Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic
Cyclic population fluctuations are common in boreal and Arctic species but the causes of these cycles are still debated today. Among these species, lemmings are Arctic rodents that live and reproduce under the snow and whose large cyclical population fluctuations in the high Arctic impact the whole...
Published in: | Arctic Science |
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Language: | English French |
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Canadian Science Publishing
2018
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2018-0008 https://doaj.org/article/a62dafa0073a4460bf96b00f8aaacd35 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:a62dafa0073a4460bf96b00f8aaacd35 2023-05-15T14:22:23+02:00 Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic Florent Domine Gilles Gauthier Vincent Vionnet 2018-12-01 https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2018-0008 https://doaj.org/article/a62dafa0073a4460bf96b00f8aaacd35 en fr eng fre Canadian Science Publishing doi:10.1139/as-2018-0008 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/a62dafa0073a4460bf96b00f8aaacd35 undefined Arctic Science, Vol 4, Iss 4, Pp 813-826 (2018) lemming population dynamics snow high arctic climate envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2018 fttriple https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2018-0008 2023-01-22T19:12:40Z Cyclic population fluctuations are common in boreal and Arctic species but the causes of these cycles are still debated today. Among these species, lemmings are Arctic rodents that live and reproduce under the snow and whose large cyclical population fluctuations in the high Arctic impact the whole tundra food web. We explore, using lemming population data and snow modeling, whether the hardness of the basal layer of the snowpack, determined by rain-on-snow events (ROS) and wind storms in autumn, can affect brown lemming population dynamics in the Canadian high Arctic. Using a 7-year dataset collected on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada over the period 2003–2014, we demonstrate that liquid water input to snow is strongly inversely related with winter population growth (R2 ≥ 0.62) and to a lesser extent to lemming summer densities and winter nest densities (R2 = 0.29–0.39). ROS in autumn can therefore influence the amplitude of brown lemming population fluctuations. Increase in ROS events with climate warming should strongly impact the populations of lemmings and consequently those of the many predators that depend upon them. Snow conditions may be a key factor influencing the cyclic dynamics of Arctic animal populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Bylot Island Nunavut Tundra Unknown Arctic Bylot Island Canada Nunavut Arctic Science 4 4 813 826 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
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op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English French |
topic |
lemming population dynamics snow high arctic climate envir geo |
spellingShingle |
lemming population dynamics snow high arctic climate envir geo Florent Domine Gilles Gauthier Vincent Vionnet Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic |
topic_facet |
lemming population dynamics snow high arctic climate envir geo |
description |
Cyclic population fluctuations are common in boreal and Arctic species but the causes of these cycles are still debated today. Among these species, lemmings are Arctic rodents that live and reproduce under the snow and whose large cyclical population fluctuations in the high Arctic impact the whole tundra food web. We explore, using lemming population data and snow modeling, whether the hardness of the basal layer of the snowpack, determined by rain-on-snow events (ROS) and wind storms in autumn, can affect brown lemming population dynamics in the Canadian high Arctic. Using a 7-year dataset collected on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada over the period 2003–2014, we demonstrate that liquid water input to snow is strongly inversely related with winter population growth (R2 ≥ 0.62) and to a lesser extent to lemming summer densities and winter nest densities (R2 = 0.29–0.39). ROS in autumn can therefore influence the amplitude of brown lemming population fluctuations. Increase in ROS events with climate warming should strongly impact the populations of lemmings and consequently those of the many predators that depend upon them. Snow conditions may be a key factor influencing the cyclic dynamics of Arctic animal populations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Florent Domine Gilles Gauthier Vincent Vionnet |
author_facet |
Florent Domine Gilles Gauthier Vincent Vionnet |
author_sort |
Florent Domine |
title |
Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic |
title_short |
Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic |
title_full |
Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high Arctic |
title_sort |
snow physical properties may be a significant determinant of lemming population dynamics in the high arctic |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2018-0008 https://doaj.org/article/a62dafa0073a4460bf96b00f8aaacd35 |
geographic |
Arctic Bylot Island Canada Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Bylot Island Canada Nunavut |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Bylot Island Nunavut Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Bylot Island Nunavut Tundra |
op_source |
Arctic Science, Vol 4, Iss 4, Pp 813-826 (2018) |
op_relation |
doi:10.1139/as-2018-0008 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/a62dafa0073a4460bf96b00f8aaacd35 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2018-0008 |
container_title |
Arctic Science |
container_volume |
4 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
813 |
op_container_end_page |
826 |
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1766294984223358976 |