Breeding den selection by Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in southern Yamal Peninsula, Russia

AbstractSelecting the right location for a den during the breeding season is a type of habitat selection in the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) that is likely to affect its reproductive success. A den’s suitability likely depends on its ability to provide shelter, as well as its proximity to prey resources. Depending on the different relative risks that Arctic foxes may face across their broad circumpolar range, Arctic foxes may place different emphases on selection for shelter and prey resources in different ecosystems. Understanding the different requirements for reproduction under different ecological conditions is highly relevant to conservation efforts in areas where Arctic foxes are threatened by rapid environmental changes. Here, we investigated the relative selection for shelter and prey resources in southern Yamal Peninsula (Russia) using data from 45 dens collected over a 13-year period. Arctic foxes preferred to breed in dens with more den entrances; an indicator of shelter quality. Arctic foxes also preferred dens surrounded by more prey resources (quantified by the amount of river valley habitat), but this result was less conclusive. These results complement the findings reported from other study areas, illustrating that Arctic foxes in ecosystems with diverse predator communities may put emphasis on selection for shelter quality. In less productive ecosystems, Arctic foxes may rather put emphasis on selection for prey resources. As tundra ecosystems become more productive and generalist predators move north, the reproductive requirements and habitat selection of Arctic foxes may change accordingly, depending on the species’ ability to adapt.

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From monogamy to complexity: social organization of arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in contrasting ecosystems

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z2012-077 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 90 (9) ◽

pp. 1102-1116 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

K. Norén ◽

P. Hersteinsson ◽

G. Samelius ◽

N.E. Eide ◽

E. Fuglei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Organization ◽

Group Formation ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Resource Depletion ◽

Simple Groups ◽

The Arctic ◽

Vulpes Lagopus ◽

Arctic Foxes ◽

Plausible Model ◽

Prey Resources

Canids display pronounced intraspecific variation in social organization, ranging from single breeding females to large and complex groups. Despite several hypotheses in this matter, little is understood about the ecological factors underlying this flexibility. We have used the arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus (L., 1758)) to investigate how contrasting ecosystem conditions concerning resources and predation influence group formation. We predicted that complex groups are more common in resource-rich ecosystems with predators, whereas simple groups occur in more marginal ecosystems without predators. Samples from 54 groups were collected from four populations of arctic foxes with contrasting prey resources and predation and these samples were genotyped in 10 microsatellite loci. We found considerable variation between ecosystems and a significant relationship between resources and formation of complex groups. We conclude that sufficient amounts of food is a prerequisite for forming complex groups, but that defense against predation further increases the benefits of living in larger groups. We present a conceptual model suggesting that a trade-off between the cost of resource depletion and the benefits obtained for guarding against predators explain the differences in social organization. The variable ecology of the arctic foxes makes it is a plausible model species for understanding the connection between ecology and social organization also in other species.

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Broad Range Screening of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in Iceland

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10112031 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2031

Author(s):

Sándor Hornok ◽

Kristin Mühldorfer ◽

Nóra Takács ◽

Regina Hofmann-Lehmann ◽

Marina L. Meli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum ◽

The Arctic ◽

Vulpes Lagopus ◽

Protozoan Parasites ◽

Red Foxes ◽

Warming Climate ◽

Hemotropic Mycoplasma ◽

Arctic Foxes ◽

Vector Borne ◽

Real Time Qpcr

The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is the only native terrestrial mammal in Iceland. While red foxes (V. vulpes) are known to be epidemiologically important carriers of several vector-borne pathogens in Europe, arctic foxes have never been evaluated in a similar context on this continent. This has become especially relevant in the last decade, considering the establishing populations of the tick species Ixodes ricinus in Iceland. In this study, liver DNA extracts of 60 arctic foxes, hunted between 2011–2012, were molecularly screened for vector-borne protozoan parasites (Trypanosomatidae, Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon) and bacteria (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Borrelia, hemotropic Mycoplasma). One sample was real-time qPCR positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, though this positivity could not be confirmed with sequencing. Samples were negative for all other tested vector-borne pathogens. Results of this study indicate that, except for A. phagocytophilum, Icelandic arctic foxes were apparently “not yet infected” with vector-borne pathogens in 2011–2012, or their infections were “below the detection limit” of applied methods. Taking into account the broad range of target microorganisms analyzed here, as well as the warming climate and increasing presence of the vector I. ricinus in Iceland, our results will be very useful as baseline data for comparison in future monitoring of the emergence of ticks and tick-borne diseases in this country.

