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Lacombe S, Ims R, Yoccoz N, Kleiven EF, Nicolau PG, Ehrich D. Effects of resource availability and interspecific interactions on Arctic and red foxes' winter use of ungulate carrion in the Fennoscandian low-Arctic tundra. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11150. [PMID: 38571799 PMCID: PMC10985358 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11150] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In the Arctic tundra, predators face recurrent periods of food scarcity and often turn to ungulate carcasses as an alternative food source. As important and localized resource patches, carrion promotes co-occurrence of different individuals, and its use by predators is likely to be affected by interspecific competition. We studied how interspecific competition and resource availability impact winter use of carrion by Arctic and red foxes in low Arctic Fennoscandia. We predicted that the presence of red foxes limits Arctic foxes' use of carrion, and that competition depends on the availability of other resources. We monitored Arctic and red fox presence at supp lied carrion using camera traps. From 2006 to 2021, between 16 and 20 cameras were active for 2 months in late winter (288 camera-winters). Using a multi-species dynamic occupancy model at a week-to-week scale, we evaluated the use of carrion by foxes while accounting for the presence of competitors, rodent availability, and supplemental feeding provided to Arctic foxes. Competition affected carrion use by increasing both species' probability to leave occupied carcasses between consecutive weeks. This increase was similar for the two species, suggesting symmetrical avoidance. Increased rodent abundance was associated with a higher probability of colonizing carrion sites for both species. For Arctic foxes, however, this increase was only observed at carcasses unoccupied by red foxes, showing greater avoidance when alternative preys are available. Supplementary feeding increased Arctic foxes' carrion use, regardless of red fox presence. Contrary to expectations, we did not find strong signs of asymmetric competition for carrion in winter, which suggests that interactions for resources at a short time scale are not necessarily aligned with interactions at the scale of the population. In addition, we found that competition for carcasses depends on the availability of other resources, suggesting that interactions between predators depend on the ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Lacombe
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT the Arctic University of NorwayTromsoNorway
- Département de BiologieEcole Normale Superieure de LyonLyonFrance
| | - Rolf Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT the Arctic University of NorwayTromsoNorway
| | - Nigel Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT the Arctic University of NorwayTromsoNorway
| | - Eivind Flittie Kleiven
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT the Arctic University of NorwayTromsoNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTromsoNorway
| | - Pedro G. Nicolau
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT the Arctic University of NorwayTromsoNorway
| | - Dorothee Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT the Arctic University of NorwayTromsoNorway
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2
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Cano‐Martínez R, Thorsen NH, Hofmeester TR, Odden J, Linnell J, Devineau O, Angoh SYJ, Odden M. Bottom-up rather than top-down mechanisms determine mesocarnivore interactions in Norway. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11064. [PMID: 38463636 PMCID: PMC10920318 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11064] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Interactions among coexisting mesocarnivores can be influenced by different factors such as the presence of large carnivores, land-use, environmental productivity, or human disturbance. Disentangling the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down processes can be challenging, but it is important for biodiversity conservation and wildlife management. The aim of this study was to assess how the interactions among mesocarnivores (red fox Vulpes vulpes, badger Meles meles, and pine marten Martes martes) were affected by large carnivores (Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and wolf Canis lupus), land cover variables (proportion of agricultural land and primary productivity), and human disturbance, as well as how these top-down and bottom-up mechanisms were influenced by season. We analyzed 3 years (2018-2020) of camera trapping observations from Norway and used structural equation models to assess hypothesized networks of causal relationships. Our results showed that land cover variables were more strongly associated with mesocarnivore detection rates than large carnivores in Norway. This might be caused by a combination of low density of large carnivores in an unproductive ecosystem with strong seasonality. Additionally, detection rates of all mesocarnivores showed positive associations among each other, which were stronger in winter. The prevalence of positive interactions among predators might indicate a tendency to use the same areas and resources combined with weak interference competition. Alternatively, it might indicate some kind of facilitative relationship among species. Human disturbance had contrasting effects for different species, benefiting the larger mesocarnivores (red fox and badger) probably through food subsidization, but negatively affecting apex predators (wolf and lynx) and smaller mesocarnivores (pine marten). In a human-dominated world, this highlights the importance of including anthropogenic influences in the study of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Cano‐Martínez
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | | | - Tim R. Hofmeester
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchOsloNorway
| | - John Linnell
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchLillehammerNorway
| | - Olivier Devineau
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Siow Yan Jennifer Angoh
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Morten Odden
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
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Leighton GRM, Froneman PW, Serieys LEK, Bishop JM. Sustained use of marine subsidies promotes niche expansion in a wild felid. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169912. [PMID: 38184259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169912] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
The use of marine subsidies by terrestrial predators can facilitate substantial transfer of nutrients between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marine resource subsidies may have profound effects on predator ecology, influencing population and niche dynamics. Expanding niches of top consumers can impact ecosystem resilience and interspecific interactions, affecting predator-prey dynamics and competition. We investigate the occurrence, importance, and impact of marine resources on trophic ecology and niche dynamics in a highly generalist predator, the caracal (Caracal caracal), on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Caracals have flexible diets, feeding across a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic prey. We use carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of fur samples (n = 75) to understand trophic position and niche shifts in coastal and inland foragers, as well as the implications of a diet rich in marine resources. We found significant differences in isotope signatures between these groups, with higher δ13C (P < 0.05) and δ15N values (P < 0.01) in coastal foragers. Isotope mixing models reveal that these elevated signatures were due to non-terrestrial food subsidies, where approximately a third of coastal foraging caracal diet comprised marine prey. The addition of marine prey species to diet increased both the trophic level and isotope niche size of coastal foraging caracals, with potential impacts on prey populations and competition. Our results suggest that marine prey are an important dietary resource for coastal foraging caracals, where seabirds, including two endangered species, are a major component of their diet. However, there are likely risks associated with these resource benefits, as routine consumption of seabirds is linked with higher pollutant burdens, particularly metals. Increased encounters between this terrestrial predator and seabirds may be a result of increased mainland colonies due to changes in habitat availability and the highly opportunistic and generalist foraging behaviour of a native predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella R M Leighton
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa; Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa.
| | - P William Froneman
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Laurel E K Serieys
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa; Panthera, NY, New York, USA; Cape Leopard Trust, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline M Bishop
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
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Bouchard É, Bonin M, Sharma R, Hernández-Ortiz A, Gouin GG, Simon A, Leighton P, Jenkins E. Use of stable isotopes to reveal trophic relationships and transmission of a food-borne pathogen. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2812. [PMID: 38307906 PMCID: PMC10837197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53369-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Predators in food webs are valuable sentinel species for zoonotic and multi-host pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii. This protozoan parasite is ubiquitous in warm-blooded vertebrates, and can have serious adverse effects in immunocompromised hosts and foetuses. In northern ecosystems, T. gondii is disproportionately prevalent in Inuit people and wildlife, in part due to multiple routes of transmission. We combined data on T. gondii infection in foxes from Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada) with stable isotope data tracking trophic relationships between foxes and several of their main prey species. Red (Vulpes vulpes) and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) carcasses were collected by local trappers from 2015 to 2019. We used magnetic capture PCR to detect DNA of T. gondii in heart and brain tissues, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect antibodies in blood. By linking infection status with diet composition, we showed that infected foxes had a higher probability of consuming aquatic prey and migratory geese, suggesting that these may be important sources of T. gondii transmission in the Arctic. This use of stable isotopes to reveal parasite transmission pathways can be applied more broadly to other foodborne pathogens, and provides evidence to assess and mitigate potential human and animal health risks associated with T. gondii in northern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Émilie Bouchard
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, H2L 2W5, Canada.
