Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population
Abstract Theoretical modeling predicts that both direct and delayed density‐dependence are key factors to generate population cycles. Deciphering density‐dependent processes that lead to variable population growth characterizing different phases of the cycles remains challenging. This is particularl...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:106a3d97b2724d999310935ab79dcbf0 2023-05-15T15:15:29+02:00 Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population Dominique Fauteux Gilles Gauthier 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9055 https://doaj.org/article/106a3d97b2724d999310935ab79dcbf0 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9055 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.9055 https://doaj.org/article/106a3d97b2724d999310935ab79dcbf0 Ecology and Evolution, Vol 12, Iss 7, Pp n/a-n/a (2022) food web rodents small mammals top‐dhown regulation trough phase tundra Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9055 2022-12-31T01:56:30Z Abstract Theoretical modeling predicts that both direct and delayed density‐dependence are key factors to generate population cycles. Deciphering density‐dependent processes that lead to variable population growth characterizing different phases of the cycles remains challenging. This is particularly the case for the period of prolonged low densities, which is inherently data deficient. However, demographic analyses based on long‐term capture–mark–recapture datasets can help resolve this question. We relied on a 16‐year (2004–2019) live‐trapping program to analyze the summer demography and movements of a cyclic brown lemming population in the Canadian Arctic. More specifically, we examined if inversely density‐dependent processes could explain why population growth can remain low during the prolonged low phase. We found that the proportion of females in the population was inversely density‐dependent with a strong male‐biased sex ratio at low densities but not at high densities. However, survival of adult females was higher than adult males, but both had lower survival at low densities than at high ones. Distances moved by both adult males and females were density‐dependent, and proportion of females in reproductive condition was weakly density‐dependent as it tended to increase at low density. Individual body condition, measured as monthly change in body mass, was not density‐dependent. Overall, the strong male‐biased sex ratio at very low densities suggests a loss of reproductive potential due to the rarity of females and appears to be the most susceptible demographic factor that could contribute to the prolonged low phase in cyclic brown lemmings. What leads to this sex‐bias in the first place is still unclear, potentially owing to our trapping period limited to the summer, but we suggest that it could be due to high predation rate on breeding females in winter. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Tundra Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Ecology and Evolution 12 7 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
food web rodents small mammals top‐dhown regulation trough phase tundra Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
food web rodents small mammals top‐dhown regulation trough phase tundra Ecology QH540-549.5 Dominique Fauteux Gilles Gauthier Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
topic_facet |
food web rodents small mammals top‐dhown regulation trough phase tundra Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Theoretical modeling predicts that both direct and delayed density‐dependence are key factors to generate population cycles. Deciphering density‐dependent processes that lead to variable population growth characterizing different phases of the cycles remains challenging. This is particularly the case for the period of prolonged low densities, which is inherently data deficient. However, demographic analyses based on long‐term capture–mark–recapture datasets can help resolve this question. We relied on a 16‐year (2004–2019) live‐trapping program to analyze the summer demography and movements of a cyclic brown lemming population in the Canadian Arctic. More specifically, we examined if inversely density‐dependent processes could explain why population growth can remain low during the prolonged low phase. We found that the proportion of females in the population was inversely density‐dependent with a strong male‐biased sex ratio at low densities but not at high densities. However, survival of adult females was higher than adult males, but both had lower survival at low densities than at high ones. Distances moved by both adult males and females were density‐dependent, and proportion of females in reproductive condition was weakly density‐dependent as it tended to increase at low density. Individual body condition, measured as monthly change in body mass, was not density‐dependent. Overall, the strong male‐biased sex ratio at very low densities suggests a loss of reproductive potential due to the rarity of females and appears to be the most susceptible demographic factor that could contribute to the prolonged low phase in cyclic brown lemmings. What leads to this sex‐bias in the first place is still unclear, potentially owing to our trapping period limited to the summer, but we suggest that it could be due to high predation rate on breeding females in winter. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dominique Fauteux Gilles Gauthier |
author_facet |
Dominique Fauteux Gilles Gauthier |
author_sort |
Dominique Fauteux |
title |
Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
title_short |
Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
title_full |
Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
title_fullStr |
Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
title_full_unstemmed |
Density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
title_sort |
density‐dependent demography and movements in a cyclic brown lemming population |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9055 https://doaj.org/article/106a3d97b2724d999310935ab79dcbf0 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Tundra |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution, Vol 12, Iss 7, Pp n/a-n/a (2022) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9055 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.9055 https://doaj.org/article/106a3d97b2724d999310935ab79dcbf0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9055 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
7 |
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1766345860552065024 |