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Home-range sizes and altitude selection for arctic foxes and wolverines in an alpine environment

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z97-209 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 448-457 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Arild Landa ◽

Olav Strand ◽

John DC Linnell ◽

Terje Skogland

Keyword(s):

The Arctic ◽

Domestic Sheep ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Alopex Lagopus ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Alpine Environment ◽

South Central ◽

Arctic Foxes ◽

Selection For ◽

Peripheral Areas

We compared the use of space and habitat by wolverines, Gulo gulo, and arctic foxes, Alopex lagopus, on the Snøhetta plateau and surrounding mountains in south-central Norway. The arctic foxes used smaller annual home ranges than the wolverines, whose home ranges were among the largest yet reported for the species. In both species, resident males used larger home ranges than resident females. Arctic foxes used a much narrower, and higher, range of altitudes than wolverines, always above the tree line. Wolverines used lower altitudes in winter than in summer. Female wolverines showed pronounced seasonal peaks in their use of the peripheral areas of their home ranges. Both species showed an ability to cross at least some transportation corridors (road, rail, human settlements) in the area. The habitat available at Snøhetta appears suitable for arctic foxes and does not explain the failure of the population to recover during 67 years of protection. Because of predation on domestic sheep, wolverines will probably be confined to a series of core conservation areas (CCA). At present densities (0.28-0.36 wolverines per 100 km2), the CCA surrounding Snøhetta can contain from 36 to 50 wolverines.

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Dynamics of Cellular Factors of the Immune System of Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus) on the Background of Mixtinvasion

KnE Life Sciences ◽

10.18502/kls.v4i14.5662 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Yuri Kuznetsov ◽

Nadezhda Kuznetsova

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

B Lymphocytes ◽

Natural Resistance ◽

The Arctic ◽

Control Group ◽

Vulpes Lagopus ◽

T Suppressors ◽

Arctic Foxes ◽

Cellular Factors ◽

T Helpers

The article presents data on the dynamics of cellular immune system factors of the arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) while being affected by mixtinvasion of protozoa (Isospora vulpina) and helminth (Toxascaris leonina). The changes in the blood cell composition, in particular those responsible for the body’s immunity and immune status, reflect the pathological effect of the endoparasites on the animal’s body. The development of the invasive process during mixtinvasions causes and is accompanied by a decrease in the level of nonspecific resistance of the host organism. In addition, a significant process of inhibition of the lysozyme complementary activity in the blood serum and the development of secondary immunodeficiencies is observed. The aim of our work was to study the development of the pathological process in arctic foxes, caused by previously detected mixtinvasion by eimeriidoses and helminthiases, as well as to identify dynamical patterns of the immune system cellular factors. Intravital diagnostics of parasitoses was carried out by means of coproscopic studies with the help of conventional flotation methods. 127 arctic foxes participated in the experiment. Among them individuals with double invasion, an invasion with both protozoa (placeI. vulpina) and helminth (T. leonina), were selected for the experiment. Healthy animals served as the control group. Arctic foxes which took part in the experiment were divided into three groups of 10 animals each. Groups were formed by the method of balanced analogous groups. Evaluation of the T-system of immunity was carried out by the method of spontaneous rosetting according to Jondal (1972). Isolation of lymphocytes by the method of A. Boyum (1968), B-lymphocytes were determined by the method of E. Mendes (1973), theophylline-resistant and theophylline-sensitive T-lymphocytes were determined using the method of S. Limatibul et.al. (1978). The immunoregulation index was calculated by the ratio of T-helpers to T-suppressors. During the experiment, it was found that in infected animals the total number of lymphocytes was significantly 10.2 % higher than in animals in the control group, however, there was a tendency to a sharp decrease in the total number of lymphocytes in patients with I. vulpina + T. leonina. The T-helper dynamics in infected foxes was 18.9 ± 0.9 (P≤0.05), which is 21.9 % less than in the control – 24.2 ± 0.6 (P≤0, 05). The dynamics of T-suppressors turned out to be directly opposite to the dynamics of the T-helpers. The dynamics of B-lymphocytes in the 2nd group turned out to be 1.76 times higher than in animals from the control. In the 3rd group same indicator was comparable with the control values of 2.9 ± 0.3, against 2.5 ± 0.4 in the control group. The study showed that mixtinvasion with placeI. vulpina + T. leonina leads to immunosuppression in the arctic foxes. Interestingly the specific therapy did not straighten the immune state of the animals, but on the contrary it became more pronounced, which suggests that antiparasitic drugs have an immunosuppressive nature on the body of arctic foxes as evidenced by violations of the parameters of the body’s natural resistance, the content of T-E-ROCK lymphocytes.

