UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles
Abstract Predation has been assumed to be a necessary factor in the ten‐year population cycle of the snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ) and Canadian lynx ( Lynx canadensis ). The UV‐B‐induced plant stress hypothesis, in contrast, predicts that hare performance, especially reproduction, is negatively...
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crwiley:10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y 2024-06-02T08:10:07+00:00 UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles Selås, Vidar 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Population Ecology volume 48, issue 1, page 71-77 ISSN 1438-3896 1438-390X journal-article 2005 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y 2024-05-03T11:49:37Z Abstract Predation has been assumed to be a necessary factor in the ten‐year population cycle of the snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ) and Canadian lynx ( Lynx canadensis ). The UV‐B‐induced plant stress hypothesis, in contrast, predicts that hare performance, especially reproduction, is negatively related to sunspot numbers, because production of UV‐B‐protective phenolics in food plants in periods of low sunspot activity, when the ozone layer is thin, increases the availability of amino acids and reduces the amount of phenolics that protect against herbivores. In accordance with the UV‐B‐induced plant stress hypothesis, and despite the absence of predators that have been assumed to be necessary for hare cycles, mountain hare ( Lepus timidus ) populations in Norway fluctuate in close synchrony with snowshoe hare populations in Alberta and the Yukon, Canada. When adjusting for the phase of the hare cycle, the natality of snowshoe hare in Alberta 1962–1976 was negatively related to sunspot numbers with a time lag of two years. It is concluded that delayed responses to UV‐B‐induced changes in plant chemistry during the sunspot cycle is a possible cause of ten‐year cycles of hares and other herbivores, for example grouse and forest moths. Article in Journal/Newspaper Lepus timidus mountain hare Lynx Yukon Wiley Online Library Canada Norway Yukon Population Ecology 48 1 71 77 |
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English |
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Abstract Predation has been assumed to be a necessary factor in the ten‐year population cycle of the snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ) and Canadian lynx ( Lynx canadensis ). The UV‐B‐induced plant stress hypothesis, in contrast, predicts that hare performance, especially reproduction, is negatively related to sunspot numbers, because production of UV‐B‐protective phenolics in food plants in periods of low sunspot activity, when the ozone layer is thin, increases the availability of amino acids and reduces the amount of phenolics that protect against herbivores. In accordance with the UV‐B‐induced plant stress hypothesis, and despite the absence of predators that have been assumed to be necessary for hare cycles, mountain hare ( Lepus timidus ) populations in Norway fluctuate in close synchrony with snowshoe hare populations in Alberta and the Yukon, Canada. When adjusting for the phase of the hare cycle, the natality of snowshoe hare in Alberta 1962–1976 was negatively related to sunspot numbers with a time lag of two years. It is concluded that delayed responses to UV‐B‐induced changes in plant chemistry during the sunspot cycle is a possible cause of ten‐year cycles of hares and other herbivores, for example grouse and forest moths. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Selås, Vidar |
spellingShingle |
Selås, Vidar UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
author_facet |
Selås, Vidar |
author_sort |
Selås, Vidar |
title |
UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
title_short |
UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
title_full |
UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
title_fullStr |
UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
title_full_unstemmed |
UV‐B‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
title_sort |
uv‐b‐induced plant stress as a possible cause of ten‐year hare cycles |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y |
geographic |
Canada Norway Yukon |
geographic_facet |
Canada Norway Yukon |
genre |
Lepus timidus mountain hare Lynx Yukon |
genre_facet |
Lepus timidus mountain hare Lynx Yukon |
op_source |
Population Ecology volume 48, issue 1, page 71-77 ISSN 1438-3896 1438-390X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-005-0235-y |
container_title |
Population Ecology |
container_volume |
48 |
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1 |
container_start_page |
71 |
op_container_end_page |
77 |
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