Ecke, Frauke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2013Peer reviewed
Europe-Wide Dampening of Population Cycles in Keystone Herbivores
Cornulier, Thomas; Yoccoz, Nigel; Bretagnolle, Vincent; Brommer, Jon; Butet, Alain; Ecke, Frauke; Elston, David; Framstad, Erik; Henttonen, Heikki; Hörnfeldt, Birger; Huitu, Otso; Imholt, Christian; Ims, Rolf; Jacob, Jens; Jedrzejewska, Bogumila; Millon, Alexandre; Petty, Steve; Pietiäinen, Hannu; Tkadlec, Emil; Zub, Karol;
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Abstract
Suggestions of collapse in small herbivore cycles since the 1980s have raised concerns about the loss of essential ecosystem functions. Whether such phenomena are general and result from extrinsic environmental changes or from intrinsic process stochasticity is currently unknown. Using a large compilation of time series of vole abundances, we demonstrate consistent cycle amplitude dampening associated with a reduction in winter population growth, although regulatory processes responsible for cyclicity have not been lost. The underlying syndrome of change throughout Europe and grass-eating vole species suggests a common climatic driver. Increasing intervals of low-amplitude small herbivore population fluctuations are expected in the future, and these may have cascading impacts on trophic webs across ecosystems.
Published in
Science
2013, Volume: 340, number: 6128, pages: 63-66
Publisher: AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
Hörnfeldt, Birger
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
SLU Authors
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Publication identifier
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1228992
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/55988