Impact of marine-subsidized predators on lemming-plant oscillations

: Oksanen T, Oksanen L, Söderbacka G, Hoset KS, Ruffino L, Tuomi M

Publisher: EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY LTD

: UNIV ARIZONA, 321 BIOSCIENCES WEST, TUCSON, AZ 85721 USA

: 2013

: Evolutionary Ecology Research

: EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY RESEARCH

: EVOL ECOL RES

: 1

: 15

: 1

: 24

: 1522-0613

Predictions: On grassland/meadow tundra, increasing intensity of summer predation reduces the amplitude and period of lemming and plant oscillations and increases the minimum and average density of lemmings and depletable plants. The predicted predator-lemming relationship is thus mutualistic rather than exploitative. In heath-type tundra, the predicted positive impact of summer predation on lemmings is even stronger because, without intense summer predation, the predicted oscillations are violent enough to lead to local extinctions. In tundra areas with such dynamics, natural selection should favour lemmings that react to high population densities by emigrating.

Ecology, evolutionary biology