Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore
Summary 1. Environmental degradation can change resource use strategies of animals and thereby affect survival and fitness. Arctic herbivores may be especially susceptible to the effects of such environmental change because their rapid growth rates demand high‐quality forage, which may be limited as...
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x 2024-06-02T08:02:02+00:00 Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore Winiarski, Kristopher J. McWilliams, Scott R. Rockwell, Robert F. 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2656.2012.01981.x https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Animal Ecology volume 81, issue 5, page 1132-1142 ISSN 0021-8790 1365-2656 journal-article 2012 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x 2024-05-03T10:56:16Z Summary 1. Environmental degradation can change resource use strategies of animals and thereby affect survival and fitness. Arctic herbivores may be especially susceptible to the effects of such environmental change because their rapid growth rates demand high‐quality forage, which may be limited as environmental conditions deteriorate. We studied the consequences of a trophic cascade, driven by Lesser Snow Goose ( Chen caerulescens caerulescens ) overgrazing on the south‐west coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, which has caused tidal marsh (TM) degradation and the reduction in high‐quality forage plants, on gosling growth and resource use. 2. We compared resource use and body size of goslings that inhabited tidal and freshwater marsh (FM) to determine how current foraging strategies influence growth and to test the hypothesis that during early growth goslings require and so consume high‐quality TM plants, but that during later growth they may switch to foraging in lower‐quality FM. 3. To investigate gosling resource use throughout growth, we measured once a week for 28 days the body size of goslings as well as stable isotope ratios (δ 34 S, δ 15 N and δ 13 C) in multiple tissues of goslings that were collected from both TM and nearby FM. We also measured the stable isotope ratios in forage plants sampled along transects and from gosling foreguts. We used an isotope‐mixing model to determine the contribution of FM plants to gosling tissues. 4. Contrary to the proposed hypothesis, goslings inhabiting FM or TM primarily consumed FM plants during early growth. Furthermore, goslings that foraged extensively in FM had similar growth rates and grew to a similar size and body mass, as goslings that foraged in the degraded TM. However, goslings that currently inhabit freshwater or TM were significantly smaller than goslings that inhabited TM in the 1980s prior to habitat degradation. 5. Consequences of smaller overall body size include decreased survival and fecundity for arctic‐nesting geese. The ability of phenotypically ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Hudson Bay Subarctic Wiley Online Library Arctic Canada Hudson Hudson Bay Journal of Animal Ecology 81 5 1132 1142 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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language |
English |
description |
Summary 1. Environmental degradation can change resource use strategies of animals and thereby affect survival and fitness. Arctic herbivores may be especially susceptible to the effects of such environmental change because their rapid growth rates demand high‐quality forage, which may be limited as environmental conditions deteriorate. We studied the consequences of a trophic cascade, driven by Lesser Snow Goose ( Chen caerulescens caerulescens ) overgrazing on the south‐west coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, which has caused tidal marsh (TM) degradation and the reduction in high‐quality forage plants, on gosling growth and resource use. 2. We compared resource use and body size of goslings that inhabited tidal and freshwater marsh (FM) to determine how current foraging strategies influence growth and to test the hypothesis that during early growth goslings require and so consume high‐quality TM plants, but that during later growth they may switch to foraging in lower‐quality FM. 3. To investigate gosling resource use throughout growth, we measured once a week for 28 days the body size of goslings as well as stable isotope ratios (δ 34 S, δ 15 N and δ 13 C) in multiple tissues of goslings that were collected from both TM and nearby FM. We also measured the stable isotope ratios in forage plants sampled along transects and from gosling foreguts. We used an isotope‐mixing model to determine the contribution of FM plants to gosling tissues. 4. Contrary to the proposed hypothesis, goslings inhabiting FM or TM primarily consumed FM plants during early growth. Furthermore, goslings that foraged extensively in FM had similar growth rates and grew to a similar size and body mass, as goslings that foraged in the degraded TM. However, goslings that currently inhabit freshwater or TM were significantly smaller than goslings that inhabited TM in the 1980s prior to habitat degradation. 5. Consequences of smaller overall body size include decreased survival and fecundity for arctic‐nesting geese. The ability of phenotypically ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Winiarski, Kristopher J. McWilliams, Scott R. Rockwell, Robert F. |
spellingShingle |
Winiarski, Kristopher J. McWilliams, Scott R. Rockwell, Robert F. Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
author_facet |
Winiarski, Kristopher J. McWilliams, Scott R. Rockwell, Robert F. |
author_sort |
Winiarski, Kristopher J. |
title |
Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
title_short |
Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
title_full |
Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
title_fullStr |
Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
title_sort |
rapid environmental degradation in a subarctic ecosystem influences resource use of a keystone avian herbivore |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2656.2012.01981.x https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Hudson Hudson Bay |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Hudson Hudson Bay |
genre |
Arctic Hudson Bay Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic Hudson Bay Subarctic |
op_source |
Journal of Animal Ecology volume 81, issue 5, page 1132-1142 ISSN 0021-8790 1365-2656 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.01981.x |
container_title |
Journal of Animal Ecology |
container_volume |
81 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1132 |
op_container_end_page |
1142 |
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1800746542740537344 |