Fox and lemming responses to climate and snow conditions at the Arctic’s edge

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorVerstege, Jacqueline
dc.contributor.examiningcommitteeMarkham, John (Biological Sciences) Fishback, LeeAnn (Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources)en_US
dc.contributor.supervisorRoth, James (Biological Sciences)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-05T15:41:52Z
dc.date.available2017-01-05T15:41:52Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.degree.disciplineBiological Sciencesen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science (M.Sc.)en_US
dc.description.abstractLow species diversity in the Arctic promotes strong food-web linkages, as changes in abundance of one species may influence many others. Using harvest records, I determined Arctic fox populations are declining in their southern distributional range due to shallower snow potentially limiting density of lemmings, their primary prey, which live and breed beneath snow. Additionally, warm fall and spring temperatures are shortening access to alternative prey, seals on sea ice. Arctic foxes also influence other species through non-trophic interactions, as lemming winter nests were found on 70% of fox dens examined. I determined warmer subnivean temperatures promoted by accumulation of thick snow leeward of tall vegetation on dens attracted lemmings to these dens. Furthermore, lemming reproduction was higher dens compared to traditional lemming habitat. This research highlights the impact of climatic variables on Arctic predator-prey interactions and the importance of understanding impacts of trophic and non-trophic interactions on species demographics.en_US
dc.description.noteFebruary 2017en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1993/31976
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsopen accessen_US
dc.subjectArctic foxen_US
dc.subjectecosystem engineeren_US
dc.subjecttrophic interactionsen_US
dc.titleFox and lemming responses to climate and snow conditions at the Arctic’s edgeen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
local.subject.manitobayesen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
verstege_jacqueline.pdf
Size:
1.12 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.2 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed to upon submission
Description:
Download
Collections
FGS - Electronic Theses and Practica
Manitoba Heritage Theses