A Northward Range Extension of the Red Fox in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

Macpherson, A.H.

doi:10.2307/1377304

Cited by 46 publications

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“…Increases and establishment of red foxes in tundra regions have affected the vulnerable tundra ecosystem in several ways (Macpherson 1964;Hersteinsson and Macdonald 1992). For example, the red fox has contributed to alterations in community structure and declines of competitor and prey populations (Hersteinsson and Macdonald, 1992;Smedshaug et al 1999;Angerbjörn et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Red foxes colonizing the tundra: genetic analysis as a tool for population management

et al. 2016

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Climate change accelerates biodiversity alterations in northern ecosystems. A prevalent example is that tundra regions are invaded by boreal species. This impacts negatively on native species through competition, predation and transmission of zoonoses. Scandinavian red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have emerged into the tundra and have altered the structure and function of the tundra community. For instance, they threaten persistence of the endangered Swedish Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). County board administrations implement control of the tundra red foxes, but little is known about the underlying expansion dynamics. A broad-scale study revealed high connectivity where northern areas were supplemented with red foxes from surrounding population. However, red fox expansion is most prevalent in tundra regions and the fine-scaled expansion dynamics in these areas have not yet been disseminated. With the aim of identifying the invasive pathways of tundra red foxes, we present microsatellite data for 205 Swedish red foxes and mitochondrial sequence variation in 102 foxes sampled across the historical boreonemoral distribution and recently colonized tundra regions. Genetic structuring was low with high levels of ongoing, asymmetric dispersal from surrounding boreal zones into tundra habitats causing high genetic admixture. In both tundra and boreo-nemoral regions, inter-individual relatedness decreased with increasing geographic distance and data suggests male-biased dispersal patterns. Overall, finescaled expansion patterns were affected by multiple factors and we discuss its implications for future red fox management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Red foxes colonizing the tundra: genetic analysis as a tool for population management

et al. 2016

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“…Within the last century, the range of the Arctic fox has contracted while that of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has expanded northward (Gallant et al, 2012). There is limited information about when the contraction began in different regions, although MacPherson (1964) reported red foxes on Baffin Island in Canada in 1918. However, within the last 30 years, the contraction of the Arctic fox's range has been extensive enough in the subarctic alpine tundra in Fennoscandia to prompt concern (Hersteinsson et al, 1989;Frafjord, 2003;Herfindal et al, 2010) and to instigate an analysis of the geographical changes across Arctic Canada (Hersteinsson and Macdonald, 1992;Gallant et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifts in Fox Den Occupancy in the Greater Prudhoe Bay Area, Alaska

Stickney¹,

Obritschkewitsch²,

Burgess³

2014

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Although shifts in the distribution of red foxes into areas previously dominated by Arctic foxes have been documented over wide areas of the circumpolar North, no such documentation exists yet for the Alaskan Arctic. Fox research in the greater Prudhoe Bay area from the 1970s through the early 1990s focused primarily on Arctic foxes in relation to oil development because red foxes were uncommon. A monitoring program in 2005 -12 included annual surveys of 31 -48 fox dens within 2 km of the road system. In 2005, 2006, and 2008, Arctic fox dens outnumbered those of red foxes, but from 2010 onward, the reverse was true. There is greater distance between natal dens of Arctic foxes and those of red foxes than between natal dens within each species, suggesting that Arctic foxes avoid red fox denning territories. Of dens in our study that were used by Arctic foxes prior to 2005, 50% have since been occupied by red foxes. Red foxes displaced Arctic foxes from dens closest to oil field camps, pads, and other facilities, and preyed on their pups. Access to anthropogenic food sources probably supports red foxes in the area. Predictions from climate change studies indicate the displacement of Arctic foxes by red foxes will continue in the Alaskan Arctic, although the change may be slower away from areas of human occupation and anthropogenic foods.Key words: Arctic fox, red fox, den occupancy, interference competition, anthropogenic food sources, climate change RÉSUMÉ. Malgré que des changements sur le plan de la répartition du renard roux dans des régions qui étaient auparavant dominées par le renard arctique aient été répertoriés dans une grande partie du Nord circumpolaire, ce n'est pas encore le cas de l'Arctique alaskien. L'étude des renards de la grande région de la baie Prudhoe, des années 1970 jusqu'au début des années 1990, portait principalement sur le renard arctique dans le cadre de la mise en valeur du pétrole, car le renard roux n'était pas courant à ce moment-là. Un programme de surveillance mené à bien de 2005 à 2012 a notamment pris la forme de dénombrements annuels de 31 à 48 tanières de renards dans un rayon de deux kilomètres du réseau routier. En 2005, en 2006 et en 2008, le nombre de tanières de renards arctiques dépassait le nombre de tanières de renards roux, mais à partir de 2010, c'était l'inverse. La distance qui sépare les tanières de mise bas des renards arctiques de celles des renards roux est plus grande que la distance qui sépare les tanières de mise bas au sein de chacune des espèces, ce qui laisse entendre que le renard arctique évite les territoires de mise bas du renard roux. Parmi les tanières visées par notre étude qui étaient utilisées par les renards arctiques avant 2005, 50 % d'entre elles sont depuis occupées par des renards roux. Les renards roux ont supplanté les renards arctiques qui occupaient les tanières situées plus près des campements de champs pétrolifères, des zones tampons et d'autres installations, et ils ont attaqué leurs petits. L'accès aux sources alimentaires...