| | - Michaël Bonin
- Département de Biologie, Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Rajnish Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Adrián Hernández-Ortiz
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Géraldine-G Gouin
- Nunavik Research Centre, Makivvik Corporation, Kuujjuaq, QC, J0M 1C0, Canada
| | - Audrey Simon
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
| | - Patrick Leighton
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC, H2L 2W5, Canada
| | - Emily Jenkins
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
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Warret Rodrigues C, Roth JD. Coexistence of two sympatric predators in a transitional ecosystem under constraining environmental conditions: a perspective from space and habitat use. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:60. [PMID: 37784160 PMCID: PMC10544556 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Range expansion of species, a major consequence of climate changes, may alter communities substantially due to competition between expanding and native species. METHODS We first quantified size differences between an expanding habitat generalist, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and a circumpolar habitat specialist, the Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), at the edge of the Arctic, where climate-related changes occur rapidly, to predict the likelihood of the larger competitor escalating interference to intraguild killing. We then used satellite telemetry to evaluate competition in a heterogeneous landscape by examining space use early during the foxes' reproductive period, when resource scarcity, increased-food requirements and spatial constraints likely exacerbate the potential for interference. We used time-LoCoH to quantify space and habitat use, and Minta's index to quantify spatio-temporal interactions between neighbors. RESULTS Our morphometric comparison involving 236 foxes found that the potential for escalated interference between these species was high due to intermediate size difference. However, our results from 17 collared foxes suggested that expanding and native competitors may coexist when expanding species occur at low densities. Low home-range overlap between neighbors suggested territoriality and substantial exploitation competition for space. No obvious differential use of areas shared by heterospecific neighbors suggested low interference. If anything, intraspecific competition between red foxes may be stronger than interspecific competition. Red and Arctic foxes used habitat differentially, with near-exclusive use of forest patches by red foxes and marine habitats by Arctic foxes. CONCLUSION Heterogeneous landscapes may relax interspecific competition between expanding and native species, allowing exclusive use of some resources. Furthermore, the scarcity of habitats favored by expanding species may emphasize intraspecific competition between newcomers over interspecific competition, thus creating the potential for self-limitation of expanding populations. Dominant expanding competitors may benefit from interference, but usually lack adaptations to abiotic conditions at their expansion front, favoring rear-edge subordinate species in exploitation competition. However, due to ongoing climate change, systems are usually not at equilibrium. A spread of habitats and resources favorable to expanding species may promote higher densities of antagonistically dominant newcomers, which may lead to extirpation of native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Warret Rodrigues
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - James D Roth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
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Verstege JS, Johnson-Bice SM, Roth JD. Arctic and red fox population responses to climate and cryosphere changes at the Arctic's edge. Oecologia 2023; 202:589-599. [PMID: 37458813 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Responses of one species to climate change may influence the population dynamics of others, particularly in the Arctic where food webs are strongly linked. Specifically, changes to the cryosphere may limit prey availability for predators. We examined Arctic (Vulpes lagopus) and red fox (V. vulpes) population dynamics near the southern edge of the Arctic fox distribution using fur harvest records from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada between 1955 and 2012. Arctic foxes showed a declining population trend over time (inferred from harvest records corrected for trapping effort), whereas the red fox population trend was relatively stable. The positive relationship between the annual Arctic and red fox harvests suggested interspecific competition did not promote the Arctic fox decline. To investigate alternative mechanisms, we evaluated the relative influence of sea-ice phenology, snow depth, snow duration, winter thaws, and summer temperature on the harvest dynamics of both species in the most recent 32 years (1980-2012; n = 29) of our data. Arctic fox harvests were negatively related to the length of time Hudson Bay was free of sea ice. Shorter sea ice duration may reduce access to seal carrion as an alternative winter food source when lemming densities decline. Contrary to our prediction, red fox harvest was not related to summer temperature but was positively related to snow depth, suggesting winter prey availability may limit red fox population growth. Predators have an important ecological role, so understanding the influence of changes in the cryosphere on predator-prey interactions may better illuminate the broader influence of climate change on food-web dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline S Verstege
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Sean M Johnson-Bice
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - James D Roth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
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7
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Moizan A, Warret Rodrigues C, Roth JD. Different selection criteria may relax competition for denning sites between expanding red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and endemic Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) on the low-Arctic tundra. Polar Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-023-03116-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
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8
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Warret Rodrigues C, Roth JD. Feast to famine: Sympatric predators respond differently to seasonal prey scarcity on the low Arctic tundra. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9951. [PMID: 36993144 PMCID: PMC10041551 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Resource fluctuation is a major driver of animal movement, influencing strategic choices such as residency vs nomadism, or social dynamics. The Arctic tundra is characterized by strong seasonality: Resources are abundant during the short summers but scarce in winters. Therefore, expansion of boreal-forest species onto the tundra raises questions on how they cope with winter-resource scarcity. We examined a recent incursion by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) onto the coastal tundra of northern Manitoba, an area historically occupied by Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) that lacks access to anthropogenic foods, and compared seasonal shifts in space use of the two species. We used 4 years of telemetry data following 8 red foxes and 11 Arctic foxes to test the hypothesis that the movement tactics of both species are primarily driven by temporal variability of resources. We also predicted that the harsh tundra conditions in winter would drive red foxes to disperse more often and maintain larger home ranges year-round than Arctic foxes, which are adapted to this environment. Dispersal was the most frequent winter movement tactic in both fox species, despite its association with high mortality (winter mortality was 9.4 times higher in dispersers than residents). Red foxes consistently dispersed toward the boreal forest, whereas Arctic foxes primarily used sea ice to disperse. Home range size of red and Arctic foxes did not differ in summer, but resident red foxes substantially increased their home range size in winter, whereas home range size of resident Arctic foxes did not change seasonally. As climate changes, abiotic constraints on some species may relax, but associated declines in prey communities may lead to local extirpation of many predators, notably by favoring dispersal during resource scarcity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James D. Roth
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
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Kulsum Ahmad Bhat, Bhat BA, Ganai BA, Aamir Majeed, Khurshid N, Muniza Manzoor. Food habits of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in Dachigam National Park of the Kashmir Himalaya, India. JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2023. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.7714.15.1.22364-22370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Food habits of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes were studied in Dachigam National Park of the Kashmir Himalaya from December 2017 to November 2018 by scat analysis. A total of 246 scats were collected across seasons from different habitat types of the park. The diet of the Red Fox was characterized by a wider prey spectrum with small rodents, plants, and Himalayan Grey Langur Semnopithecus ajax as the major food items. The dietary behaviour showed slight seasonal variation with more invertebrates and plant material (fruits, berries, & grasses) during spring and summer. The food niche of the canid was wider in the warm season than in the cold season. Diet analysis revealed substantial use of anthropogenic food sources (human refuse and livestock carrion) by the Red Fox. The frequency of occurrence of human refuse and livestock carrion in the scats of the canid species varied seasonally. The results show that the Red Fox is an opportunistic feeder, and capable of adapting to a variety of dietary items.
