Ecological connection between fish preference in the diet of Siberian cranes and their incubation period in tundra zone
We researched the ecology of the third rarest crane species, Siberian crane, which breeds in northern-eastern Siberian tundra. Nesting in places near great lakes, this crane appears to be an indicator of the global warming processes that affect lake growth as a result of the permafrost situation clo...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | unknown |
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2012
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| Online Access: | http://precedings.nature.com/documents/6997/version/1 http://hdl.handle.net/10101/npre.2012.6997.1 |
| Summary: | We researched the ecology of the third rarest crane species, Siberian crane, which breeds in northern-eastern Siberian tundra. Nesting in places near great lakes, this crane appears to be an indicator of the global warming processes that affect lake growth as a result of the permafrost situation close to the surface in tundra. Research has shown that these birds are presumably fish-eating during their incubation period, coinciding with the flooding season when fish come to areas around great lakes. Such a diet may be explained by the necessity of high-energy food during the incubating period as well as the particularity of this species for leaving plant resources around the nest point for the period of the first days after chick hatching. This situation emphasizes tight connections in the vulnerable northern ecosystems. If the water level in tundra lakes starts to be higher due to global warming, all these links may be destroyed. |
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