Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus)
In many ungulates, female fecundity is affected by body condition and has important effects on population dynamics. In some species, females adopt a conservative strategy, reducing reproductive effort when population density is high. We investigated what factors affect the probability of gestation i...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 2024-06-23T07:56:21+00:00 Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) Pachkowski, M. Côté, S.D. Festa-Bianchet, M. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 91, issue 7, page 473-479 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 2013 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 2024-05-30T08:13:48Z In many ungulates, female fecundity is affected by body condition and has important effects on population dynamics. In some species, females adopt a conservative strategy, reducing reproductive effort when population density is high. We investigated what factors affect the probability of gestation in adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) from the Rivière-George herd in northern Quebec and Labrador over 5 years that spanned various population sizes and trends. Similar to other populations of migratory caribou, the probability that a female was pregnant in spring increased with body mass and percent body fat. The probability of gestation appeared to be reduced by high infestation of warbles (Hypoderma tarandi (L., 1758)). The proportion of females pregnant varied between years and was lower at high population size. Females of similar mass, however, were pregnant regardless of whether the population was increasing at low density, had reached a peak, or was declining. Compared with other ungulates that reduce maternal expenditure at high density, female caribou of the Rivière-George herd may have a risk-prone reproductive strategy. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rangifer tarandus Canadian Science Publishing Rivière George ENVELOPE(-66.165,-66.165,58.817,58.817) Canadian Journal of Zoology 91 7 473 479 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
In many ungulates, female fecundity is affected by body condition and has important effects on population dynamics. In some species, females adopt a conservative strategy, reducing reproductive effort when population density is high. We investigated what factors affect the probability of gestation in adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) from the Rivière-George herd in northern Quebec and Labrador over 5 years that spanned various population sizes and trends. Similar to other populations of migratory caribou, the probability that a female was pregnant in spring increased with body mass and percent body fat. The probability of gestation appeared to be reduced by high infestation of warbles (Hypoderma tarandi (L., 1758)). The proportion of females pregnant varied between years and was lower at high population size. Females of similar mass, however, were pregnant regardless of whether the population was increasing at low density, had reached a peak, or was declining. Compared with other ungulates that reduce maternal expenditure at high density, female caribou of the Rivière-George herd may have a risk-prone reproductive strategy. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pachkowski, M. Côté, S.D. Festa-Bianchet, M. |
spellingShingle |
Pachkowski, M. Côté, S.D. Festa-Bianchet, M. Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) |
author_facet |
Pachkowski, M. Côté, S.D. Festa-Bianchet, M. |
author_sort |
Pachkowski, M. |
title |
Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) |
title_short |
Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) |
title_full |
Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) |
title_fullStr |
Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) |
title_sort |
spring-loaded reproduction: effects of body condition and population size on fertility in migratory caribou ( rangifer tarandus) |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-66.165,-66.165,58.817,58.817) |
geographic |
Rivière George |
geographic_facet |
Rivière George |
genre |
Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 91, issue 7, page 473-479 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0334 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
91 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
473 |
op_container_end_page |
479 |
_version_ |
1802649391495905280 |