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Bonin M, Dussault C, Taillon J, Pisapio J, Lecomte N, Côté SD. Diet flexibility of wolves and black bears in the range of migratory caribou. J Mammal 2023. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyad002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The diet of predators can be highly variable, which is exemplified by their ability to acclimate to a wide range of ecological conditions. Such flexibility in foraging may be a key aspect of their performance in unpredictable environments such as at the edge of the range of a species or where food availability varies greatly in time and space. Gaining information on the diets of predators under such conditions could foster our comprehension of their ecological flexibility and the potential role of predation on the population dynamics of prey. We determined the diet of wolves (Canis lupus) and black bears (Ursus americanus) in northern Québec and Labrador (Canada) within the range of two migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds: the high-abundance Rivière-aux-Feuilles herd (RFH) and low-abundance Rivière-George herd (RGH). Worldwide, decline in caribou populations has become a concern, stressing the need to better understand the factors involved in these declines, including predation. In northern Québec (RFH range), caribou was the primary year-round prey of wolves while moose (Alces alces) and muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) were consumed in some sectors. The diet of wolves in northern Labrador (RGH range) varied seasonally, with caribou, moose, and fish as main prey during different periods throughout the year. Black bear diets varied seasonally and regionally. Among the foods we analyzed, caribou was the main source of animal protein for bears in northern Québec and northern Labrador, except during a high abundance of Ungava collared lemming (Dicrostonyx hudsonius). Only bears in northern Québec ate caribou during late summer/fall. Our results highlight the diet flexibility of wolves and black bears in northern food webs, and how their diets change in relation to the distribution and abundance of prey. Our results will help quantify the potential impact of these predators on prey populations in northern systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Bonin
- Caribou Ungava, département de biologie, Université Laval , 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval , 2405 rue de la Terrasse, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
| | - Christian Dussault
- Caribou Ungava, département de biologie, Université Laval , 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 880 chemin Sainte-Foy , Québec City, Québec G1S 4X4 , Canada
| | - Joëlle Taillon
- Caribou Ungava, département de biologie, Université Laval , 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 880 chemin Sainte-Foy , Québec City, Québec G1S 4X4 , Canada
| | - John Pisapio
- Caribou Ungava, département de biologie, Université Laval , 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Wildlife Division, Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture , Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador A0P 1E0 , Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Caribou Ungava, département de biologie, Université Laval , 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval , 2405 rue de la Terrasse, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en écologie polaire et boréale et Centre d’études nordiques, département de biologie, Université de Moncton , 18 avenue Antonine-Maillet, Moncton, New Brunswick E1A 3E9 , Canada
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Caribou Ungava, département de biologie, Université Laval , 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
- Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval , 2405 rue de la Terrasse, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6 , Canada
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11
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Ungar PS, Van Valkenburgh B, Sokolova N, Fufachev I, Filippova V, Shklyar K, Sokolov A. Changes in dental wear and breakage in arctic foxes across space and time: Evidence for anthropogenic food subsidies? CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2022-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Increased human presence in the Arctic may affect its vulnerable ecosystems. Effects on arctic and red foxes provide notable examples. Both have been documented to take anthropogenic subsidies when available, which can change diet and ranging patterns in complex ways that can either benefit or harm populations, depending on the situation. Understanding this complexity requires new tools to study impacts of increasing human presence on endemic mammals at high latitudes. We propose that dental ecology, specifically tooth wear and breakage, can offer important clues. Based on samples of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus Linnaeus, 1758) trapped prior to (n = 78) and following (n = 57) rapidly growing human presence on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia, we found that foxes trapped recently in proximity to human settlement had significantly less tooth wear and breakage. This is likely explained by a dietary shift from consumption of reindeer carcasses (Rangifer tarandus Linnaeus, 1758) including bone to softer human-derived foods, especially when preferred smaller prey (e.g., West Siberian lemmings, Lemmus sibiricus Kerr, 1792 and arctic lemmings, Dicrostonyx torquatus Pallas, 1778) are unavailable. These results suggest that tooth wear can be a useful indicator of the consumption of anthropogenic foods in arctic foxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S. Ungar
- University of Arkansas Fayetteville, 3341, Department of Anthropology, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States,
| | - Blaire Van Valkenburgh
- University of California Los Angeles, 8783, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Natalya Sokolova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 243796, Arctic research station , Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russian Federation
| | - Ivan Fufachev
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 243796, Arctic Research Station, Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russian Federation
| | - Violetta Filippova
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 243796, Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russian Federation
| | - Kirill Shklyar
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 243796, Arctic research station, Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russian Federation
| | - Aleksandr Sokolov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 243796, Arctic research station, Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Russian Federation
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12
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Lindsø LK, Dupont P, Rød-Eriksen L, Andersskog IPØ, Ulvund KR, Flagstad Ø, Bischof R, Eide NE. Estimating red fox density using non-invasive genetic sampling and spatial capture-recapture modelling. Oecologia 2021; 198:139-151. [PMID: 34859281 PMCID: PMC8803778 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05087-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spatial capture–recapture modelling (SCR) is a powerful tool for estimating density, population size, and space use of elusive animals. Here, we applied SCR modelling to non-invasive genetic sampling (NGS) data to estimate red fox (Vulpes vulpes) densities in two areas of boreal forest in central (2016–2018) and southern Norway (2017–2018). Estimated densities were overall lower in the central study area (mean = 0.04 foxes per km2 in 2016, 0.10 in 2017, and 0.06 in 2018) compared to the southern study area (0.16 in 2017 and 0.09 in 2018). We found a positive effect of forest cover on density in the central, but not the southern study area. The absence of an effect in the southern area may reflect a paucity of evidence caused by low variation in forest cover. Estimated mean home-range size in the central study area was 45 km2 [95%CI 34–60] for females and 88 km2 [69–113] for males. Mean home-range sizes were smaller in the southern study area (26 km2 [16–42] for females and 56 km2 [35–91] for males). In both study areas, detection probability was session-dependent and affected by sampling effort. This study highlights how SCR modelling in combination with NGS can be used to efficiently monitor red fox populations, and simultaneously incorporate ecological factors and estimate their effects on population density and space use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars K Lindsø
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway. .,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Universitetstunet 3, 1430, Ås, Norway. .,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), The Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Pierre Dupont
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Universitetstunet 3, 1430, Ås, Norway
| | - Lars Rød-Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - Øystein Flagstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Richard Bischof
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Universitetstunet 3, 1430, Ås, Norway
| | - Nina E Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
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13
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Small rodent cycles influence interactions among predators in a boreal forest ecosystem. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00590-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCyclic fluctuations of prey have profound effects on the functioning of ecosystems, for example, by changing the dynamics, behavior, and intraguild interactions of predators. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of rodent cyclic fluctuations in the interspecific interactions of a guild of small- and medium-sized predators: red fox (Vulpes vulpes), pine marten (Martes martes), and weasels (Mustela erminea and Mustela nivalis) in the boreal ecosystem. We analyzed eight years (2007–2014) of snow tracking data from southeastern Norway using structural equation models to assess hypothesized networks of causal relationships. Our results show that fluctuations in rodent abundance alter the strength of predator’s interactions, as well as the effect of determinant environmental variables. Pine marten and weasel abundances were positively associated with rodent population growth rate, but not red fox abundance. All predators were positively associated with each other; however, the association between red fox and the other predators weakened when rodents increased. Rodent fluctuations had variable effects on the habitat use of the predators. The presence of agricultural land was important for all predators, but this importance weakened for the mustelids as rodent abundance increased. We discuss the shifting role of interference and exploitative competition as possible mechanisms behind these patterns. Overall, we highlight the importance of accounting for the dynamics of prey resources when studying interspecific interactions among predators. Additionally, we demonstrate the importance of monitoring the predator populations in order to anticipate undesirable outcomes such as increased generalist predator abundances to the detriment of specialists.
