecology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Dep. of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Johannes Lang
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibian and Fish, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Frankfurter Str. 91-93, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Richard A. Merizon
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1800 Glenn Highway, Suite 2, Palmer, AK 99567 USA
| | - Oleg Y. Mineev
- Komi Republic, Kommunisticheskaya 28, 167 982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Yuri N. Mineev
- Komi Republic, Kommunisticheskaya 28, 167 982 Syktyvkar, Russia
| | - Dave Mossop
- Yukon Research Ctr, Yukon College, PO Box 2799, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 5K4 Canada
| | - Olafur K. Nielsen
- Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Urridaholtsstræti 6-8, 210 Gardabær, Iceland
| | - Erlend B. Nilsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Benoît Sittler
- Chair for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstraße 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Kathy Martin
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 Canada
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Markkula I, Turunen M, Rasmus S. A review of climate change impacts on the ecosystem services in the Saami Homeland in Finland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 692:1070-1085. [PMID: 31539939 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this work is (i) to review the recent studies on weather and climate change in Finnish Sápmi and to present the literature review findings alongside our survey on the observations made by local reindeer herders on the same phenomena, and, further, (ii) to review the impacts of climate change on the ecosystem services (ES) in Finnish Sápmi. The focus of the study is on the impacts of climate change on those habitat, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services which are interconnected with the Saami way of life as Indigenous people and thus support the continuity of their culture. In the holistic world view of Arctic Indigenous peoples, material culture and non-material culture are not separated, and there is no boundary between nature and culture. However, cultural and spiritual meanings of ecosystems, species and landscapes are rarely taken into account in scientific research on ecosystems services. Our review indicates that mostly negative impacts of climate warming on ecosystems and traditional livelihoods are to be expected in Sápmi. The most profound negative impacts will be on palsa mire and fell ecosystems, in particular snowbeds, snow patches and mountain birch forests. Consequently, changes in ecosystems may erode cultural meanings, stories, memories and traditional knowledge attached to them and affect the nature-based traditional livelihoods. In a situation where our rapidly changing climate is affecting the foundations of the nature-based cultures, the present review can provide a knowledge base for developing adaptation actions and strategies for local communities and Indigenous peoples to cope with changes caused by climate change and other drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inkeri Markkula
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Minna Turunen
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland.
| | - Sirpa Rasmus
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
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Jaakkola JJK, Juntunen S, Näkkäläjärvi K. The Holistic Effects of Climate Change on the Culture, Well-Being, and Health of the Saami, the Only Indigenous People in the European Union. Curr Environ Health Rep 2018; 5:401-417. [PMID: 30350264 PMCID: PMC6306421 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-018-0211-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW (1) To develop a framework for understanding the holistic effects of climate change on the Saami people; (2) to summarize the scientific evidence about the primary, secondary, and tertiary effects of climate change on Saami culture and Sápmi region; and (3) to identify gaps in the knowledge of the effects of climate change on health and well-being of the Saami. RECENT FINDINGS The Saami health is on average similar, or slightly better compared to the health of other populations in the same area. Warming climate has already influenced Saami reindeer culture. Mental health and suicide risk partly linked to changing physical and social environments are major concerns. The lifestyle, diet, and morbidity of the Saami are changing to resemble the majority populations posing threats for the health of the Saami and making them more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Climate change is a threat for the cultural way of life of Saami. Possibilities for Saami to adapt to climate change are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jouni J K Jaakkola
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, P. O. Box 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Suvi Juntunen
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, P. O. Box 5000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
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Kvasnes MAJ, Pedersen HC, Nilsen EB. Quantifying suitable late summer brood habitats for willow ptarmigan in Norway. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:41. [PMID: 30285717 PMCID: PMC6171150 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0196-6] [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: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Habitat models provide information about which habitat management should target to avoid species extinctions or range contractions. The willow ptarmigan inhabits alpine- and arctic tundra habitats in the northern hemisphere and is listed as near threatened (NT) in the Norwegian red list due to declining population size. Habitat alteration is one of several factors affecting willow ptarmigan populations, but there is a lack of studies quantifying and describing habitat selection in willow ptarmigan. We used data from an extensive line transect survey program from 2014 to 2017 to develop resource selection functions (RSF) for willow ptarmigan in Norway. The selection coefficients for the RSF were estimated using a mixed-effects logistic regression model fitted with random intercepts for each area. We predicted relative probability of selection across Norway and quantile-binned the predictions in 10 RSF bins ranging from low-(1) to high-(10) relative probability of selection. RESULTS Random cross-validation suggest that our models were highly predictive, but validation based spatial blocking revealed that the predictability was better in southern parts of Norway compared to the northernmost region. Willow ptarmigan selected for herb-rich meadows and avoided lichen rich heathlands. There was generally stronger selection for vegetation types with dense field layer and for rich bogs and avoidance of vegetation types with sparse field layer cover and for lowland forest. Further, willow ptarmigan selected for areas around the timberline and for intermediate slopes. Mapping of the RSF showed that 60% of Norway is in the lowest ranked RSF bin and only 2% in the highest ranked RSF bin. CONCLUSIONS Willow ptarmigan selected for vegetation types with dense field layer and bogs at intermediate slopes around the timberline. Selection coincides with previous habitat selection studies on willow ptarmigan. This is the first attempt to assess and quantify habitat selection for willow ptarmigan at a large scale using data from line transect distance sampling surveys. Spatial variation in predictability suggests that habitat selection in late summer might vary from north to south. The resource selection map can be a useful tool when planning harvest quotas and habitat interventions in alpine areas.
