Reproductive responses to spatial and temporal prey availability in a coastal Arctic fox population
Reproductive responses to spatial and temporal prey availability in a coastal Arctic fox population
复制标题
DOI：
10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01936.x
复制
发表时间：
2012-05-01
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Fuglei, Eva
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Eide, Nina E.;Stien, Audun;Fuglei, Eva
1.北极地区外部补贴的投入可能对捕食者种群产生重大影响，否则这些种群将受到当地初级生产力低下的限制。通过研究北极狐种群的生活史特征、年龄特异性繁殖力、窝仔数和存活率以及种群动态，探讨其主要猎物的空间分布和时间可利用性对种群的影响，包括栖息和迁徙（外部）猎物资源.这项研究表明，高度可预测的跨界补贴，从海洋食物网，通过季节性获得海鸟，维持较大的本地北极狐种群。北极狐洞穴位于斯瓦尔巴群岛海岸附近，发现有较高的占用率，预期从高可用性和高的时间和空间的可预测性猎物资源（时间稳定的外部补贴）。而内陆洞穴的占用率则因驯鹿尸体（随时间变化的常驻猎物）的丰富程度而异。在人口统计学方面，与其他种群相比，斯瓦尔巴特群岛的幼年北极狐存活率较低，首次繁殖年龄较高。我们认为这可能是由于缺乏空置的洞穴和饱和的人口。
1. Input of external subsidies in the Arctic may have substantial effects on predator populations that otherwise would have been limited by low local primary productivity.2. We explore life-history traits, age-specific fecundity, litter sizes and survival, and the population dynamics of an Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) population to explore the influence of the spatial distribution and temporal availability of its main prey; including both resident and migrating (external) prey resources.3. This study reveals that highly predictable cross-boundary subsidies from the marine food web, acting through seasonal access to seabirds, sustain larger local Arctic fox populations. Arctic fox dens located close to the coast in Svalbard were found to have higher occupancy rates, as expected from both high availability and high temporal and spatial predictability of prey resources (temporally stable external subsidies). Whereas the occupancy rate of inland dens varied between years in relation to the abundance of reindeer carcasses (temporally varying resident prey).4. With regard to demography, juvenile Arctic foxes in Svalbard have lower survival rates and a high age of first reproduction compared with other populations. We suggest this may be caused by a lack of unoccupied dens and a saturated population.