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14
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The context of an emerging predation problem: Nenets reindeer herders and Arctic foxes in Yamal. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01497-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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15
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Tirronen K, Ehrich D, Panchenko D, Dalén L, Angerbjörn A. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus L.) on the Kola Peninsula (Russia): silently disappearing in the mist of data deficiency? Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02847-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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16
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Gomo G, Mattisson J, Rød-Eriksen L, Eide NE, Odden M. Spatiotemporal patterns of red fox scavenging in forest and tundra: the influence of prey fluctuations and winter conditions. MAMMAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00566-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractConcern has been raised regarding red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) population increase and range expansion into alpine tundra, directly and indirectly enhanced by human activities, including carrion supply, and its negative impact on native fauna. In this study, we used cameras on bait stations and hunting remains to investigate how spatiotemporal patterns of red fox scavenging were influenced by abundance and accessibility of live prey, i.e., small rodent population cycles, snow depth, and primary productivity. We found contrasting patterns of scavenging between habitats during winter. In alpine areas, use of baits was highest post rodent peaks and when snow depth was low. This probably reflected relatively higher red fox abundance due to increased reproduction or migration of individuals from neighboring areas, possibly also enhanced by a diet shift. Contrastingly, red fox use of baits in the forest was highest during rodent low phase, and when snow was deep, indicating a higher dependency of carrion under these conditions. Scavenging patterns by red fox on the pulsed but predictable food resource from hunting remains in the autumn revealed no patterns throughout the rodent cycle. In this study, we showed that small rodent dynamics influenced red fox scavenging, at least in winter, but with contrasting patterns depending on environmental conditions. In marginal alpine areas, a numerical response to higher availability of rodents possible lead to the increase in bait visitation the proceeding winter, while in more productive forest areas, low availability of rodents induced a functional diet shift towards scavenging.
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17
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Gomo G, Rød‐Eriksen L, Andreassen HP, Mattisson J, Odden M, Devineau O, Eide NE. Scavenger community structure along an environmental gradient from boreal forest to alpine tundra in Scandinavia. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:12860-12869. [PMID: 33304499 PMCID: PMC7713988 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Scavengers can have strong impacts on food webs, and awareness of their role in ecosystems has increased during the last decades. In our study, we used baited camera traps to quantify the structure of the winter scavenger community in central Scandinavia across a forest-alpine continuum and assess how climatic conditions affected spatial patterns of species occurrences at baits. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the main habitat type (forest or alpine tundra) and snow depth was main determinants of the community structure. According to a joint species distribution model within the HMSC framework, species richness tended to be higher in forest than in alpine tundra habitat, but was only weakly associated with temperature and snow depth. However, we observed stronger and more diverse impacts of these covariates on individual species. Occurrence at baits by habitat generalists (red fox, golden eagle, and common raven) typically increased at low temperatures and high snow depth, probably due to increased energetic demands and lower abundance of natural prey in harsh winter conditions. On the contrary, occurrence at baits by forest specialists (e.g., Eurasian jay) tended to decrease in deep snow, which is possibly a consequence of reduced bait detectability and accessibility. In general, the influence of environmental covariates on species richness and occurrence at baits was lower in alpine tundra than in forests, and habitat generalists dominated the scavenger communities in both forest and alpine tundra. Following forecasted climate change, altered environmental conditions are likely to cause range expansion of boreal species and range contraction of typical alpine species such as the arctic fox. Our results suggest that altered snow conditions will possibly be a main driver of changes in species community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gjermund Gomo
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology (Fac. Appl. Ecol.)Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN)KoppangNorway
| | - Lars Rød‐Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
- Department of BiologyCentre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Harry P. Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology (Fac. Appl. Ecol.)Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN)KoppangNorway
| | - Jenny Mattisson
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Morten Odden
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology (Fac. Appl. Ecol.)Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN)KoppangNorway
| | - Olivier Devineau
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology (Fac. Appl. Ecol.)Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN)KoppangNorway
| | - Nina E. Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
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18
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Henden J, Ehrich D, Soininen EM, Ims RA. Accounting for food web dynamics when assessing the impact of mesopredator control on declining prey populations. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John‐André Henden
- 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
| | - Eeva M. Soininen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
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Henden JA, Ims RA, Yoccoz NG, Asbjørnsen EJ, Stien A, Mellard JP, Tveraa T, Marolla F, Jepsen JU. End-user involvement to improve predictions and management of populations with complex dynamics and multiple drivers. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02120. [PMID: 32159900 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable management of wildlife populations can be aided by building models that both identify current drivers of natural dynamics and provide near-term predictions of future states. We employed a Strategic Foresight Protocol (SFP) involving stakeholders to decide the purpose and structure of a dynamic state-space model for the population dynamics of the Willow Ptarmigan, a popular game species in Norway. Based on local knowledge of stakeholders, it was decided that the model should include food web interactions and climatic drivers to provide explanatory predictions. Modeling confirmed observations from stakeholders that climate change impacts Ptarmigan populations negatively through intensified outbreaks of insect defoliators and later onset of winter. Stakeholders also decided that the model should provide anticipatory predictions. The ability to forecast population density ahead of the harvest season was valued by the stakeholders as it provides the management extra time to consider appropriate harvest regulations and communicate with hunters prior to the hunting season. Overall, exploring potential drivers and predicting short-term future states, facilitate collaborative learning and refined data collection, monitoring designs, and management priorities. Our experience from adapting a SFP to a management target with inherently complex dynamics and drivers of environmental change, is that an open, flexible, and iterative process, rather than a rigid step-wise protocol, facilitates rapid learning, trust, and legitimacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John-André Henden
- University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Rolf A Ims
- University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Postboks 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | - Nigel G Yoccoz
- University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Postboks 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | | | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Postboks 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | - Jarad Pope Mellard
- University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Postboks 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
| | - Filippo Marolla
- University of Tromsø, The Arctic University, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9019, Norway
| | - Jane Uhd Jepsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Fram Centre, Postboks 6606 Langnes, Tromsø, 9296, Norway
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20
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Bonin M, Dussault C, Taillon J, Lecomte N, Côté SD. Combining stable isotopes, morphological, and molecular analyses to reconstruct the diet of free-ranging consumers. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6664-6676. [PMID: 32724540 PMCID: PMC7381590 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate estimates of animal diet composition are essential to untangle complex interactions in food webs. Biomarkers and molecular tools are increasingly used to estimate diet, sometimes alongside traditional dietary tracing methods. Yet only a few empirical studies have compared the outcomes and potential gains of using a combination of these methods, especially using free-ranging animals with distinct foraging preferences.We used stable isotopes, morphological, and molecular analyses to investigate the diet of free-ranging consumers with two distinct diet types, that is, carnivore and omnivore. By combining the three analytical methods to assess the diet of consumers during the same period, we aimed to identify the limits of each method and to assess the potential benefits of their combined use to derive diet estimates.Our results showed that the different methods led to a consistent diet description for carnivores, which have a relatively simple diet mixture, but their outcomes somewhat differed for omnivore, which have a more complex diet. Still, the combined use of morphological and molecular analyses enhanced the diversity of food sources detected compared to the use of a single method independently of diet types. Precision of diet estimates derived from stable isotope analyses was improved by the addition of priors obtained from morphological and molecular diet analyses of the same population.Although we used free-ranging animals without a known diet, our empirical testing of three of the most widely used methods of diet determination highlights the limits of relying over a single approach, especially in systems with few or no a priori information about the foraging habits of consumers. The choice of an appropriate approach of diet description should be a key step when planning dietary studies of free-ranging populations. We recommend using more than one dietary determination methods especially for species with complex diet mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Bonin