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Breisjøberget JI, Odden M, Storaas T, Nilsen EB, Kvasnes MAJ. Harvesting a red-listed species: determinant factors for willow ptarmigan harvest rates, bag sizes, and hunting efforts in Norway. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1208-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Henden JA, Ims RA, Fuglei E, Pedersen ÅØ. Changed Arctic-alpine food web interactions under rapid climate warming: implication for ptarmigan research. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John-André Henden
- J.-A. Henden and R. A. Ims, Dept. of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT- The
| | - Rolf Anker Ims
- J.-A. Henden and R. A. Ims, Dept. of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT- The
| | - Eva Fuglei
- E. Fuglei and Å. Ø. Pedersen, Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Åshild Ønvik Pedersen
- E. Fuglei and Å. Ø. Pedersen, Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
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Kvasnes MAJ, Pedersen HC, Storaas T, Nilsen EB. Vegetation type and demography of low density willow ptarmigan populations. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Andreas Jørnsøn Kvasnes
- Hedmark University of Applied Sciences; Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences; Evenstad N-2418 Elverum Norway
| | | | - Torstein Storaas
- Hedmark University of Applied Sciences; Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences; Evenstad N-2418 Elverum Norway
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Ehrich D, Ims RA, Yoccoz NG, Lecomte N, Killengreen ST, Fuglei E, Rodnikova AY, Ebbinge BS, Menyushina IE, Nolet BA, Pokrovsky IG, Popov IY, Schmidt NM, Sokolov AA, Sokolova NA, Sokolov VA. What Can Stable Isotope Analysis of Top Predator Tissues Contribute to Monitoring of Tundra Ecosystems? Ecosystems 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-014-9834-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Henden JA, Stien A, Bårdsen BJ, Yoccoz NG, Ims RA. Community-wide mesocarnivore response to partial ungulate migration. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John-André Henden
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; 9037 Tromsø Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Arctic Ecology Department; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA); Fram Centre; 9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen
- Arctic Ecology Department; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA); Fram Centre; 9296 Tromsø Norway
| | - Nigel G. Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; 9037 Tromsø Norway
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; 9037 Tromsø Norway
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Tveraa T, Stien A, Brøseth H, Yoccoz NG. The role of predation and food limitation on claims for compensation, reindeer demography and population dynamics. J Appl Ecol 2014; 51:1264-1272. [PMID: 25558085 PMCID: PMC4279950 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge in biodiversity conservation is to facilitate viable populations of large apex predators in ecosystems where they were recently driven to ecological extinction due to resource conflict with humans.Monetary compensation for losses of livestock due to predation is currently a key instrument to encourage human-carnivore coexistence. However, a lack of quantitative estimates of livestock losses due to predation leads to disagreement over the practice of compensation payments. This disagreement sustains the human-carnivore conflict.The level of depredation on year-round, free-ranging, semi-domestic reindeer by large carnivores in Fennoscandia has been widely debated over several decades. In Norway, the reindeer herders claim that lynx and wolverine cause losses of tens of thousands of animals annually and cause negative population growth in herds. Conversely, previous research has suggested that monetary predator compensation can result in positive population growth in the husbandry, with cascading negative effects of high grazer densities on the biodiversity in tundra ecosystems.We utilized a long-term, large-scale data set to estimate the relative importance of lynx and wolverine predation and density-dependent and climatic food limitation on claims for losses, recruitment and population growth rates in Norwegian reindeer husbandry.Claims of losses increased with increasing predator densities, but with no detectable effect on population growth rates. Density-dependent and climatic effects on claims of losses, recruitment and population growth rates were much stronger than the effects of variation in lynx and wolverine densities.Synthesis and applications. Our analysis provides a quantitative basis for predator compensation and estimation of the costs of reintroducing lynx and wolverine in areas with free-ranging semi-domestic reindeer. We outline a potential path for conflict management which involves adaptive monitoring programmes, open access to data, herder involvement and development of management strategy evaluation (MSE) models to disentangle complex responses including multiple stakeholders and individual harvester decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Nigel G Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway ; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
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17