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“…Red foxes are currently expanding their range northward (Macpherson, 1964) and are well established in arctic regions (Skrobov, 1960;Banfield, 1974), where they often displace arctic foxes (Chirkova, 1968;Ostbye et al, 1978;Schamel and Tracey, 1986;Frafjord et al, 1989). We conclude that hoarding behaviour is quite flexible and largely determined by food availability, and that more intraspecific variation in hoarding strategy will be found.…”

Section: Red Foxmentioning

confidence: 69%

Food Availability and Food Hoarding Behaviour by Red and Arctic Foxes

Sklepkovych¹,

Montevecchi²

1996

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Both red and arctic foxes cache food. The present and previous studies have documented scatter hoarding (hiding single or small numbers of prey at dispersed sites) and larder hoarding (hiding many prey at or near den sites) by both species. Red foxes resident on an island with a large seabird community in Newfoundland, where food is superabundant in summer and scarce during winter, made large larder hoards over an eight-year period. Scat analyses revealed that hoarded prey were heavily utilized during winter. An arctic fox encountered on an offshore seabird island hoarded seabirds in larders. For both species, larder hoarding is associated with a superabundance of prey and appears to represent a flexible response to environmental conditions. Key words: arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, behaviour, caching, food, hoarding, predation, red fox, Vulpes vulpes, seabirds RÉSUMÉ. Le renard roux et le renard arctique font tous deux des réserves de nourriture. L'étude actuelle et des études précédentes documentent le stockage dispersé de réserves (le fait de cacher une proie unique ou quelques proies à des endroits dispersés) et le stockage en garde-manger (le fait de cacher un grand nombre de proies sur le site du terrier ou à proximité) par les deux espèces de renard. Les renards roux vivant dans une île qui possède une importante communauté d'oiseaux marins à Terre-Neuve, où il y a une abondance de nourriture en été et une pénurie en hiver, ont fait d'importantes réserves en garde-manger sur une période de huit ans. Des analyses d'excréments ont révélé que les proies stockées étaient consommées en grand nombre au cours de l'hiver. Un renard arctique rencontré dans une île en mer fréquentée par des oiseaux marins stockait ces derniers dans des garde-manger. Pour les deux espèces, le stockage en garde-manger est associé à une surabondance de proies et semble représenter une adaptation aux conditions prévalant dans le milieu ambiant.

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A Northward Range Extension of the Red Fox in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

Cited by 46 publications

References 0 publications

Red foxes colonizing the tundra: genetic analysis as a tool for population management

Red foxes colonizing the tundra: genetic analysis as a tool for population management

Shifts in Fox Den Occupancy in the Greater Prudhoe Bay Area, Alaska

Food Availability and Food Hoarding Behaviour by Red and Arctic Foxes

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