Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment
A generalised model for herbivores experiencing abundant forage over time is that their numbers erupt and then decline. This model has been applied to fluctuations in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations especially those on islands. Since this generalised model for erupting herbivores was first p...
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2003
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.2.361 https://doaj.org/article/4e2d71c9acf64fa29706368569333ebc |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4e2d71c9acf64fa29706368569333ebc 2023-05-15T15:53:31+02:00 Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment Anne Gunn Frank L. Miller Samuel J. Barry 2003-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.2.361 https://doaj.org/article/4e2d71c9acf64fa29706368569333ebc EN eng Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/361 https://doaj.org/toc/1890-6729 doi:10.7557/2.23.2.361 1890-6729 https://doaj.org/article/4e2d71c9acf64fa29706368569333ebc Rangifer, Vol 23, Iss 2 (2003) crashes vs. declines caribou herbivore populations management vs. myths Rangifer tarandus Animal culture SF1-1100 article 2003 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.2.361 2022-12-31T15:40:58Z A generalised model for herbivores experiencing abundant forage over time is that their numbers erupt and then decline. This model has been applied to fluctuations in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations especially those on islands. Since this generalised model for erupting herbivores was first proposed, two assumptions have slipped in (1) that an erupting population will crash; and (2) that the crash will be density-dependent. The problem with the assumptions is that, without testing, they can lead to inappropriate management such as culls. The first assumption arises from uncritical use of earlier accounts and the second assumption from not discriminating between the effects of environmental variation from the effects of the high herbivore numbers on forage availability (density-dependence). Often typical densitydependent effects such as lowered initial reproduction, reduced early survival of calves, and subsequent calf, yearling and juvenile survival are used to justify the contention that there are too many herbivores. But such reasoning is flawed unless cause/effect relationships are established and the role of environmental variation is evaluated. We argue that it is overly simplistic to believe that every population’s subsequent performance and fate will follow a singular pattern with only one paramount factor driving and ultimately dictating an inevitable outcome. The relative importance of unpredictable abiotic factors in influencing and causing variation in the response of ungulate populations should be investigated, no matter whether those factors are sporadic or periodic. Article in Journal/Newspaper caribou Rangifer Rangifer tarandus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Rangifer 23 2 57 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
crashes vs. declines caribou herbivore populations management vs. myths Rangifer tarandus Animal culture SF1-1100 |
spellingShingle |
crashes vs. declines caribou herbivore populations management vs. myths Rangifer tarandus Animal culture SF1-1100 Anne Gunn Frank L. Miller Samuel J. Barry Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
topic_facet |
crashes vs. declines caribou herbivore populations management vs. myths Rangifer tarandus Animal culture SF1-1100 |
description |
A generalised model for herbivores experiencing abundant forage over time is that their numbers erupt and then decline. This model has been applied to fluctuations in caribou (Rangifer tarandus) populations especially those on islands. Since this generalised model for erupting herbivores was first proposed, two assumptions have slipped in (1) that an erupting population will crash; and (2) that the crash will be density-dependent. The problem with the assumptions is that, without testing, they can lead to inappropriate management such as culls. The first assumption arises from uncritical use of earlier accounts and the second assumption from not discriminating between the effects of environmental variation from the effects of the high herbivore numbers on forage availability (density-dependence). Often typical densitydependent effects such as lowered initial reproduction, reduced early survival of calves, and subsequent calf, yearling and juvenile survival are used to justify the contention that there are too many herbivores. But such reasoning is flawed unless cause/effect relationships are established and the role of environmental variation is evaluated. We argue that it is overly simplistic to believe that every population’s subsequent performance and fate will follow a singular pattern with only one paramount factor driving and ultimately dictating an inevitable outcome. The relative importance of unpredictable abiotic factors in influencing and causing variation in the response of ungulate populations should be investigated, no matter whether those factors are sporadic or periodic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Anne Gunn Frank L. Miller Samuel J. Barry |
author_facet |
Anne Gunn Frank L. Miller Samuel J. Barry |
author_sort |
Anne Gunn |
title |
Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
title_short |
Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
title_full |
Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
title_fullStr |
Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
title_full_unstemmed |
Conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
title_sort |
conservation of erupting ungulate populations on islands – a comment |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.2.361 https://doaj.org/article/4e2d71c9acf64fa29706368569333ebc |
genre |
caribou Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
caribou Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Rangifer, Vol 23, Iss 2 (2003) |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/361 https://doaj.org/toc/1890-6729 doi:10.7557/2.23.2.361 1890-6729 https://doaj.org/article/4e2d71c9acf64fa29706368569333ebc |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.2.361 |
container_title |
Rangifer |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
57 |
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1766388630716153856 |