Climate change induced molting mismatch? Mountain hare abundance reduced by duration of snow cover and predator abundance
Climate change induced molting mismatch? Mountain hare abundance reduced by duration of snow cover and predator abundance
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DOI：
10.1002/ecs2.1722
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发表时间：
2017-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Pedersen, Hans Chr.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Pedersen, Simen;Odden, Morten;Pedersen, Hans Chr.
在北纬，通过蜕皮和改变毛皮颜色来适应雪盖的物种将特别容易受到气候变化的影响，因为由于与背景颜色不匹配，捕食水平可能会增加。在这里，我们研究了哺乳动物多面手捕食者(红狐、秃鹫和松貂)和积雪持续时间对冬季适应物种山地野兔(Lepus Timidus)数量的协同作用。我们分析了挪威东南部622条积雪跟踪线12年来的数据，这些数据沿着积雪年持续时间的梯度变化。山兔丰度指数与一般捕食者丰度指数呈正相关，这可能是由于捕食者在数量和功能上的综合反应。山兔丰度指数与积雪持续时间呈负相关，且这种影响在捕食者丰度指数较高的地区更为明显。因此，我们证明了山兔丰度指数、捕食者和积雪持续时间之间的因果联系。我们预计，由于雪地持续时间的缩短、潜在的多面性捕食者密度的增加以及山兔适应气候变化导致的换羽错配的有限能力的交互作用，未来山兔的密度将会下降。
In northern latitudes, species that have adapted to snow cover by molting and changing pelage color will be particularly vulnerable to climate change, as predation levels may increase due to a mismatch with background coloration. Here, we investigated the synergistic effect of mammalian generalist predators (red fox Vulpes vulpes and pine marten Martes martes) and the duration of snow cover on the abundance of a winter-adapted species, the mountain hare (Lepus timidus). We analyzed 12 yr of data from 622 snow tracking lines in southeast Norway along a gradient in annual duration of snow-covered ground. The mountain hare abundance index was positively related to the generalist predator abundance index, probably due to a combined numerical and functional response of the predators. The mountain hare abundance index was negatively associated with a short duration of snow cover, and this effect was stronger in areas with a high predator abundance index. Hence, we demonstrated a causal link between the mountain hare abundance index, predators, and the duration of snow cover. We expect declining mountain hare densities in the future caused by interactive effects of reduced duration of snow-covered ground, potentially increasing generalist predator densities and the limited ability of mountain hares to adapt to the climate change-induced molting mismatch.