Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia
Abstract Background High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundr...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3e7afafb82e24983a938bb3cfefb178b 2023-05-15T14:31:06+02:00 Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia Dorothee Ehrich Maite Cerezo Anna Y. Rodnikova Natalya A. Sokolova Eva Fuglei Victor G. Shtro Aleksandr A. Sokolov 2017-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z https://doaj.org/article/3e7afafb82e24983a938bb3cfefb178b EN eng BMC http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z https://doaj.org/toc/1472-6785 doi:10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z 1472-6785 https://doaj.org/article/3e7afafb82e24983a938bb3cfefb178b BMC Ecology, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2017) Food web Numerical response Reindeer carcasses Small rodent community Vole cycle Diet Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z 2022-12-31T13:07:46Z Abstract Background High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia. Results Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km2 and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer. Conclusions The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Fox Arctic Fennoscandia Subarctic Tundra Vulpes lagopus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic BMC Ecology 17 1 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Food web Numerical response Reindeer carcasses Small rodent community Vole cycle Diet Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Food web Numerical response Reindeer carcasses Small rodent community Vole cycle Diet Ecology QH540-549.5 Dorothee Ehrich Maite Cerezo Anna Y. Rodnikova Natalya A. Sokolova Eva Fuglei Victor G. Shtro Aleksandr A. Sokolov Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia |
topic_facet |
Food web Numerical response Reindeer carcasses Small rodent community Vole cycle Diet Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Background High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia. Results Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km2 and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer. Conclusions The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dorothee Ehrich Maite Cerezo Anna Y. Rodnikova Natalya A. Sokolova Eva Fuglei Victor G. Shtro Aleksandr A. Sokolov |
author_facet |
Dorothee Ehrich Maite Cerezo Anna Y. Rodnikova Natalya A. Sokolova Eva Fuglei Victor G. Shtro Aleksandr A. Sokolov |
author_sort |
Dorothee Ehrich |
title |
Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia |
title_short |
Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia |
title_full |
Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia |
title_fullStr |
Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal, Russia |
title_sort |
vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of arctic foxes in low arctic yamal, russia |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z https://doaj.org/article/3e7afafb82e24983a938bb3cfefb178b |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Fox Arctic Fennoscandia Subarctic Tundra Vulpes lagopus |
genre_facet |
Arctic Fox Arctic Fennoscandia Subarctic Tundra Vulpes lagopus |
op_source |
BMC Ecology, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2017) |
op_relation |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z https://doaj.org/toc/1472-6785 doi:10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z 1472-6785 https://doaj.org/article/3e7afafb82e24983a938bb3cfefb178b |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-017-0142-z |
container_title |
BMC Ecology |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766304815841804288 |