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
| | - Christian Dussault
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifauneMinistère des Forêts, de la Faune et des ParcsQuébecQCCanada
| | - Joëlle Taillon
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
- Direction de l’expertise sur la faune terrestre, l’herpétofaune et l’avifauneMinistère des Forêts, de la Faune et des ParcsQuébecQCCanada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en écologie polaire et boréaleUniversité de MonctonMonctonNBCanada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Caribou UngavaCentre d’études nordiquesUniversité LavalQuébecQCCanada
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21
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Rød‐Eriksen L, Skrutvold J, Herfindal I, Jensen H, Eide NE. Highways associated with expansion of boreal scavengers into the alpine tundra of Fennoscandia. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lars Rød‐Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD) Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
| | | | - Ivar Herfindal
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD) Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD) Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim Norway
| | - Nina E. Eide
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
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22
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The impact of human land use and landscape productivity on population dynamics of red fox in southeastern Norway. MAMMAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-020-00494-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn the boreal forest, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a key species due to its many strong food web linkages and its exploitation of niches that form in the wake of human activities. Recent altitudinal range expansion and a perceived population increase have become topics of concern in Scandinavia, primarily due to the potential impacts of red foxes on both prey and competitor species. However, despite it being a common species, there is still surprisingly little knowledge about the temporal and spatial characteristics of its population dynamics. In this study, we synthesized 12 years of snow-track transect data covering a 27,000-km2 study area to identify factors associated with red fox distribution and population dynamics. Using Bayesian hierarchical regression models, we evaluated the relationships of landscape productivity and climate gradients as well as anthropogenic subsidies with an index of red fox population size and growth rates. We found that landscapes with high human settlement density and large amounts of gut piles from moose (Alces alces) hunting were associated with higher red fox abundances. Population dynamics were characterized by direct density-dependent growth, and the structure of density dependence was best explained by the amount of agricultural land in the landscape. Population equilibrium levels increased, and populations were more stable, in areas with a higher presence of agricultural lands, whereas density-dependent population growth was more prominent in areas of low agricultural presence. We conclude that human land use is a dominant driver of red fox population dynamics in the boreal forest. We encourage further research focusing on contrasting effects of anthropogenic subsidization on predator population carrying capacities and temporal stability, and potential impacts on prey dynamics.
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Gallant D, Lecomte N, Berteaux D. Disentangling the relative influences of global drivers of change in biodiversity: A study of the twentieth‐century red fox expansion into the Canadian Arctic. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:565-576. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gallant
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en biodiversité nordique and Centre d'Études Nordiques Université du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en écologie polaire et boréale and Centre d'Études Nordiques Université de Moncton Moncton NB Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en écologie polaire et boréale and Centre d'Études Nordiques Université de Moncton Moncton NB Canada
| | - Dominique Berteaux
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en biodiversité nordique and Centre d'Études Nordiques Université du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
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Rodent population cycle as a determinant of gastrointestinal nematode abundance in a low-arctic population of the red fox. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 9:36-41. [PMID: 30976515 PMCID: PMC6441723 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We analyzed an 11-year time series (2005-2015) of parasite abundance for three intestinal nematode species in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) as a function of the multi-annual rodent population cycle in low-arctic Norway, while correcting for other potential covariates that could influence prevalence and abundance. Rodents are paratenic and facultative intermediate hosts for the two Ascarididae species Toxascaris leonina and Toxocara canis, respectively and key prey for the red fox. Still the relative importance of indirect transmission through rodents and direct transmission through free-living stages is unclear. Abundance of these Ascarididae species in individual red foxes (N = 612) exhibited strongly cyclic dynamics that closely mirrored the 4-year rodent cycle. Negative binomial models provided evidence for a direct proportional increase in Ascarididae abundance with rodent density suggesting that predator functional response to rodent prey is the key transmission mechanism. In contrast, no cycles and constantly very low abundance were apparent for Uncinaria stenocephala - a third nematode species recorded without paratenic or intermediate stages.
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25
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Marolla F, Aarvak T, Øien IJ, Mellard JP, Henden J, Hamel S, Stien A, Tveraa T, Yoccoz NG, Ims RA. Assessing the effect of predator control on an endangered goose population subjected to predator‐mediated food web dynamics. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Marolla
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Tomas Aarvak
- Norwegian Ornithological SocietyBirdLife Norway Trondheim Norway
| | - Ingar J. Øien
- Norwegian Ornithological SocietyBirdLife Norway Trondheim Norway
| | - Jarad P. Mellard
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - John‐André Henden
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Sandra Hamel
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Audun Stien
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment Tromsø Norway
| | - Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment Tromsø Norway
| | - Nigel G. Yoccoz
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
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26
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Breisjøberget JI, Odden M, Wegge P, Zimmermann B, Andreassen H. The alternative prey hypothesis revisited: Still valid for willow ptarmigan population dynamics. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197289. [PMID: 29874270 PMCID: PMC5991367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The alternative prey hypothesis predicts that the interaction between generalist predators and their main prey is a major driver of population dynamics of alternative prey species. In Fennoscandia, changes in climate and human land use are assumed to alter the dynamics of cyclic small rodents (main prey) and lead to increased densities and range expansion of an important generalist predator, the red fox Vulpes vulpes. In order to better understand the role of these potential changes in community structure on an alternative prey species, willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus, we analyzed nine years of population census data from SE Norway to investigate how community interactions affected their population dynamics. The ptarmigan populations showed no declining trend during the study period, and annual variations corresponded with marked periodic small rodent peaks and declines. Population growth and breeding success were highly correlated, and both demographic variables were influenced by an interaction between red fox and small rodents. Red foxes affected ptarmigan negatively only when small rodent abundance was low, which is in accordance with the alternative prey hypothesis. Our results confirm the important role of red fox predation in ptarmigan dynamics, and indicate that if small rodent cycles are disrupted, this may lead to decline in ptarmigan and other alternative prey species due to elevated predation pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Inge Breisjøberget
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
- The Norwegian State-owned Land and Forest Enterprise, Statskog SOE, Namsos, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Morten Odden
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
| | - Per Wegge
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Barbara Zimmermann
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
| | - Harry Andreassen
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Koppang, Norway
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27
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Human-modified habitats facilitate forest-dwelling populations of an invasive predator, Vulpes vulpes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12291. [PMID: 28947832 PMCID: PMC5612948 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12464-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive and over-abundant predators pose a major threat to biodiversity and often benefit from human activities. Effective management requires understanding predator use of human-modified habitats (including resource subsidies and disturbed environments), and individual variation within populations. We investigated selection for human-modified habitats by invasive red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, within two predominantly forested Australian landscapes. We predicted that foxes would select for human-modified habitats in their range locations and fine-scale movements, but that selection would vary between individuals. We GPS-tracked 19 foxes for 17–166 days; ranges covered 33 to >2500 ha. Approximately half the foxes selected for human-modified habitats at the range scale, with some ‘commuting’ more than five kilometres to farmland or townships at night. Two foxes used burnt forest intensively after a prescribed fire. In their fine-scale nocturnal movements, most foxes selected for human-modified habitats such as reservoirs, forest edges and roads, but there was considerable individual variation. Native fauna in fragmented and disturbed habitats are likely to be exposed to high rates of fox predation, and anthropogenic food resources may subsidise fox populations within the forest interior. Coordinating fox control across land-tenures, targeting specific landscape features, and limiting fox access to anthropogenic resources will be important for biodiversity conservation.