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Emergent Rainy Winter Warm Spells May Promote Boreal Predator Expansion into the Arctic

ARCTIC ◽

10.14430/arctic4559 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Aleksandr A. Sokolov ◽

Natalya A. Sokolova ◽

Rolf A. Ims ◽

Ludovic Brucker ◽

Dorothee Ehrich

Keyword(s):

Thick Layer ◽

Heavy Rain ◽

The Arctic ◽

Yamal Peninsula ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Generalist Predators ◽

Cascading Effects ◽

Melting Temperatures ◽

Forage Plants ◽

Weather Events

Climate change has been characterized as the most serious threat to Arctic biodiversity. In addition to gradual changes such as climate warming, extreme weather events, such as melting temperatures in winter and rain on snow, can have profound consequences for ecosystems. Rain-on-snow events lead to the formation of ice layers in the snow pack, which can restrict access to forage plants and cause crashes of herbivore populations. These direct impacts can have cascading effects on other ecosystem components, often mediated by trophic interactions. Here we document how heavy rain in early winter, leading to the formation of a thick layer of ice, was associated with dramatic mortality of domestic reindeer on Yamal Peninsula, Russia. In the subsequent summer, breeding of two boreal generalist predators, red fox and Hooded Crow, was recorded for the first time in a monitoring area in the Low Arctic tundra of this region. We suggest that the resource pulse created by the abnormally high reindeer mortality and abundance of carrion may have facilitated these breeding events north of the known breeding range of the two species. Our observations provide an example of how specific emergent weather events may indirectly pave the way for more abrupt, although possibly temporary, species range changes.

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MONITORING OF THE THERMOABRASIONAL AND ACCUMULATIVE COASTS NEAR THE UNDERWATER GAS PIPELINE ROUTE ACROSS THE BAYDARATSKAYA BAY, KARA SEA

Proceedings of International Conference "Managinag risks to coastal regions and communities in a changinag world" (EMECS'11 - SeaCoasts XXVI) ◽

10.31519/conferencearticle_5b1b94878a9e64.97890040 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Nataliya Belova ◽

Alisa Baranskaya ◽

Osip Kokin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Regime ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Gas Pipeline ◽

The Arctic ◽

Yamal Peninsula ◽

Permafrost Degradation ◽

Nearshore Zone ◽

Barrier Beach ◽

Energy Dissipater ◽

Pipeline Route

The coasts of Baydaratskaya Bay are composed by loose frozen sediments. At Yamal Peninsula accumulative coasts are predominant at the site where pipeline crosses the coast, while thermoabrasional coast are prevail at the Ural coast crossing site. Coastal dynamics monitoring on both sites is conducted using field and remote methods starting from the end of 1980s. As a result of construction in the coastal zone the relief morphology was disturbed, both lithodynamics and thermal regime of the permafrost within the areas of several km around the sites where gas pipeline crosses coastline was changed. At Yamal coast massive removal of deposits from the beach and tideflat took place. The morphology of barrier beach, which previously was a natural wave energy dissipater, was disturbed. This promoted inland penetration of storm surges and permafrost degradation under the barrier beach. At Ural coast the topsoil was disrupted by construction trucks, which affected thermal regime of the upper part of permafrost and lead to active layer deepening. Thermoerosion and thermoabrasion processes have activated on coasts, especially at areas with icy sediments, ice wedges and massive ice beds. Construction of cofferdams resulted in overlapping of sediments transit on both coasts and caused sediment deficit on nearby nearshore zone areas. The result of technogenic disturbances was widespread coastal erosion activation, which catastrophic scale is facilitated by climate warming in the Arctic.

