Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan
The Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) is an endemic subspecies of rock ptarmigan inhabiting the high Arctic archipelagos of Svalbard and Franz Josefs Land. This ptarmigan species exists at low population densities, with little interannual variations in population numbers, and limited...
Published in: | European Journal of Wildlife Research |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5894 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/5894 2023-05-15T15:13:25+02:00 Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik Soininen, Eeva M Unander, Sigmund Willebrand, Maria Hörnell Fuglei, E. 2013 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5894 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z eng eng SpringerLink European Journal of Wildlife Research (2013), online version FRIDAID 1052232 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z 1612-4642 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5894 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_5586 openAccess VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Ecology: 488 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Økologi: 488 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed 2013 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z 2021-06-25T17:53:47Z The Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) is an endemic subspecies of rock ptarmigan inhabiting the high Arctic archipelagos of Svalbard and Franz Josefs Land. This ptarmigan species exists at low population densities, with little interannual variations in population numbers, and limited habitat for breeding with less than 5 % of the land area in Svalbard constituting medium to high quality breeding habitat. Unander and Steen (1985) hypothesized, based on a descriptive study, that territories sufficiently attractive for breeding could be a limiting factor of the Svalbard rock ptarmigan population. Here, we use experimental data from a 3-year removal experiment (1984–1986) to test their hypothesis by comparing breeding density, demography (sex and age ratios) and body mass of birds between experimental removal plots and control locations. We found evidence of surplus birds by showing that both sexes of Svalbard rock ptarmigan replaced quickly in vacant territories after removal of the resident birds, and that breeding densities were similar for the experimental and control populations. Replaced males in the breeding population weighed less than males in the initial breeding population and tended to be younger. Experimental harvest during the preceding spring had no effect on male body mass, population sex ratio or the proportion of juvenile males in the pre-breeding population the following spring. The documented surplus of male and female Svalbard rock ptarmigan and a lack of impact on breeding densities from removal of birds leave a proportion available for harvest. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Lagopus muta Lagopus muta hyperborea rock ptarmigan Svalbard Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Arctic Svalbard Steen ENVELOPE(7.780,7.780,62.571,62.571) European Journal of Wildlife Research 60 2 201 212 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Ecology: 488 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Økologi: 488 |
spellingShingle |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Ecology: 488 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Økologi: 488 Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik Soininen, Eeva M Unander, Sigmund Willebrand, Maria Hörnell Fuglei, E. Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan |
topic_facet |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Ecology: 488 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Økologi: 488 |
description |
The Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) is an endemic subspecies of rock ptarmigan inhabiting the high Arctic archipelagos of Svalbard and Franz Josefs Land. This ptarmigan species exists at low population densities, with little interannual variations in population numbers, and limited habitat for breeding with less than 5 % of the land area in Svalbard constituting medium to high quality breeding habitat. Unander and Steen (1985) hypothesized, based on a descriptive study, that territories sufficiently attractive for breeding could be a limiting factor of the Svalbard rock ptarmigan population. Here, we use experimental data from a 3-year removal experiment (1984–1986) to test their hypothesis by comparing breeding density, demography (sex and age ratios) and body mass of birds between experimental removal plots and control locations. We found evidence of surplus birds by showing that both sexes of Svalbard rock ptarmigan replaced quickly in vacant territories after removal of the resident birds, and that breeding densities were similar for the experimental and control populations. Replaced males in the breeding population weighed less than males in the initial breeding population and tended to be younger. Experimental harvest during the preceding spring had no effect on male body mass, population sex ratio or the proportion of juvenile males in the pre-breeding population the following spring. The documented surplus of male and female Svalbard rock ptarmigan and a lack of impact on breeding densities from removal of birds leave a proportion available for harvest. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik Soininen, Eeva M Unander, Sigmund Willebrand, Maria Hörnell Fuglei, E. |
author_facet |
Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik Soininen, Eeva M Unander, Sigmund Willebrand, Maria Hörnell Fuglei, E. |
author_sort |
Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik |
title |
Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan |
title_short |
Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan |
title_full |
Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan |
title_fullStr |
Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan |
title_full_unstemmed |
Experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of Svalbard rock ptarmigan |
title_sort |
experimental harvest reveals the importance of territoriality in limiting the breeding population of svalbard rock ptarmigan |
publisher |
SpringerLink |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5894 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(7.780,7.780,62.571,62.571) |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Steen |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Steen |
genre |
Arctic Lagopus muta Lagopus muta hyperborea rock ptarmigan Svalbard Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan |
genre_facet |
Arctic Lagopus muta Lagopus muta hyperborea rock ptarmigan Svalbard Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan |
op_relation |
European Journal of Wildlife Research (2013), online version FRIDAID 1052232 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z 1612-4642 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5894 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_5586 |
op_rights |
openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0766-z |
container_title |
European Journal of Wildlife Research |
container_volume |
60 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
201 |
op_container_end_page |
212 |
_version_ |
1766343975878262784 |