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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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Carricondo-Sanchez D, Odden M, Linnell JDC, Odden J. The range of the mange: Spatiotemporal patterns of sarcoptic mange in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as revealed by camera trapping. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176200. [PMID: 28423011 PMCID: PMC5397041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sarcoptic mange is a widely distributed disease that affects numerous mammalian species. We used camera traps to investigate the apparent prevalence and spatiotemporal dynamics of sarcoptic mange in a red fox population in southeastern Norway. We monitored red foxes for five years using 305 camera traps distributed across an 18000 km2 area. A total of 6581 fox events were examined to visually identify mange compatible lesions. We investigated factors associated with the occurrence of mange by using logistic models within a Bayesian framework, whereas the spatiotemporal dynamics of the disease were analysed with space-time scan statistics. The apparent prevalence of the disease fluctuated over the study period with a mean of 3.15% and credible interval [1.25, 6.37], and our best logistic model explaining the presence of red foxes with mange-compatible lesions included time since the beginning of the study and the interaction between distance to settlement and season as explanatory variables. The scan analyses detected several potential clusters of the disease that varied in persistence and size, and the locations in the cluster with the highest probability were closer to human settlements than the other survey locations. Our results indicate that red foxes in an advanced stage of the disease are most likely found closer to human settlements during periods of low wild prey availability (winter). We discuss different potential causes. Furthermore, the disease appears to follow a pattern of small localized outbreaks rather than sporadic isolated events.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Carricondo-Sanchez
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Morten Odden
- Faculty of Applied Ecology and Agricultural Sciences, Hedmark University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | | | - John Odden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
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Norén K, Angerbjörn A, Wallén J, Meijer T, Sacks BN. Red foxes colonizing the tundra: genetic analysis as a tool for population management. CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0910-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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31
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Winter severity modulates the benefits of using a habitat temporally uncoupled from browsing. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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Spatial and temporal variation in the distribution and abundance of red foxes in the tundra and taiga of northern Sweden. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-0995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Ehrich D, Strømeng MA, Killengreen ST. Interference in the tundra predator guild studied using local ecological knowledge. Oecologia 2015; 180:1195-203. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3521-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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34
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Musseau C, Vincenzi S, Jesenšek D, Cantera I, Boulêtreau S, Santoul F, Crivelli AJ. Direct and indirect effects of environmental factors on dietary niches in size-structured populations of a wild salmonid. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00109.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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35
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Huijbers CM, Schlacher TA, McVeigh RR, Schoeman DS, Olds AD, Brown MB, Ekanayake KB, Weston MA, Connolly RM. Functional replacement across species pools of vertebrate scavengers separated at a continental scale maintains an ecosystem function. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M. Huijbers
- School of Science & Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Sippy Downs Queensland 4558 Australia
- Australian Rivers Institute – Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland 4222 Australia
| | - Thomas A. Schlacher
- School of Science & Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Sippy Downs Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Rosemary R. McVeigh
- School of Science & Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Sippy Downs Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - David S. Schoeman
- School of Science & Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Sippy Downs Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Andrew D. Olds
- School of Science & Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Sippy Downs Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Marion B. Brown
- School of Science & Engineering University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Sippy Downs Queensland 4558 Australia
| | - Kasun B. Ekanayake
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Michael A. Weston
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Rod M. Connolly
- Australian Rivers Institute – Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland 4222 Australia
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Brown MB, Schlacher TA, Schoeman DS, Weston MA, Huijbers CM, Olds AD, Connolly RM. Invasive carnivores alter ecological function and enhance complementarity in scavenger assemblages on ocean beaches. Ecology 2015; 96:2715-25. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0027.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Eloranta AP, Kahilainen KK, Amundsen PA, Knudsen R, Harrod C, Jones RI. Lake size and fish diversity determine resource use and trophic position of a top predator in high-latitude lakes. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1664-75. [PMID: 25937909 PMCID: PMC4409414 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prey preference of top predators and energy flow across habitat boundaries are of fundamental importance for structure and function of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as they may have strong effects on production, species diversity, and food-web stability. In lakes, littoral and pelagic food-web compartments are typically coupled and controlled by generalist fish top predators. However, the extent and determinants of such coupling remains a topical area of ecological research and is largely unknown in oligotrophic high-latitude lakes. We analyzed food-web structure and resource use by a generalist top predator, the Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.), in 17 oligotrophic subarctic lakes covering a marked gradient in size (0.5–1084 km2) and fish species richness (2–13 species). We expected top predators to shift from littoral to pelagic energy sources with increasing lake size, as the availability of pelagic prey resources and the competition for littoral prey are both likely to be higher in large lakes with multispecies fish communities. We also expected top predators to occupy a higher trophic position in lakes with greater fish species richness due to potential substitution of intermediate consumers (prey fish) and increased piscivory by top predators. Based on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses, the mean reliance of Arctic charr on littoral energy sources showed a significant negative relationship with lake surface area, whereas the mean trophic position of Arctic charr, reflecting the lake food-chain length, increased with fish species richness. These results were supported by stomach contents data demonstrating a shift of Arctic charr from an invertebrate-dominated diet to piscivory on pelagic fish. Our study highlights that, because they determine the main energy source (littoral vs. pelagic) and the trophic position of generalist top predators, ecosystem size and fish diversity are particularly important factors influencing function and structure of food webs in high-latitude lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antti P Eloranta
- Aquatic Ecology Department, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway ; University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences P.O. Box 35, FIN-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki P.O. Box 65, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland ; Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, University of Helsinki Käsivarrentie 14622, FIN-99490, Kilpisjärvi, Finland
| | - Per-Arne Amundsen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway P.O. Box 6050 Langnes, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rune Knudsen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway P.O. Box 6050 Langnes, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Chris Harrod
- Universidad de Antofagasta, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Roger I Jones
