Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles
Alpine and arctic lemming populations appear to be highly sensitive to climate change, and when faced with warmer and shorter winters, their well-known high-amplitude population cycles may collapse. Being keystone species in tundra ecosystems, changed lemming dynamics may convey significant knock-on...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 2024-10-06T13:45:10+00:00 Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles Schmidt, Niels M. Ims, Rolf A. Høye, Toke T. Gilg, Olivier Hansen, Lars H. Hansen, Jannik Lund, Magnus Fuglei, Eva Forchhammer, Mads C. Sittler, Benoit 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 279, issue 1746, page 4417-4422 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2012 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 2024-09-09T06:01:18Z Alpine and arctic lemming populations appear to be highly sensitive to climate change, and when faced with warmer and shorter winters, their well-known high-amplitude population cycles may collapse. Being keystone species in tundra ecosystems, changed lemming dynamics may convey significant knock-on effects on trophically linked species. Here, we analyse long-term (1988–2010), community-wide monitoring data from two sites in high-arctic Greenland and document how a collapse in collared lemming cyclicity affects the population dynamics of the predator guild. Dramatic changes were observed in two highly specialized lemming predators: snowy owl and stoat. Following the lemming cycle collapse, snowy owl fledgling production declined by 98 per cent, and there was indication of a severe population decline of stoats at one site. The less specialized long-tailed skua and the generalist arctic fox were more loosely coupled to the lemming dynamics. Still, the lemming collapse had noticeable effects on their reproductive performance. Predator responses differed somewhat between sites in all species and could arise from site-specific differences in lemming dynamics, intra-guild interactions or subsidies from other resources. Nevertheless, population extinctions and community restructuring of this arctic endemic predator guild are likely if the lemming dynamics are maintained at the current non-cyclic, low-density state. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Fox Arctic Lemming Arctic Climate change Greenland Long-tailed Skua snowy owl Tundra The Royal Society Arctic Greenland Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279 1746 4417 4422 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
Alpine and arctic lemming populations appear to be highly sensitive to climate change, and when faced with warmer and shorter winters, their well-known high-amplitude population cycles may collapse. Being keystone species in tundra ecosystems, changed lemming dynamics may convey significant knock-on effects on trophically linked species. Here, we analyse long-term (1988–2010), community-wide monitoring data from two sites in high-arctic Greenland and document how a collapse in collared lemming cyclicity affects the population dynamics of the predator guild. Dramatic changes were observed in two highly specialized lemming predators: snowy owl and stoat. Following the lemming cycle collapse, snowy owl fledgling production declined by 98 per cent, and there was indication of a severe population decline of stoats at one site. The less specialized long-tailed skua and the generalist arctic fox were more loosely coupled to the lemming dynamics. Still, the lemming collapse had noticeable effects on their reproductive performance. Predator responses differed somewhat between sites in all species and could arise from site-specific differences in lemming dynamics, intra-guild interactions or subsidies from other resources. Nevertheless, population extinctions and community restructuring of this arctic endemic predator guild are likely if the lemming dynamics are maintained at the current non-cyclic, low-density state. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schmidt, Niels M. Ims, Rolf A. Høye, Toke T. Gilg, Olivier Hansen, Lars H. Hansen, Jannik Lund, Magnus Fuglei, Eva Forchhammer, Mads C. Sittler, Benoit |
spellingShingle |
Schmidt, Niels M. Ims, Rolf A. Høye, Toke T. Gilg, Olivier Hansen, Lars H. Hansen, Jannik Lund, Magnus Fuglei, Eva Forchhammer, Mads C. Sittler, Benoit Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
author_facet |
Schmidt, Niels M. Ims, Rolf A. Høye, Toke T. Gilg, Olivier Hansen, Lars H. Hansen, Jannik Lund, Magnus Fuglei, Eva Forchhammer, Mads C. Sittler, Benoit |
author_sort |
Schmidt, Niels M. |
title |
Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
title_short |
Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
title_full |
Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
title_fullStr |
Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
title_full_unstemmed |
Response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
title_sort |
response of an arctic predator guild to collapsing lemming cycles |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Fox Arctic Lemming Arctic Climate change Greenland Long-tailed Skua snowy owl Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Fox Arctic Lemming Arctic Climate change Greenland Long-tailed Skua snowy owl Tundra |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 279, issue 1746, page 4417-4422 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1490 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
279 |
container_issue |
1746 |
container_start_page |
4417 |
op_container_end_page |
4422 |
_version_ |
1812173585129668608 |