Ungulate movement in an extreme seasonal environment: year‐round movement patterns of high‐arctic muskoxen

Schmidt, Niels Martin; Beest, Floris M. van; Mosbacher, Jesper Bruun; Stelvig, Mikkel; Hansen, Lars H.; Nabe‐Nielsen, Jacob; Grøndahl, Carsten

doi:10.2981/wlb.00219

Cited by 45 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…, Schmidt et al. ). Migrations of caribou are affected by differences in the reproductive demands of males and females: Male caribou migrate shorter distances than female caribou, which aggregate for parturition (Cameron and Whitten , Russell et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Large herbivores use a diversity of movement strategies to track changes in the abundance and quality of their foods (Monteith et al 2014, Aikens et al 2017) while balancing the relative benefits for survival and reproduction Holt 2013, Winkler et al 2014). In the Arctic, annual movements of ungulates range from >3000 km for barren ground caribou (R.t. granti) to <100 km for muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and Svalbard reindeer (R.t. playtrhynchos; Fancy et al 1989, Couturier et al 2010, Schmidt et al 2016. Migrations of caribou are affected by differences in the reproductive demands of males and females: Male caribou migrate shorter distances than female caribou, which aggregate for parturition Whitten 1979, Russell et al 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Terrestrial plants are often limited by nitrogen (N) in arctic systems, but constraints of N supply on herbivores are typically considered secondary to those of energy. We tested the hypothesis that forage N is more limiting than energy for arctic caribou by collecting key forages (three species of graminoids, three species of woody browse, and one genus of forb) over three summers in the migratory range of the Central Arctic Herd in Alaska from the Brooks Range to the Coastal Plain on the Arctic Ocean. We combined in vitro digestion and detergent extraction to measure fiber, digestible energy, and usable fractions of N in forages (n = 771). Digestible energy content fell below the minimum threshold value of 9 kJ/g for one single forage group: graminoids, and only beyond 64-75 d from parturition (6 June), whereas all forages fell below the minimum threshold value for digestible N (1% of dry matter) before female caribou would have weaned their calves at 100 d from parturition. The window for digestible N was shortest for browse, which fell below 1% at 30-41 d from parturition, whereas digestible N contents of graminoids were adequate until 46-57 d from parturition. The low quality of browse as a source of N was also apparent from concentrations of available N (i.e., the N not bound to fiber) that were <1% at 72-80 d from parturition. The Coastal Plain may be favored by female caribou because available and digestible concentrations of N are not only greater than those on the Brooks Range, the window of usable N on the Coastal Plain extends the period of protein gain for females and their calves by 17 d. Conversely, inland areas with greater biomass and densities of digestible N than the Coastal Plain may be more favorable for large male caribou that begin gaining protein from spring to breed in autumn. Our study provides evidence that phenological windows for protein gain in caribou are both spatially and temporally dynamic and likely to affect the distribution and growth of the population.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…, Schmidt et al. , ). The data sets were generated using methodologies, that is, MicroMet/SnowModel and MODIS NDVI processing, that are applicable to any seasonally snow‐ and vegetation‐covered area on Earth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Quantifying snow controls on vegetation greenness

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Snow is a key driver for biotic processes in Arctic ecosystems. Yet, quantifying relationships between snow metrics and biological components is challenging due to lack of temporally and spatially distributed observations at ecologically relevant scales and resolutions. In this study, we quantified relationships between snow, air temperature, and vegetation greenness (using annual maximum normalized difference vegetation index [MaxNDVI] and its timing [MaxNDVI_DOY]) from ground-based and remotesensing observations, in combination with physically based models, across a heterogeneous landscape in a high-Arctic, northeast Greenland region. Across the 98-km distance from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to the coast, we quantified significant inland-coast gradients of air temperature, winter precipitation (using pre-melt snow-water-equivalent [SWE]), and snowmelt timing (using snow-free day of year [SnowFree_ DOY]). Near the coast, the mean annual air temperature was 4.5°C lower, the mean SWE was 0.3 m greater, and the mean SnowFree_DOY was 37 d later, than near the GrIS. The regional continentality gradient was eight times stronger than the south-to-north air-temperature gradient along the Greenland east coast. Across this strong gradient, the mean vegetation greening-up period (SnowFree_DOY-MaxNDVI_ DOY) varied spatially by 24-57 d. We quantified significant non-linear relationships between the vegetation characteristics of MaxNDVI and MaxNDVI_DOY, and SWE, SnowFree_DOY, and growing degree-days-sums during greening-up (Greening_GDD) across the 16-yr study period (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015). These demonstrated that the snow metrics, both SWE and SnowFree_DOY, were more important drivers of MaxNDVI and MaxNDVI_DOY than Greening_GDD within this seasonally snow-covered region. The methodologies that provided temporally and spatially distributed snow, air temperature, and vegetation greenness data are applicable to any snow-and vegetation-covered area on Earth.

show abstract

“…A). The interpretation of these branches is more speculative: they may correspond to excursions as part of the fission–fusion social system (Olson et al, ), preferential travel routes when foraging for thinly distributed low‐quality resources (Schmidt et al, ), immediate response to predator attacks (Courbin et al, ), prospection for mates (Lovari et al, ), or possibly visits to rarely needed resources such as self‐medication and trace elements (Villalba, Provenza, & Shaw, ).…”

Section: The Difference Between Utilization and Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The time frame of home‐range studies: from function to utilization

Péron

2019

Biological Reviews

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As technological and statistical innovations open new avenues in movement ecology, I review the fundamental implications of the time frame of home-range studies, with the aim of associating terminologies consistently with research objectives and methodologies. There is a fundamental distinction between (a) extrapolations of stationary distributions, associated with long time scales and aiming at asymptotic consistency, and (b) period-specific techniques, aiming at specificity but typically sensitive to the sampling design. I then review the difference between function and utilization in home-range studies. Most home-range studies are based on phenomenological descriptions of the time budgets of the study animals, not the function of the visited areas. I highlight emerging trends in automated pattern-recognition techniques for inference about function rather than utilization.

show abstract

Ungulate movement in an extreme seasonal environment: year‐round movement patterns of high‐arctic muskoxen

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 45 publications

References 53 publications

The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

The nitrogen window for arctic herbivores: plant phenology and protein gain of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

Quantifying snow controls on vegetation greenness

The time frame of home‐range studies: from function to utilization

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About