| Autor: |
Oli MK; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.; School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, Tillydrone Avenue, University of Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK., Kenney AJ; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4., Boonstra R; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada M1C 1A4., Boutin S; Department of Biological Sciences, and., Murray DL; Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada K9L 1Z8., Peers MJL; Department of Biological Sciences, and., Gilbert BS; Renewable Resources Management Program, Yukon University, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada Y1A 5K4., Jung TS; Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9.; Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada Y1A 2C6., Chaudhary V; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA., Hines JE; U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center, Laurel, MD 20708, USA., Krebs CJ; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4. |
| Abstrakt: |
Some mammal species inhabiting high-latitude biomes have evolved a seasonal moulting pattern that improves camouflage via white coats in winter and brown coats in summer. In many high-latitude and high-altitude areas, the duration and depth of snow cover has been substantially reduced in the last five decades. This reduction in depth and duration of snow cover may create a mismatch between coat colour and colour of the background environment, and potentially reduce the survival rate of species that depend on crypsis. We used long-term (1977-2020) field data and capture-mark-recapture models to test the hypothesis that whiteness of the coat influences winter apparent survival in a cyclic population of snowshoe hares ( Lepus americanus ) at Kluane, Yukon, Canada. Whiteness of the snowshoe hare coat in autumn declined during this study, and snowshoe hares with a greater proportion of whiteness in their coats in autumn survived better during winter. However, whiteness of the coat in spring did not affect subsequent summer survival. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the timing of coat colour change in autumn can reduce overwinter survival. Because declines in cyclic snowshoe hare populations are strongly affected by low winter survival, the timing of coat colour change may adversely affect snowshoe hare population dynamics as climate change continues. |