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N2O dynamics in the western Arctic Ocean during the summer of 2017

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-92009-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jang-Mu Heo ◽

Seong-Su Kim ◽

Sung-Ho Kang ◽

Eun Jin Yang ◽

Ki-Tae Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arctic Ocean ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Chukchi Sea ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Open Water ◽

Northern Region ◽

The Arctic ◽

Western Arctic Ocean ◽

Deep Layers ◽

Western Arctic

AbstractThe western Arctic Ocean (WAO) has experienced increased heat transport into the region, sea-ice reduction, and changes to the WAO nitrous oxide (N2O) cycles from greenhouse gases. We investigated WAO N2O dynamics through an intensive and precise N2O survey during the open-water season of summer 2017. The effects of physical processes (i.e., solubility and advection) were dominant in both the surface (0–50 m) and deep layers (200–2200 m) of the northern Chukchi Sea with an under-saturation of N2O. By contrast, both the surface layer (0–50 m) of the southern Chukchi Sea and the intermediate (50–200 m) layer of the northern Chukchi Sea were significantly influenced by biogeochemically derived N2O production (i.e., through nitrification), with N2O over-saturation. During summer 2017, the southern region acted as a source of atmospheric N2O (mean: + 2.3 ± 2.7 μmol N2O m−2 day−1), whereas the northern region acted as a sink (mean − 1.3 ± 1.5 μmol N2O m−2 day−1). If Arctic environmental changes continue to accelerate and consequently drive the productivity of the Arctic Ocean, the WAO may become a N2O “hot spot”, and therefore, a key region requiring continued observations to both understand N2O dynamics and possibly predict their future changes.

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Tree Swallow selection for wetlands in agricultural landscapes predicted by central-place foraging theory

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/duaa039 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew S Elgin ◽

Robert G Clark ◽

Christy A Morrissey

Keyword(s):

Habitat Selection ◽

Central Place ◽

Foraging Theory ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Tree Swallow ◽

Field Margins ◽

Central Place Foraging ◽

Prairie Pothole ◽

Prairie Wetlands ◽

Selection For

Abstract Millions of wetland basins, embedded in croplands and grasslands, are biodiversity hotspots in North America’s Prairie Pothole Region, but prairie wetlands continue to be degraded and drained, primarily for agricultural activities. Aerial insectivorous swallows are known to forage over water, but it is unclear whether swallows exhibit greater selection for wetlands relative to other habitats in croplands and grasslands. Central-place foraging theory suggests that habitat selectivity should increase with traveling distance from a central place, such that foragers compensate for traveling costs by selecting more profitable foraging habitat. Using global positioning system (GPS) tags, we evaluated habitat selection by female Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at 4 sites containing wetlands and where terrestrial land cover was dominated by grasslands (grass, herbaceous cover) and/or cultivated cropland. We also used sweep-net transects to assess the abundance and biomass of flying insects in different habitats available to swallows (wetland pond margins, grassy field margins, and representative uplands). As expected for a central-place forager, GPS-tagged swallows selected more for wetland ponds (disproportionate to availability), and appeared to increasingly select for wetlands with increasing distance from their nests. On cropland-dominated sites, insect abundance and biomass tended to be higher in pond margins or grassy field margins compared to cropped uplands, while abundance and biomass were more uniform among sampled habitats at sites dominated by grass and herbaceous cover. Swallow habitat selection was not clearly explained by the distribution of sampled insects among habitats; however, traditional terrestrial sampling methods may not adequately reflect prey distribution and availability to aerially foraging swallows. Overall, our results underscore the importance of protecting and enhancing prairie wetlands and other non-crop habitats in agricultural landscapes, given their disproportionate use and capacity to support breeding swallow and insect populations.

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