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences P.O. Box 35, FIN-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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Pokrovsky I, Ehrich D, Ims RA, Kondratyev AV, Kruckenberg H, Kulikova O, Mihnevich J, Pokrovskaya L, Shienok A. Rough-legged buzzards, Arctic foxes and red foxes in a tundra ecosystem without rodents. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118740. [PMID: 25692786 PMCID: PMC4333295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Small rodents with multi-annual population cycles strongly influence the dynamics of food webs, and in particular predator-prey interactions, across most of the tundra biome. Rodents are however absent from some arctic islands, and studies on performance of arctic predators under such circumstances may be very instructive since rodent cycles have been predicted to collapse in a warming Arctic. Here we document for the first time how three normally rodent-dependent predator species-rough-legged buzzard, arctic fox and red fox - perform in a low-arctic ecosystem with no rodents. During six years (in 2006-2008 and 2011-2013) we studied diet and breeding performance of these predators in the rodent-free Kolguev Island in Arctic Russia. The rough-legged buzzards, previously known to be a small rodent specialist, have only during the last two decades become established on Kolguev Island. The buzzards successfully breed on the island at stable low density, but with high productivity based on goslings and willow ptarmigan as their main prey - altogether representing a novel ecological situation for this species. Breeding density of arctic fox varied from year to year, but with stable productivity based on mainly geese as prey. The density dynamic of the arctic fox appeared to be correlated with the date of spring arrival of the geese. Red foxes breed regularly on the island but in very low numbers that appear to have been unchanged over a long period - a situation that resemble what has been recently documented from Arctic America. Our study suggests that the three predators found breeding on Kolguev Island possess capacities for shifting to changing circumstances in low-arctic ecosystem as long as other small - medium sized terrestrial herbivores are present in good numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Pokrovsky
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Dorothée Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Rolf A. Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Alexander V. Kondratyev
- Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far-East Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, 685000, Portovaya str. 18, Magadan, Russia
| | - Helmut Kruckenberg
- Institute for Waterbird and Wetlands Research IWWR e.V., Am Steigbügel 3, D-27283, Verden (Aller), Germany
| | - Olga Kulikova
- Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, RU-119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Julia Mihnevich
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, RU-119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Liya Pokrovskaya
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, RU-119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Shienok
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, RU-119991, Moscow, Russia
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Andersson M. Aposematism and crypsis in a rodent: antipredator defence of the Norwegian lemming. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1868-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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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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41
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Elmhagen B, Kindberg J, Hellström P, Angerbjörn A. A boreal invasion in response to climate change? Range shifts and community effects in the borderland between forest and tundra. AMBIO 2015; 44 Suppl 1:S39-50. [PMID: 25576279 PMCID: PMC4289007 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-014-0606-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that climate warming will allow southern species to advance north and invade northern ecosystems. We review the changes in the Swedish mammal and bird community in boreal forest and alpine tundra since the nineteenth century, as well as suggested drivers of change. Observed changes include (1) range expansion and increased abundance in southern birds, ungulates, and carnivores; (2) range contraction and decline in northern birds and carnivores; and (3) abundance decline or periodically disrupted dynamics in cyclic populations of small and medium-sized mammals and birds. The first warm spell, 1930-1960, stands out as a period of substantial faunal change. However, in addition to climate warming, suggested drivers of change include land use and other anthropogenic factors. We hypothesize all these drivers interacted, primarily favoring southern generalists. Future research should aim to distinguish between effects of climate and land-use change in boreal and tundra ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bodil Elmhagen
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
- Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management, Öster-Malma, 611 91 Nyköping, Sweden
| | - Peter Hellström
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Angerbjörn
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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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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Savory G, Hunter C, Wooller M, O’Brien D. Anthropogenic food use and diet overlap between red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. CAN J ZOOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2013-0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes (L., 1758)) recently expanded into the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, USA, and we hypothesized that the availability of anthropogenic foods may contribute to their success and persistence there. This study assessed the importance of anthropogenic foods to the diets of red foxes and arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus (L., 1758)), and competition for food resources between the two species in Prudhoe Bay. We used stable isotope analysis of fox tissues to infer diet during summer and winter for both red and arctic foxes, and lifetime diet for red fox. While the contribution of anthropogenic foods in late summer for both species’ diets was low (~10% to 15%), the contribution in late winter was higher and varied between species (red foxes = 49%; arctic foxes = 39%). Estimates of lifetime diet in red foxes suggest consistent use of anthropogenic foods. We found moderate overlap of fox diets, although red foxes appeared to be more specialized on lemmings, whereas arctic foxes had a more diverse diet. Availability and consumption of anthropogenic foods by red foxes, particularly in winter, may partially explain their year-round presence in Prudhoe Bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- G.A. Savory
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756100, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - C.M. Hunter
- Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - M.J. Wooller
- Alaska Stable Isotope Facility, Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, P.O. Box 755860, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
- Institute of Marine Science & School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 755860, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - D.M. O’Brien
- Center for Alaska Native Health Research, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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Soininen EM, Ehrich D, Lecomte N, Yoccoz NG, Tarroux A, Berteaux D, Gauthier G, Gielly L, Brochmann C, Gussarova G, Ims RA. Sources of variation in small rodent trophic niche: new insights from DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2014; 50:361-381. [PMID: 24830842 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2014.915824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific competition for food is expected to increase the trophic niche width of consumers, defined here as their diet diversity, but this process has been little studied in herbivores. Population densities of small rodents fluctuate greatly, providing a good study model to evaluate effects of competition on trophic niche. We studied resource use in five arctic small rodent populations of four species combining DNA metabarcoding of stomach contents and stable isotope analysis (SIA). Our results suggest that for small rodents, the most pronounced effect of competition on trophic niche is due to increased use of secondary habitats and to habitat-specific diets, rather than an expansion of trophic niche in primary habitat. DNA metabarcoding and SIA provided complementary information about the composition and temporal variation of herbivore diets. Combing these two approaches requires caution, as the underlying processes causing observed patterns may differ between methodologies due to different spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eeva M Soininen
- a Department of Arctic and Marine Biology , UiT The Arctic University of Norway , Tromsø , Norway
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46
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Hayden B, Harrod C, Kahilainen KK. Dual fuels: intra-annual variation in the relative importance of benthic and pelagic resources to maintenance, growth and reproduction in a generalist salmonid fish. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:1501-12. [PMID: 24738779 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ecological systems are often characterized as stable entities. However, basal productivity in most ecosystems varies between seasons, particularly in subarctic and polar areas. How this variability affects higher trophic levels or entire food webs remains largely unknown, especially in these high-latitude regions. We undertook a year-long study of benthic (macroinvertebrate) and pelagic (zooplankton) resource availability, along with short (day/days: stomach content)-, medium (month: liver δ(13)C and δ(15)N isotopes)- and long-term (season: muscle δ(13)C and δ(15)N isotopes) assessments of resource use by a generalist fish, the European whitefish, in a deep, oligotrophic, subarctic lake in northern Europe. Due to the long ice-covered winter period, we expected to find general benthic reliance throughout the year, but also a seasonal importance of zooplankton to the diet, somatic growth and gonadal development of whitefish. Benthic and pelagic resource availability varied between seasons: peak littoral benthic macroinvertebrate density occurred in mid-winter, whereas maximum zooplankton density was observed in summer. Whitefish stomach content revealed a reliance on benthic prey items during winter and pelagic prey in summer. A seasonal shift from benthic to pelagic prey was evident in liver isotope ratios, but muscle isotope ratios indicated a year-round reliance on benthic macroinvertebrates. Whitefish activity levels as well as somatic and gonadal growth all peaked during the summer, coinciding with the zooplankton peak and the warmest water temperature. Stable isotopes of muscle consistently depicted the most important resource, benthic macroinvertebrates, whereas short-term indicators, that is, diet and stable isotopes of liver, revealed the seasonal significance of pelagic zooplankton for somatic growth and gonad development. Seasonal variability in resource availability strongly influences consumer growth and reproduction and may also be important in other ecosystems facing pronounced annual weather fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Hayden
- Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Käsivarrentie 14622, FI-99490, Kilpisjärvi, Finland.,Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chris Harrod
- Department of Ecological Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Limnology, D-24302, Plön, Germany.,School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK.,Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Käsivarrentie 14622, FI-99490, Kilpisjärvi, Finland.,Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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Needham R, Odden M, Lundstadsveen SK, Wegge P. Seasonal diets of red foxes in a boreal forest with a dense population of moose: the importance of winter scavenging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-014-0188-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Ims RA, Henden JA, Thingnes AV, Killengreen ST. Indirect food web interactions mediated by predator-rodent dynamics: relative roles of lemmings and voles. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130802. [PMID: 24173526 PMCID: PMC3871367 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Production cycles in birds are proposed as prime cases of indirect interactions in food webs. They are thought to be driven by predators switching from rodents to bird nests in the crash phase of rodent population cycles. Although rodent cycles are geographically widespread and found in different rodent taxa, bird production cycles appear to be most profound in the high Arctic where lemmings dominate. We hypothesized that this may be due to arctic lemmings inducing stronger predator responses than boreal voles. We tested this hypothesis by estimating predation rates in dummy bird nests during a rodent cycle in low-Arctic tundra. Here, the rodent community consists of a spatially variable mix of one lemming (Lemmus lemmus) and two vole species (Myodes rufocanus and Microtus oeconomus) with similar abundances. In consistence with our hypothesis, lemming peak abundances predicted well crash-phase nest predation rates, whereas the vole abundances had no predictive ability. Corvids were found to be the most important nest predators. Lemmings appear to be accessible to the whole predator community which makes them particularly powerful drivers of food web dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf A Ims
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, , Tromsø 9037, Norway
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49
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L'Hérault V, Franke A, Lecomte N, Alogut A, Bêty J. Landscape heterogeneity drives intra-population niche variation and reproduction in an arctic top predator. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:2867-79. [PMID: 24101979 PMCID: PMC3790536 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Revised: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
While intra-population variability in resource use is ubiquitous, little is known of how this measure of niche diversity varies in space and its role in population dynamics. Here we examined how heterogeneous breeding environments can structure intra-population niche variation in both resource use and reproductive output. We investigated intra-population niche variation in the Arctic tundra ecosystem, studying peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius, White) breeding within a terrestrial-marine gradient near Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. Using stable isotope analysis, we found that intra-population niches varied at the individual level; we examined within-nest and among-nest variation, though only the latter varied along the terrestrial-marine gradient (i.e., increased among-nest variability among birds nesting within the marine environment, indicating higher degree of specialization). Terrestrial prey species (small herbivores and insectivores) were consumed by virtually all falcons. Falcons nesting within the marine environment made use of marine prey (sea birds), but depended heavily on terrestrial prey (up to 90% of the diet). Using 28-years of peregrine falcon nesting data, we found a positive relationship between the proportion of terrestrial habitat surrounding nest sites and annual nestling production, but no relationship with the likelihood of successfully rearing at least one nestling reaching 25 days old. Annually, successful inland breeders raised 0.47 more young on average compared to offshore breeders, which yields potential fitness consequences for this long-living species. The analyses of niche and reproductive success suggest a potential breeding cost for accessing distant terrestrial prey, perhaps due to additional traveling costs, for those individuals with marine nest site locations. Our study indicates how landscape heterogeneity can generate proximate (niche variation) and ultimate (reproduction) consequences on a population of generalist predator. We also show that within-individual and among-individual variation are not mutually exclusive, but can simultaneously arise and structure intra-population niche variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent L'Hérault
- Université du Québec à Rimouski et Centre d'Études Nordiques300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Quebec, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Alastair Franke
- Canadian Circumpolar Institute, University of EdmontonEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Université du Québec à Rimouski et Centre d'Études Nordiques300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Quebec, G5L 3A1, Canada
- Government of Nunavut Department of EnvironmentP.O. Box 209, Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada
- Université de Moncton18 Avenue Antonine-Maillet Moncton, New Brunswick, E1A 3E9, Canada
| | - Adam Alogut
- Nunavut Arctic CollegeP.O. Box 187, Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Joël Bêty
- Université du Québec à Rimouski et Centre d'Études Nordiques300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Quebec, G5L 3A1, Canada
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Kutschera VE, Lecomte N, Janke A, Selva N, Sokolov AA, Haun T, Steyer K, Nowak C, Hailer F. A range-wide synthesis and timeline for phylogeographic events in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:114. [PMID: 23738594 PMCID: PMC3689046 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many boreo-temperate mammals have a Pleistocene fossil record throughout Eurasia and North America, but only few have a contemporary distribution that spans this large area. Examples of Holarctic-distributed carnivores are the brown bear, grey wolf, and red fox, all three ecological generalists with large dispersal capacity and a high adaptive flexibility. While the two former have been examined extensively across their ranges, no phylogeographic study of the red fox has been conducted across its entire Holarctic range. Moreover, no study included samples from central Asia, leaving a large sampling gap in the middle of the Eurasian landmass. RESULTS Here we provide the first mitochondrial DNA sequence data of red foxes from central Asia (Siberia), and new sequences from several European populations. In a range-wide synthesis of 729 red fox mitochondrial control region sequences, including 677 previously published and 52 newly obtained sequences, this manuscript describes the pattern and timing of major phylogeographic events in red foxes, using a Bayesian coalescence approach with multiple fossil tip and root calibration points. In a 335 bp alignment we found in total 175 unique haplotypes. All newly sequenced individuals belonged to the previously described Holarctic lineage. Our analyses confirmed the presence of three Nearctic- and two Japan-restricted lineages that were formed since the Mid/Late Pleistocene. CONCLUSIONS The phylogeographic history of red foxes is highly similar to that previously described for grey wolves and brown bears, indicating that climatic fluctuations and habitat changes since the Pleistocene had similar effects on these highly mobile generalist species. All three species originally diversified in Eurasia and later colonized North America and Japan. North American lineages persisted through the last glacial maximum south of the ice sheets, meeting more recent colonizers from Beringia during postglacial expansion into the northern Nearctic. Both brown bears and red foxes colonized Japan's northern island Hokkaido at least three times, all lineages being most closely related to different mainland lineages. Red foxes, grey wolves, and brown bears thus represent an interesting case where species that occupy similar ecological niches also exhibit similar phylogeographic histories.
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