High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation
In a simple, rodent-free Arctic ecosystem in Svalbard, we assessed the nest-site characteristics of the main (and highly abundant) migratory herbivore—pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus)—to determine which nesting geese were preferentially attacked and killed by the only local predator of adult...
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2019
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ftjpolarres:oai:journals.openacademia.net:article/3352 2024-09-09T19:01:09+00:00 High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation Anderson, Helen B. Fuglei, Eva Madsen, Jesper van der Wal, René 2019-06-18 application/pdf text/html application/epub+zip application/xml https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352 https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v38.3352 eng eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9284 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9285 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9286 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9287 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352 doi:10.33265/polar.v38.3352 Polar Research; Vol 38 (2019) 1751-8369 Predator-prey interactions Arctic foxes pink-footed geese late snowmelt info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2019 ftjpolarres https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v38.3352 2024-06-20T23:33:17Z In a simple, rodent-free Arctic ecosystem in Svalbard, we assessed the nest-site characteristics of the main (and highly abundant) migratory herbivore—pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus)—to determine which nesting geese were preferentially attacked and killed by the only local predator of adult geese, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). We collected data on goose carcasses and nest-site characteristics at one of the main pink-footed goose breeding areas in Svalbard. Arctic foxes depredated adult pink-footed geese from just over a quarter of the unsuccessful nests in the colony and carcasses were generally found just under 10 m away from a nest. Geese that occupied nests of poorer quality (limited visibility, further distance to forage patches and situated on flatter slopes) and were less well established (indicated by the low degree of fertilization from accumulations of goose droppings) were more likely to be depredated by Arctic foxes. As geese show a high degree of nest-site fidelity and preferentially occupy nests with better protection against depredation and closer to feeding areas, we propose that Arctic foxes targeted, and were more successful in killing younger, more inexperienced or low-quality geese that occupied less favourable nest sites. Article in Journal/Newspaper Anser brachyrhynchus Arctic Fox Arctic Pink-footed Goose Polar Research Svalbard Vulpes lagopus Polar Research Arctic Svalbard Polar Research 38 0 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Polar Research |
op_collection_id |
ftjpolarres |
language |
English |
topic |
Predator-prey interactions Arctic foxes pink-footed geese late snowmelt |
spellingShingle |
Predator-prey interactions Arctic foxes pink-footed geese late snowmelt Anderson, Helen B. Fuglei, Eva Madsen, Jesper van der Wal, René High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
topic_facet |
Predator-prey interactions Arctic foxes pink-footed geese late snowmelt |
description |
In a simple, rodent-free Arctic ecosystem in Svalbard, we assessed the nest-site characteristics of the main (and highly abundant) migratory herbivore—pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus)—to determine which nesting geese were preferentially attacked and killed by the only local predator of adult geese, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). We collected data on goose carcasses and nest-site characteristics at one of the main pink-footed goose breeding areas in Svalbard. Arctic foxes depredated adult pink-footed geese from just over a quarter of the unsuccessful nests in the colony and carcasses were generally found just under 10 m away from a nest. Geese that occupied nests of poorer quality (limited visibility, further distance to forage patches and situated on flatter slopes) and were less well established (indicated by the low degree of fertilization from accumulations of goose droppings) were more likely to be depredated by Arctic foxes. As geese show a high degree of nest-site fidelity and preferentially occupy nests with better protection against depredation and closer to feeding areas, we propose that Arctic foxes targeted, and were more successful in killing younger, more inexperienced or low-quality geese that occupied less favourable nest sites. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Anderson, Helen B. Fuglei, Eva Madsen, Jesper van der Wal, René |
author_facet |
Anderson, Helen B. Fuglei, Eva Madsen, Jesper van der Wal, René |
author_sort |
Anderson, Helen B. |
title |
High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
title_short |
High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
title_full |
High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
title_fullStr |
High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
title_full_unstemmed |
High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
title_sort |
high-arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352 https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v38.3352 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre |
Anser brachyrhynchus Arctic Fox Arctic Pink-footed Goose Polar Research Svalbard Vulpes lagopus |
genre_facet |
Anser brachyrhynchus Arctic Fox Arctic Pink-footed Goose Polar Research Svalbard Vulpes lagopus |
op_source |
Polar Research; Vol 38 (2019) 1751-8369 |
op_relation |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9284 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9285 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9286 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352/9287 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3352 doi:10.33265/polar.v38.3352 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v38.3352 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
38 |
container_issue |
0 |
_version_ |
1809943961520832512 |