Effects of snow cover on the timing and success of reproduction in high-Arctic pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus
During four breeding seasons, 2003–2006, we studied the relationship between snow cover and nesting performance in pink-footed geese ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) in a key breeding site on Svalbard. Snow cover in late May, i.e., at the time of egg laying of geese, was derived from MODIS satellite images....
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
2007
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30035100 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Effects_of_snow_cover_on_the_timing_and_success_of_reproduction_in_high-Arctic_pink-footed_geese_Anser_brachyrhynchus/21007459 |
Summary: | During four breeding seasons, 2003–2006, we studied the relationship between snow cover and nesting performance in pink-footed geese ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) in a key breeding site on Svalbard. Snow cover in late May, i.e., at the time of egg laying of geese, was derived from MODIS satellite images. Snow cover had a profound cascading effect on reproductive output via the number of nesting pairs and timing of nesting, which affected nest success, while there was only a tendency for a negative effect on clutch size. Hence, we estimated a five-fold difference in the number of young produced (to post-hatching) between years with little snow and years with high snow cover. The results from the study area correlated with whole-population productivity estimates recorded in autumn. Thus, snow cover derived from MODIS satellite images appears to provide a useful indicator of the breeding conditions in the Arctic. |
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