Macroecological patterns of rodent population dynamics shaped by bioclimatic gradients
: Soininen, Eeva M.; Magnusson, Magnus; Jepsen, Jane U.; Eide, Nina E.; Yoccoz, Nigel G.; Angerbjörn, Anders; Breisjøberget, Jo Inge; Ecke, Frauke; Ehrich, Dorothee; Framstad, Erik; Henttonen, Heikki; Hörnfeldt, Birger; Killengreen, Siw; Olofsson, Johan; Oksanen, Lauri; Oksanen, Tarja; Tveito, Ole Einar; Ims, Rolf A.
Publisher: Wiley
: 2025
Ecography
: e07058
: 2025
: 5
: 0906-7590
: 1600-0587
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.07058
: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.07058
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/508622305
: Analysoimme kaikki Fennoskandian tundra- / tunturiekosysteemeissä tehdyt pitkä- tai keskipitkäkestoiset aikasarjat myyrien ja sopulien kannanvaihteluista. Voimakkaimmat kannanvaihtelut löytyivät sieltä missä kunkin lajin eniten suosimaa luontotyyppiä oli runsaimmin. Pohjoisuudella tai eteläisyydellä ei sen sijaan ollut mitään vaikutusta kannanvaihteluiden voimakkuuteen. Fennoskandian tunturiluonto on siis tässä suhteessa varsin yhtenäinen, vaikka metsänraja nouseekin nollasta 1100 metrin korkeuteen siirryttäessä pohjoisen niemistä etelän ylängöille. Eli kuten vanha kunnon Áiluhaš joikasi: ”duoattar dat lea duottar” (tunturi on tunturia), ei se siitä muuksi muutu.
Long-term studies of cyclic rodent populations have contributed fundamentally to the development of population ecology. Pioneering rodent studies have shown macroecological patterns of population dynamics in relation to latitude and have inspired similar studies in several other taxa. Nevertheless, such studies have not been able to disentangle the role of different environmental variables in shaping the macroecological patterns. We collected rodent time-series from 26 locations spanning 10 latitudinal degrees in the tundra biome of Fennoscandia and assessed how population dynamics characteristics of the most prevalent species varied with latitude and environmental variables. While we found no relationship between latitude and population cycle peak interval, other characteristics of population dynamics showed latitudinal patterns. The environmental predictor variables provided insight into causes of these patterns, as 1) increased proportion of optimal habitat in the landscape led to higher density amplitudes in all species and 2) mid-winter climate variability lowered the amplitude in Norwegian lemmings and grey-sided voles. These results indicate that biome-scale climate and landscape change can be expected to have profound impacts on rodent population cycles and that the macro-ecology of such functionally important tundra ecosystem characteristics is likely to be subjected to transient dynamics.
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Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Swedish Research Council Formas (mobility grant no. 2017-00867 to MM post doc position). JUJ, NEE, EMS and EF acknowledge strategic support from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. The monitoring of small mammals at Vålådalen/ Ljungdalen, Ammarnäs and Stora Sjöfallet has been financed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (via the National Environmental Monitoring Programme). Data were collected at the sites Møsvatn, Gutulia, Åmotsdalen, Børgefjell and Dividalen as part of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Monitoring Program (TOV), funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency. Data collection at Finse has been funded by the University of Oslo and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Data from eastern Finnmark (locations 1–6) are from the Climate-Ecological Observatory for Arctic Tundra (COAT) and funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency.