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Sokolova NA, Sokolov AA, Ims RA, Skogstad G, Lecomte N, Sokolov VA, Yoccoz NG, Ehrich D. Small rodents in the shrub tundra of Yamal (Russia): Density dependence in habitat use? Mamm Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Christie KS, Lindberg MS, Ruess RW, Schmutz JA. Spatio-temporal patterns of ptarmigan occupancy relative to shrub cover in the Arctic. Polar Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-014-1504-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Ravolainen VT, Bråthen KA, Yoccoz NG, Nguyen JK, Ims RA. Complementary impacts of small rodents and semi-domesticated ungulates limit tall shrub expansion in the tundra. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Virve T. Ravolainen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø N-9037 Norway
| | - Kari Anne Bråthen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø N-9037 Norway
| | - Nigel G. Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø N-9037 Norway
| | - Julie K. Nguyen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø N-9037 Norway
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology; University of Tromsø; Tromsø N-9037 Norway
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Soininen EM, Ravolainen VT, Bråthen KA, Yoccoz NG, Gielly L, Ims RA. Arctic Small Rodents Have Diverse Diets and Flexible Food Selection. PLoS One 2013; 8:e68128. [PMID: 23826371 PMCID: PMC3694920 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0068128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecology of small rodent food selection is poorly understood, as mammalian herbivore food selection theory has mainly been developed by studying ungulates. Especially, the effect of food availability on food selection in natural habitats where a range of food items are available is unknown. We studied diets and selectivity of grey-sided voles (Myodes rufocanus) and tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus), key herbivores in European tundra ecosystems, using DNA metabarcoding, a novel method enabling taxonomically detailed diet studies. In order to cover the range of food availabilities present in the wild, we employed a large-scale study design for sampling data on food availability and vole diets. Both vole species had ingested a range of plant species and selected particularly forbs and grasses. Grey-sided voles also selected ericoid shrubs and tundra voles willows. Availability of a food item rarely affected its utilization directly, although seasonal changes of diets and selection suggest that these are positively correlated with availability. Moreover, diets and selectivity were affected by availability of alternative food items. These results show that the focal sub-arctic voles have diverse diets and flexible food preferences and rarely compensate low availability of a food item with increased searching effort. Diet diversity itself is likely to be an important trait and has previously been underrated owing to methodological constraints. We suggest that the roles of alternative food item availability and search time limitations for small rodent feeding ecology should be investigated. Nomenclature Annotated Checklist of the Panarctic Flora (PAF), Vascular plants. Available at: http://nhm2.uio.no/paf/, accessed 15.6.2012.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eeva M. Soininen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Virve T. Ravolainen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kari Anne Bråthen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Nigel G. Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ludovic Gielly
- Laboratoire d’ECologie Alpine, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
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21
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Henden JA, Yoccoz NG, Ims RA, Langeland K. How spatial variation in areal extent and configuration of labile vegetation states affect the riparian bird community in Arctic tundra. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63312. [PMID: 23691020 PMCID: PMC3653927 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 03/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arctic tundra is currently experiencing an unprecedented combination of climate change, change in grazing pressure by large herbivores and growing human activity. Thickets of tall shrubs represent a conspicuous vegetation state in northern and temperate ecosystems, where it serves important ecological functions, including habitat for wildlife. Thickets are however labile, as tall shrubs respond rapidly to both abiotic and biotic environmental drivers. Our aim was to assess how large-scale spatial variation in willow thicket areal extent, configuration and habitat structure affected bird abundance, occupancy rates and species richness so as to provide an empirical basis for predicting the outcome of environmental change for riparian tundra bird communities. Based on a 4-year count data series, obtained through a large-scale study design in low arctic tundra in northern Norway, statistical hierarchical community models were deployed to assess relations between habitat configuration and bird species occupancy and community richness. We found that species abundance, occupancy and richness were greatly affected by willow areal extent and configuration, habitat features likely to be affected by intense ungulate browsing as well as climate warming. In sum, total species richness was maximized in large and tall willow patches of small to intermediate degree of fragmentation. These community effects were mainly driven by responses in the occupancy rates of species depending on tall willows for foraging and breeding, while species favouring other vegetation states were not affected. In light of the predicted climate driven willow shrub encroachment in riparian tundra habitats, our study predicts that many bird species would increase in abundance, and that the bird community as a whole could become enriched. Conversely, in tundra regions where overabundance of large herbivores leads to decreased areal extent, reduced height and increased fragmentation of willow thickets, bird community richness and species-specific abundance are likely to be significantly reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- John-André Henden
