Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden
In this study of 35 years of data, we examine the short-term (cyclic) and long-term relationship between breeding success of great grey owls ( Strix nebulosa Forster, 1772) and their food supply (bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780)), grey-sided voles ( Clethrionomys rufocanus (Sund...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z08-131 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/Z08-131 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/Z08-131 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z08-131 2024-09-15T18:26:09+00:00 Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden Hipkiss, T. Stefansson, O. Hörnfeldt, B. 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z08-131 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/Z08-131 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/Z08-131 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 86, issue 12, page 1426-1431 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 2008 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z08-131 2024-08-08T04:13:33Z In this study of 35 years of data, we examine the short-term (cyclic) and long-term relationship between breeding success of great grey owls ( Strix nebulosa Forster, 1772) and their food supply (bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780)), grey-sided voles ( Clethrionomys rufocanus (Sundevall, 1846)), and field voles ( Microtus agrestis (L., 1761))) in northern Sweden. Annual number of owl nests showed a 3 year cyclicity, which as predicted, corresponded to the length of the vole cycle in the region. Mean annual brood size also fluctuated and was positively dependent on the vole supply during the same spring. In this region, there has also been a decline in vole numbers in recent decades, from high-amplitude cycles in the 1970s to subsequent low-amplitude cycles. Correspondingly, and as predicted, mean annual brood size of the owls also declined, although only during the third years of the vole cycle when vole supply in spring and brood size of the owls is at its highest level in high-amplitude cycles. We predict that in the long run the vole decline, associated with increasingly milder winters, and the reduction of the brood size of the owls, especially in years of high owl breeding success, will have serious implications for the population of great grey owls in Scandinavia. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Sweden Strix nebulosa Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Zoology 86 12 1426 1431 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
In this study of 35 years of data, we examine the short-term (cyclic) and long-term relationship between breeding success of great grey owls ( Strix nebulosa Forster, 1772) and their food supply (bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780)), grey-sided voles ( Clethrionomys rufocanus (Sundevall, 1846)), and field voles ( Microtus agrestis (L., 1761))) in northern Sweden. Annual number of owl nests showed a 3 year cyclicity, which as predicted, corresponded to the length of the vole cycle in the region. Mean annual brood size also fluctuated and was positively dependent on the vole supply during the same spring. In this region, there has also been a decline in vole numbers in recent decades, from high-amplitude cycles in the 1970s to subsequent low-amplitude cycles. Correspondingly, and as predicted, mean annual brood size of the owls also declined, although only during the third years of the vole cycle when vole supply in spring and brood size of the owls is at its highest level in high-amplitude cycles. We predict that in the long run the vole decline, associated with increasingly milder winters, and the reduction of the brood size of the owls, especially in years of high owl breeding success, will have serious implications for the population of great grey owls in Scandinavia. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hipkiss, T. Stefansson, O. Hörnfeldt, B. |
spellingShingle |
Hipkiss, T. Stefansson, O. Hörnfeldt, B. Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden |
author_facet |
Hipkiss, T. Stefansson, O. Hörnfeldt, B. |
author_sort |
Hipkiss, T. |
title |
Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden |
title_short |
Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden |
title_full |
Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden |
title_fullStr |
Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal Sweden |
title_sort |
effect of cyclic and declining food supply on great grey owls in boreal sweden |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z08-131 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/Z08-131 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/Z08-131 |
genre |
Northern Sweden Strix nebulosa |
genre_facet |
Northern Sweden Strix nebulosa |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 86, issue 12, page 1426-1431 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z08-131 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
86 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1426 |
op_container_end_page |
1431 |
_version_ |
1810466596548771840 |