Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2020
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Documenting lemming population change in the Arctic: Can we detect trends?
Ehrich, Dorothee; Schmidt, Niels M.; Gauthier, Gilles; Alisauskas, Ray; Angerbjorn, Anders; Clark, Karin; Ecke, Frauke; Eide, Nina E.; Framstad, Erik; Frandsen, Jay; Franke, Alastair; Gilg, Olivier; Giroux, Marie-Andree; Henttonen, Heikki; Hornfeldt, Birger; Ims, Rolf A.; Kataev, Gennadiy D.; Kharitonov, Sergey P.; Killengreen, Siw T.; Krebs, Charles J.;Show more authors
Abstract
Lemmings are a key component of tundra food webs and changes in their dynamics can affect the whole ecosystem. We present a comprehensive overview of lemming monitoring and research activities, and assess recent trends in lemming abundance across the circumpolar Arctic. Since 2000, lemmings have been monitored at 49 sites of which 38 are still active. The sites were not evenly distributed with notably Russia and high Arctic Canada underrepresented. Abundance was monitored at all sites, but methods and levels of precision varied greatly. Other important attributes such as health, genetic diversity and potential drivers of population change, were often not monitored. There was no evidence that lemming populations were decreasing in general, although a negative trend was detected for low arctic populations sympatric with voles. To keep the pace of arctic change, we recommend maintaining long-term programmes while harmonizing methods, improving spatial coverage and integrating an ecosystem perspective.Keywords
Arctic; Dicrostonyx; Lemmus; Population monitoring; Temporal trends; Small rodentPublished in
AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment2020, volume: 49, number: 3, pages: 786-800
Publisher: SPRINGER
Authors' information
Ehrich, Dorothee
UiT Arctic Univ Norway
Schmidt, Niels M.
Aarhus Univ
Gauthier, Gilles
Univ Laval
Alisauskas, Ray
Environm and Climate Change Canada
Angerbjorn, Anders
Stockholm Univ
Clark, Karin
Environm and Nat Resources
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies
Eide, Nina E.
Norwegian Inst Nat Res
Framstad, Erik
Norwegian Inst Nat Res
Frandsen, Jay
Parks Canada
Franke, Alastair
Univ Alberta
Gilg, Olivier
Grp Rech Ecol Arctique
Giroux, Marie-Andree
Univ Moncton
Henttonen, Heikki
Nat Resources Inst Finland
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies
Ims, Rolf A.
UiT Arctic Univ Norway
Kataev, Gennadiy D.
Laplandskii Nat Reserve
Kharitonov, Sergey P.
Bird Ringing Ctr Russia
Killengreen, Siw T.
UiT Arctic Univ Norway
Krebs, Charles J.
Univ British Columbia
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01198-7
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/104806