The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics
Local spatio-temporal resource variations can strongly influence the population dynamics of small mammals. This is particularly true on islands which are bottom-up driven systems, lacking higher order predators and with high variability in resource subsidies. The influence of resource fluctuations o...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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The Royal Society Publishing
2012
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2292/11636 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 |
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ftunivauckland:oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/11636 2023-05-15T18:05:19+02:00 The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics Russell, JC Ruffino, L 2012 http://hdl.handle.net/2292/11636 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 unknown The Royal Society Publishing Proceedings of the Royal Society, B Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Details obtained from: http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/1471-2954/ https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm Copyright: The Royal Society Publishing http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/RestrictedAccess http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 Journal Article 2012 ftunivauckland https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 2013-01-22T00:22:00Z Local spatio-temporal resource variations can strongly influence the population dynamics of small mammals. This is particularly true on islands which are bottom-up driven systems, lacking higher order predators and with high variability in resource subsidies. The influence of resource fluctuations on animal survival may be mediated by individual movement among habitat patches, but simultaneously analysing survival, resource availability and habitat selection requires sophisticated analytical methods. We use a Bayesian multi-state capture–recapture model to estimate survival and movement probabilities of non-native black rats (Rattus rattus) across three habitats seasonally varying in resource availability. We find that survival varies most strongly with temporal rainfall patterns, overwhelming minor spatial variation among habitats. Surprisingly for a generalist forager, movement between habitats was rare, suggesting individuals do not opportunistically respond to spatial resource subsidy variations. Climate is probably the main driver of rodent population dynamics on islands, and even substantial habitat and seasonal spatial subsidies are overwhelmed in magnitude by predictable annual patterns in resource pulses. Marked variation in survival and capture has important implications for the timing of rat control. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus University of Auckland Research Repository - ResearchSpace Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279 1729 767 774 |
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Open Polar |
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University of Auckland Research Repository - ResearchSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivauckland |
language |
unknown |
description |
Local spatio-temporal resource variations can strongly influence the population dynamics of small mammals. This is particularly true on islands which are bottom-up driven systems, lacking higher order predators and with high variability in resource subsidies. The influence of resource fluctuations on animal survival may be mediated by individual movement among habitat patches, but simultaneously analysing survival, resource availability and habitat selection requires sophisticated analytical methods. We use a Bayesian multi-state capture–recapture model to estimate survival and movement probabilities of non-native black rats (Rattus rattus) across three habitats seasonally varying in resource availability. We find that survival varies most strongly with temporal rainfall patterns, overwhelming minor spatial variation among habitats. Surprisingly for a generalist forager, movement between habitats was rare, suggesting individuals do not opportunistically respond to spatial resource subsidy variations. Climate is probably the main driver of rodent population dynamics on islands, and even substantial habitat and seasonal spatial subsidies are overwhelmed in magnitude by predictable annual patterns in resource pulses. Marked variation in survival and capture has important implications for the timing of rat control. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Russell, JC Ruffino, L |
spellingShingle |
Russell, JC Ruffino, L The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
author_facet |
Russell, JC Ruffino, L |
author_sort |
Russell, JC |
title |
The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
title_short |
The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
title_full |
The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
title_fullStr |
The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
title_full_unstemmed |
The influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
title_sort |
influence of spatio-temporal resource fluctuations on insular rat population dynamics |
publisher |
The Royal Society Publishing |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2292/11636 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 |
op_relation |
Proceedings of the Royal Society, B |
op_rights |
Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Details obtained from: http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/1471-2954/ https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm Copyright: The Royal Society Publishing http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/RestrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1121 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
279 |
container_issue |
1729 |
container_start_page |
767 |
op_container_end_page |
774 |
_version_ |
1766176786149801984 |