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
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Ehrich D, Henden JA, Ims RA, Doronina LO, Killengren ST, Lecomte N, Pokrovsky IG, Skogstad G, Sokolov AA, Sokolov VA, Yoccoz NG. The importance of willow thickets for ptarmigan and hares in shrub tundra: the more the better? Oecologia 2011; 168:141-51. [PMID: 21833646 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2059-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In patchy habitats, the relationship between animal abundance and cover of a preferred habitat may change with the availability of that habitat, resulting in a functional response in habitat use. Here, we investigate the relationship of two specialized herbivores, willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) and mountain hare (Lepus timidus), to willows (Salix spp.) in three regions of the shrub tundra zone-northern Norway, northern European Russia and western Siberia. Shrub tundra is a naturally patchy habitat where willow thickets represent a major structural element and are important for herbivores both as food and shelter. Habitat use was quantified using feces counts in a hierarchical spatial design and related to several measures of willow thicket configuration. We document a functional response in the use of willow thickets by ptarmigan, but not by hares. For hares, whose range extends into forested regions, occurrence increased overall with willow cover. The occurrence of willow ptarmigan showed a strong positive relationship to willow cover and a negative relationship to thicket fragmentation in the region with lowest willow cover at landscape scale, where willow growth may be limited by reindeer browsing. In regions with higher cover, in contrast, such relationships were not observed. Differences in predator communities among the regions may contribute to the observed pattern, enhancing the need for cover where willow thickets are scarce. Such region-specific relationships reflecting regional characteristics of the ecosystem highlight the importance of large-scale investigations to understand the relationships of habitat availability and use, which is a critical issue considering that habitat availability changes quickly with climate change and human impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothée Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Tromso, Norway.
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Pedersen ÅØ, Asmyhr L, Pedersen HC, Eide NE. Nest-predator prevalence along a mountain birch - alpine tundra ecotone. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2011. [DOI: 10.1071/wr11031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Nest predation is a major factor influencing life history and population dynamics of ground-nesting birds. The transitions between the northern boreal mountain birch forests and the low-alpine tundra are important habitats for the willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758). During the past decades, these landscapes have been extensively developed with cabin resorts in southern Norway, which has led to an increased number of roads and foot paths in relatively undisturbed habitats. Aims The aim of the present study was to investigate relative nest-predation rates in elevation gradients (ecotones) spanning from northern boreal mountain birch forests to low-alpine tundra in three locations with contrasting willow ptarmigan densities. Methods We conducted an artificial nest study by using baited track boards (n = 108). Track boards were placed along transects (200 m) in the following three habitat types: birch forest, edge habitat and low-alpine tundra. Predator prevalence was analysed in relation to study-design variables (location, habitat, study period) and the load of human infrastructure (i.e. distance to foot paths and roads), using generalised linear mixed-effect models assuming binomial distribution for the response variable. Key results Prevalence of avian predators was consistently high (range 38.2–85.3%), in contrast to much lower prevalence of mammalian predators (range 2.8–22.9%). Raven (Corvus corax) was the dominant nest predator, followed by hooded crow (C. cornix) and pine marten (Martes martes). Location, as contrasted by differences in willow ptarmigan density, was not significantly related to total relative predation rates. Species-specific predator prevalence was habitat specific and related to human infrastructure, but with opposite relative predation patterns between pine marten and raven. Hooded crow predation was similar across the ecotone and not related to human infrastructure. Conclusions Predator prevalence was habitat specific and affected by human infrastructure (distance to human foot paths). Our study confirmed that human activity might alter the predation rates by generalist species in these low-alpine environments. Implications We recommend that attractive willow ptarmigan habitat should be avoided when planning human infrastructure in alpine ecosystems. To reduce predation pressure in this ecosystem, it appears that generalist predators should be considered for management actions. Further research is needed to explain the underlying mechanism driving expansion of generalist species into alpine habitats. Such knowledge is also important in developing alternative management actions with focus other than predator control.
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