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Data from: Climate change increases predation risk for a keystone species of the boreal forest Peers, Michael; Majchrzak, Yasmine; Menzies, Allyson; Studd, Emily; Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Boonstra, Rudy; Humphries, Murray; Jung, Thomas; Kenney, Alice; Krebs, Charles; Murray, Dennis; Boutin, Stan

Description

<b>Abstract</b><br/><p style="text-indent:36.0pt;">Canada lynx (<i>Lynx canadensis</i>) and snowshoe hares (<i>Lepus americanus</i>) form a keystone predator-prey cycle that has large impacts on the North-American boreal forest vertebrate community. Snowshoe hares and lynx are both well-suited for snowy winters, but climate change associated shifts in snow conditions could lower hare survival and alter cyclic dynamics. Using detailed monitoring of snowshoe hare cause-specific mortality, behaviour, and prevailing weather, we demonstrate that hare mortality risk is strongly influenced by variation in snow conditions. Although predation risk from lynx was largely unaffected by snow conditions, coyote (<i>Canis latrans</i>) predation increased in shallow snow. Maximum snow depth in our study area has decreased 33% over the last two decades and predictions based on prolonged shallow snow indicate future hare survival could resemble that seen during population declines. Our results indicate that climate change could disrupt cyclic dynamics in the boreal forest.</p>

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Title
Data from: Climate change increases predation risk for a keystone species of the boreal forest
Creator
Peers, Michael; Majchrzak, Yasmine; Menzies, Allyson; Studd, Emily; Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Boonstra, Rudy; Humphries, Murray; Jung, Thomas; Kenney, Alice; Krebs, Charles; Murray, Dennis; Boutin, Stan
Date Issued
2021-05-19
Description
<b>Abstract</b><br/><p style="text-indent:36.0pt;">Canada lynx (<i>Lynx canadensis</i>) and snowshoe hares (<i>Lepus americanus</i>) form a keystone predator-prey cycle that has large impacts on the North-American boreal forest vertebrate community. Snowshoe hares and lynx are both well-suited for snowy winters, but climate change associated shifts in snow conditions could lower hare survival and alter cyclic dynamics. Using detailed monitoring of snowshoe hare cause-specific mortality, behaviour, and prevailing weather, we demonstrate that hare mortality risk is strongly influenced by variation in snow conditions. Although predation risk from lynx was largely unaffected by snow conditions, coyote (<i>Canis latrans</i>) predation increased in shallow snow. Maximum snow depth in our study area has decreased 33% over the last two decades and predictions based on prolonged shallow snow indicate future hare survival could resemble that seen during population declines. Our results indicate that climate change could disrupt cyclic dynamics in the boreal forest.</p>
Subject
Other
Type
Dataset
Notes

Dryad version number: 9</p>

Version status: submitted</p>

Dryad curation status: Published</p>

Sharing link: https://datadryad.org/stash/share/t_3eK-YX_vfP1w6XbcsC7J1z4d12O7xwa0PG-FPJfbk</p>

Visibility: public</p>

Date Available
2021-06-16
Provider
University of British Columbia Library
License
CC0 1.0
DOI
10.14288/1.0397668
URI
https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/E3AHVQ
Publisher DOI
https://doi.org/10.5683/SP2/E3AHVQ; https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.bzkh1896b
Rights URI
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0
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CC0 1.0