Signatures of large-scale and local climates on the demography of white-tailed ptarmigan in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Wang, Guiming; Hobbs, N. Thompson; Galbraith, Hector; Giesen, Kenneth M.

doi:10.1007/s00484-002-0134-2

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Morrison and Hik (2007) found a positive effect of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on collared pika (Ochotona collaris) adult survival, likely due to its effects on timing of spring snowmelt which occurred later during years with low PDO. In contrast to the pika study, Wang et al (2002b) found that local climate had a bigger influence on white-tailed ptarmigan population dynamics at RMNP than large-scale climate measures. No relationships between NAO and local climate patterns relevant to white-tailed ptarmigan demographics have been identified, and we did not find strong correlations between winter weather covariates tested and winter NAO.…”

Section: Population Recruitmentcontrasting

confidence: 96%

Estimates of annual survival, growth, and recruitment of a white‐tailed ptarmigan population in Colorado over 43 years

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Long‐term datasets for high‐elevation species are rare, and considerable uncertainty exists in understanding how high‐elevation populations have responded to recent climate warming. We present estimates of demographic vital rates from a 43‐year population study of white‐tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), a species endemic to alpine habitats in western North America. We used capture‐recapture models to estimate annual rates of apparent survival, population growth, and recruitment for breeding‐age ptarmigan, and we fit winter weather covariates to models in an attempt to explain annual variation. There were no trends in survival over the study period but there was strong support for age and sex effects. The average rate of annual growth suggests a relatively stable breeding‐age population (trueitalicλfalse¯ = 1.036), but there was considerable variation between years for both population growth and recruitment rates. Winter weather covariates only explained a small amount of variation in female survival and were not an important predictor of male survival. Cumulative winter precipitation was found to have a quadratic effect on female survival, with survival being highest during years of average precipitation. Cumulative winter precipitation was positively correlated with population growth and recruitment rates, although this covariate only explained a small amount of annual variation in these rates and there was considerable uncertainty among the models tested. Our results provide evidence for an alpine‐endemic population that has not experienced extirpation or drastic declines. However, more information is needed to understand risks and vulnerabilities of warming effects on juveniles as our analysis was confined to determination of vital rates for breeding‐age birds.

show abstract

Section: Population Recruitmentcontrasting

confidence: 96%

Estimates of annual survival, growth, and recruitment of a white‐tailed ptarmigan population in Colorado over 43 years

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In one study by Wang et al . (), local minimum winter temperatures had a stronger effect on White‐tailed Ptarmigan population dynamics than large‐scale indices like NAO. On the other hand, Wann et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

A review and meta‐analysis of the effects of climate change on Holarctic mountain and upland bird populations

Scridel

Brambilla

Martin

et al. 2018

Ibis

131

145

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mountain regions are globally important areas for biodiversity but are subject to multiple human-induced threats, including climate change, which has been more severe at higher elevations. We reviewed evidence for impacts of climate change on Holarctic mountain bird populations in terms of physiology, phenology, trophic interactions, demography and observed and projected distribution shifts, including effects of other factors that interact with climate change. We developed an objective classification of high-elevation, mountain specialist and generalist species, based on the proportion of their breeding range occurring in mountain regions. Our review found evidence of responses of mountain bird populations to climate (extreme weather events, temperature, rainfall and snow) and environmental (i.e. land use) change, but we know little about either the underlying mechanisms or the synergistic effects of climate and land use. Long-term studies assessing reproductive success or survival of mountain birds in relation to climate change were rare. Few studies have considered shifts in elevational distribution over time and a meta-analysis did not find a consistent direction in elevation change. A meta-analysis carried out on future projections of distribution shifts suggested that birds whose breeding distributions are largely restricted to mountains are likely to be more negatively impacted than other species. Adaptation responses to climate change rely mostly on managing and extending current protected areas for both

show abstract

“…the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. In a study of the white-tailed ptarmigan, Wang et al (2002b) reported that the local climate had a stronger signature on the demography of the species than did a largescale climate index. The use of the NAO index, as in the study by Barnagaud et al (2011) investigating the effect of climate on the breeding success of black grouse Lyrurus tetrix in the French Alps, would likely have been more appropriate if Rock Ptarmigan breeding success had been recorded over a broader scale.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

No short-term effects of climate change on the breeding of Rock Ptarmigan in the French Alps and Pyrenees

Novoa

Astruc

Desmet³

et al. 2016

J Ornithol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the last decades, the effects of climate warming have been particularly marked in high mountain areas. High-altitude species adapted to cold temperatures are consensually held to be particularly vulnerable to climate warming. Among these species at risk, alpine birds like the Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) are expected to exhibit a strong negative response, particularly at the southern margins of their ranges in the northern hemisphere. In this study, conducted from 1998 to 2011, we investigated whether variations in the local climate affected the breeding biology of Rock Ptarmigan in the French Alps and Pyrenees. The median hatching date did not significantly advance in either massif, suggesting that Rock Ptarmigan did not breed earlier during this period. The date of snowmelt and spring temperatures influenced the onset of breeding but not consistently in both sites. In the Alps, the median hatching date was significantly correlated with the date of snowmelt, but this correlation was less clear in the Pyrenees. Unlike woodland grouse which inhabit lower elevations, the onset of breeding in Rock Ptarmigan may be related to both date of snowmelt and spring temperatures. Reproductive success varied greatly over the years and among sites. On average, the number of young per adult in the Pyrenean population was greater than that recorded in the two populations in the Alps. A significant positive trend of reproductive success over the period of 2000-2009 was detected in the Pyrenees but not in the Alps. The model that best explained annual variation in reproductive success included the additive effects of site, date of total snowmelt and rainfall after hatching. The estimates from this model showed that for all sites, reproductive success was much lower when snowmelt was late, and rainfall after hatching was high. We did not detect any altitudinal changes in locations of either breeding females or nests, suggesting that the breeding habitat of the species has not shifted upward from 1998 to 2011. To conclude, although the Rock Ptarmigan is generally considered a potential sentinel species for indicating temperature-induced changes in alpine avifauna, our study did not show a short-term effect of climate change on the breeding biology of the southern populations of this species.

show abstract

Signatures of large-scale and local climates on the demography of white-tailed ptarmigan in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Cited by 14 publications

References 24 publications

Estimates of annual survival, growth, and recruitment of a white‐tailed ptarmigan population in Colorado over 43 years

Estimates of annual survival, growth, and recruitment of a white‐tailed ptarmigan population in Colorado over 43 years

A review and meta‐analysis of the effects of climate change on Holarctic mountain and upland bird populations

No short-term effects of climate change on the breeding of Rock Ptarmigan in the French Alps and Pyrenees

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About