The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit
Abstract Climatic changes are affecting the distribution and viability of species worldwide, and the effects may be greatest for heat‐sensitive organisms in populations situated near the species’ equatorial range limit. We studied the population dynamics of a cold‐adapted large herbivore, moose (Alc...
Published in: | Ecosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/article/94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 2023-05-15T13:13:44+02:00 The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit Joel S. Ruprecht David N. Koons Kent R. Hersey N. Thompson Hobbs Daniel R. MacNulty 2020-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/article/94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/article/94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 Ecosphere, Vol 11, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) Alces climate change density dependence population dynamics precipitation Shiras moose Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 2022-12-31T16:22:02Z Abstract Climatic changes are affecting the distribution and viability of species worldwide, and the effects may be greatest for heat‐sensitive organisms in populations situated near the species’ equatorial range limit. We studied the population dynamics of a cold‐adapted large herbivore, moose (Alces alces shirasi), in a population located at the extreme southern range limit of the species in Utah, USA, using a long‐term dataset of aerial counts conducted between 1958 and 2013. We used a modeling approach that acknowledges the uncertainty in the number of moose counted. To determine how climate influenced this population, we tested four models corresponding to different hypotheses suggested by previous studies of moose population dynamics: (1) High summer rainfall increases population growth, (2) severe winters reduce population growth, (3) high summer and winter temperatures cause heat stress which reduces population growth, and (4) snow conditions favorable to winter ticks reduce population growth. We then ranked these models against two additional hypotheses that tested the combined effects of the best‐performing models. The best‐supported model included summer rainfall and the number of days with snow cover in late winter, which described the conditions influencing winter tick numbers, a common parasite of moose in the region. Reproductive female ticks drop off their hosts at the end of winter to lay eggs, and fewer ticks survive in years with abundant snow cover. Positive effects of snow and rainfall indicated that moose population growth was higher following summers with more rainfall and late winters with more days of snow cover, the latter because those conditions likely reduced winter tick numbers. In accordance with global patterns in which altered precipitation regimes are influencing the dynamics of many species, the top‐performing model suggested that both summer and winter precipitation acted together to explain the most variation in moose population growth. Our analysis demonstrates the multiple ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ecosphere 11 2 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Alces climate change density dependence population dynamics precipitation Shiras moose Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Alces climate change density dependence population dynamics precipitation Shiras moose Ecology QH540-549.5 Joel S. Ruprecht David N. Koons Kent R. Hersey N. Thompson Hobbs Daniel R. MacNulty The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
topic_facet |
Alces climate change density dependence population dynamics precipitation Shiras moose Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Climatic changes are affecting the distribution and viability of species worldwide, and the effects may be greatest for heat‐sensitive organisms in populations situated near the species’ equatorial range limit. We studied the population dynamics of a cold‐adapted large herbivore, moose (Alces alces shirasi), in a population located at the extreme southern range limit of the species in Utah, USA, using a long‐term dataset of aerial counts conducted between 1958 and 2013. We used a modeling approach that acknowledges the uncertainty in the number of moose counted. To determine how climate influenced this population, we tested four models corresponding to different hypotheses suggested by previous studies of moose population dynamics: (1) High summer rainfall increases population growth, (2) severe winters reduce population growth, (3) high summer and winter temperatures cause heat stress which reduces population growth, and (4) snow conditions favorable to winter ticks reduce population growth. We then ranked these models against two additional hypotheses that tested the combined effects of the best‐performing models. The best‐supported model included summer rainfall and the number of days with snow cover in late winter, which described the conditions influencing winter tick numbers, a common parasite of moose in the region. Reproductive female ticks drop off their hosts at the end of winter to lay eggs, and fewer ticks survive in years with abundant snow cover. Positive effects of snow and rainfall indicated that moose population growth was higher following summers with more rainfall and late winters with more days of snow cover, the latter because those conditions likely reduced winter tick numbers. In accordance with global patterns in which altered precipitation regimes are influencing the dynamics of many species, the top‐performing model suggested that both summer and winter precipitation acted together to explain the most variation in moose population growth. Our analysis demonstrates the multiple ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Joel S. Ruprecht David N. Koons Kent R. Hersey N. Thompson Hobbs Daniel R. MacNulty |
author_facet |
Joel S. Ruprecht David N. Koons Kent R. Hersey N. Thompson Hobbs Daniel R. MacNulty |
author_sort |
Joel S. Ruprecht |
title |
The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
title_short |
The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
title_full |
The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
title_fullStr |
The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
title_full_unstemmed |
The effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
title_sort |
effect of climate on population growth in a cold‐adapted ungulate at its equatorial range limit |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/article/94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 |
genre |
Alces alces |
genre_facet |
Alces alces |
op_source |
Ecosphere, Vol 11, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.3058 https://doaj.org/article/94038bdcbc654ca187e1e567970bdc84 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3058 |
container_title |
Ecosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1766260171416272896 |